While it is true that a simple trusting of God will provide for us hope for a new day, it is no magic potion. The reality is that many of us will have a very difficult journey… and it should be. After all, it was for the people in the Bible.

The problem of despair is not one you can neatly solve then file away. It roars to life every time someone in your family hears the ugly diagnosis of cancer, every time we feel rejected by a friend, every time we face a situation we know will expose our inability to act in such a way as to receive the approval we crave from those around …

 

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The Leadership Team answers your questions.

Q1 (1:14). What is the role of psychology in the church today?

Q2 (6:47). What is the “third heaven” mentioned in 2 Cor. 12:2. I have a friend who is a Mormon and he said that this is the highest point in heaven and hopes to one day attain to it. I never heard this before so I wanted to find a good way to engage in my response.

Q3 (18:39). The other day my 3 1/2 year old daughter asked me if demons could hurt her. Being completely unprepared for the question, I responded “Well, if you’re best friends with Jesus (something we’ve talked about many times), …

 

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Today we will consider some common questions that people have regarding heaven in an effort to distinguish tradition & truth. The questions are:

1. Will we have bodies in heaven?
2. Can we fall away once we are in heaven?
3. Will we have homes in heaven?

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We have been considering the connection between how we view the future and our ability to live a focused, Kingdom-centered life. Jesus applied this dynamic to how we view the coming end of days and how our outlook should be filled with a reverent expectation and vigilance (see Luke 17:20-27). Jesus makes the powerful connection that what we anticipate in the future will mold the way we live now. From the earliest prophetic teachings to end-of-time prophecies we can be sure that both were given to change the way we live our lives today.

Today we will consider some common questions that people have regarding heaven in an effort to distinguish tradition & truth. …

 

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Last week we began to consider the connection between how we view the future and our ability to live a focused, Kingdom-centered life. Jesus applied this dynamic to how we view material possessions when he says: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21

Jesus makes the powerful connection between how we view our future will mold the way we live here and now. What is it about the future that …

 

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Have you ever considered the connection between living with a focused, Kingdom-centered life and a robust understanding of the future? The Apostle John makes this connection when he writes, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. I John 3:2-3

John makes a striking connection between how we view the future with how we seek purpose and purity in our lives here and now. My question for you to consider is why does John do this? Why make this …

 

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A.W.Tozer once said, “God always works where His people meet His conditions, but only when and as they do. Any spiritual visitation will be limited or extensive depending how well and how widely conditions are met.”

If this statement is true, then it is important for us to consider what some of these conditions are. So, what does make a church ripe for a “spiritual visitation?” In other words, what are the responsibilities of the people who attend our Church? That is what we will think about today. Thanks for being with us and we hope our time together will help you in your spiritual journey. MP3 download.

 

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The Leadership Team answers your questions.

Q1 (1:22). When I discuss issues with my friends and cite the Bible as a reference my friends often say to me, “Well, that’s your interpretation.” How do I respond to that without feeling like I am just giving another opinion? It just seems like all the force gets taken out of the point I am trying to make.

Q2 (9:54). When the Bible says we will be held accountable for our actions does that also include sins that we’ve already been forgiven for?

Q3 (17:59). When the Bible says that we will be “in the world” but we are not supposed to be “of this world” how …

 

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What is the fundamental, common DNA of every person who says they are a Christian? Today we look at that very issue in 2 Corinthians 5 and see that the answer is “the Gospel”. It is fundamental to an individual being a Christian and essential to the life of a church. MP3 download.

Music video by Kenny Chesney with The Wailers performing Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven. (C) 2008 Sony Music Entertainment

 

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Jesus’ story about the prodigal son is one of the most famous of all the parables. It is a story about two sons who cared more about their father’s things than the father himself. Ultimately, it is the father’s response to both sons’ shame that leads us to God’s love demonstrated at the cross of Christ. MP3 download.

An animation built on 1 John 3:1, and a song by Sovereign Grace Music entitled Prodigal.

 

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