Jesus Is… Part 1, Mormonism
Sunday, November 9th, 2008 : By Dan Miller
In almost 170 years since Joseph Smith first published the Book of Mormon, the Mormon Church has grown to a following of approximately 5.8 million people in the United States and 12.8 million world-wide. Have you ever thought that there must be something to Mormonism since so many people follow it? Today we examine the beginnings of Mormonism and what they believe. Then we will examine its teachings in light of the teachings and person of Jesus Christ. We will take a look at four religions over the next four weeks including Jehovah’s Witnesses, Islam, Hinduism, and starting today with Mormonism. MP3 download.
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Reformation, Part 1
Sunday, October 26th, 2008 : By Dan Miller
Did you know that October 31 is called Reformation Day and marks the anniversary of the “official” beginning of the Protestant Reformation? On October 31st in 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the University Church in Wittenberg Germany. The 95 Theses were a consolidation of Martin’s disagreements with the Roman Catholic Church regarding the sale of indulgences. Today we will seek to better understand the reasons that led to the actions of Martin Luther as well as the implications of that day has in our lives now. MP3 download.
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graceTALK, July 2008
Monday, July 7th, 2008 : By Leadership Team
The Leadership Team answers your questions.
Q1 (1:50): Why are matters such as leasing\buying a building put to vote by the whole church? Specifically, what issues are to be decided by the church members? Why is it biblical?
Q2 (13:30): Hi and thank you for reading this: I recently heard Andy Stanley tell a story about how they had lost one of their pastoral staff to cancer. It was a terribly sad story. The man who lost the fight to cancer was a man of God in his early 30’s and was a father of two. Mr. Stanley said, shortly before he passed away, that the church elders gathered and anointed him with oil and prayed over him. Obviously the …
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Is Repentance Required for Salvation?
Monday, June 2nd, 2008 : By Dan Miller
There are those who would have you believe that trust in Christ is all that is needed when it comes to the foundational element in starting a relationship with God. Furthermore, if anything is added to this basic formula the Gospel message will become corrupted. Consider the following:
In the same way [as first-century legalism], the most telling modern assaults on the integrity of the Gospel do not deny the cruciality of faith in Christ. On the contrary, they insist on it. But to faith are added other conditions, or provisos, by which the essential nature of the Gospel is radically transformed. Often, in fact, a distinction is drawn between the kind of faith which saves and the kind which does
…
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How Much Should I Change When I Get “Saved?”
Saturday, May 31st, 2008 : By Dan Miller
In teaching this passage, I noted that a fundamental issue with the church today is directly connected with our understanding of what happens when a person becomes a follower of Christ. In other words, how do we know when someone becomes a Christian and, thus, part of the church universal? To Paul, it was clear that he took great confidence that the Church at Thessalonica was real and true (“chosen” by God, v.4) because they had clearly changed and everyone knew it. In fact, they were joyfully accepting abuse from people who didn’t like the fact that they had turned from worshiping idols (see I Thess.1:6). Therefore, the change that these people underwent was obvious, radical, and complete.
Are …
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Theology
Sunday, May 18th, 2008 : By Tom Holbrook
As a follow-up to our previous discussion of tradition, today we will take a step back and ask some broader questions such as “What is theology?”, ”Why is theology important for the average person?”, and “What approaches are being taken in pursuing theology today?”.
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ChurchWorks: Who You Are, Part 1
Sunday, May 11th, 2008 : By Dan Miller
Today we start a new series called “Church Works”. In this series we will be considering what it means to be a Church. We will also better understand how the reality of being the church is practically expressed within the church community.
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Creation, Part 4
Sunday, April 13th, 2008 : By Ken Rutherford
The Doctrine of God: Week 22
Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, by Wayne Grudem.
Chapter 14, Creation: Why, how, and when did God create the universe?
This week we conclude our discussion on why, how, and when God created the universe. The topics which are more controversial among believers are discussed including interpretations of Genesis 1 and the debate of young earth or old earth.
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Truth for Difficult Times
Sunday, February 24th, 2008 : By Kevin Hosner
Do you “count it all joy” when you go through trials? Or do you struggle at times not really understanding why you are going through it? What is real joy? How does it last? How can I find it? These are just a few of the questions we will be discussing today as we focus our attention on James 1:2-4.
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‘What If’ World #2
Sunday, January 27th, 2008 : By Dan Miller
In week #2 we examine Moses’ “What if world” #2. In modern terms, Moses was concerned about not being taken seriously. Due to this concern, Moses was hesitant to act on what God had told him to do. All of us face this same dilemma at some time in our life: “What if” I do this and then “What if” [insert potential consequences here] happens. Sure, each of us needs to evaluate potential side effects of life-choices, but Moses crossed the line of simply being discerning and being doubtful of God’s decision to send him. Think about it, Moses actually is questioning God’s judgment! Moses had entered the “Wonderful Word of What If.” In today’s teaching, you will find an …
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