Church? Hell No

Pastor Dennis Hall and his guest Pastor George Whirley, New Creation Restoration Church and Prison Ministry, Indianapolis, Indiana discuss the things that indicate that America is no longer a nation that fears God. The Bible speaks of fear in reference to God more than 300 times. Americans love freedom and freedom has come to be defined as the absence of any constraints on us. Religion is seen as the enemy of freedom because God does place constraints on us. Isaiah 8:13 says "The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, is the one you are to fear, is the one you are to dread. Romans 3:23, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." God poses an ominous threat to our egos but to not to us; he stands over against our delusions, but not against the truth that sets us free: he cast us down, but only to lift us up. He sits in judgment of our sin, but he forgives us, nevertheless. The Scripture says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but love is its completion.

Ordained Minister Dennis Hall and his guest Sergio Barranco, Pastor of Hispanic Ministries at First Baptist Church, Highlands, North Carolina talk about the origin and true meaning of Thanksgiving Day, It seems more and more of the media refer to Thanksgiving Day as "turkey day. "Yet the Scripture refers to the concept 
of thanks 102 times in the Old Testament and 72 times in the New Testament. They discuss the many things that are miracles of God that we take for granted, from modern-day medical care and dentistry to heat, air conditioning, and running water in our homes. Both these pastors share events in their lives that brought them closer to Jesus. They end this podcast by acknowledging that on Thanksgiving Day God is not opposed to our feasting and gathering together with friends and family to dine, but if our only prayer is to ask God to bless our food, we are probably forgetting the real meaning of this day. Prayers of thanksgiving for the things that God has given us should be the focus of Thanksgiving Day.  Celebrate and don't leave God out of your Thanksgiving!

Ordained minister, Dennis Hall, and his guest Justin Bohner, Assistant Pastor, First Baptist Church, Highlands, North Carolina discuss the challenges of sharing the Christian faith with Generation Z, those under 30 years old. They begin by acknowledging that in the last election cycle there was a large turnout of young voters with the majority supporting candidates with pro-abortion, pro-transgenderism, pro – LGBTQ, pro–critical race theory, and socialism views. They discussed the characteristics of today's society that has led to a culture where anything goes, and the moral compass does not exist for many. What Christians think is true and reasonable appears to be sheer madness to increasing numbers of our population. They point out that Generation Z struggles with these questions: Why am I here? Why does mathematics work? What is the meaning of life? If the universe had a beginning, who created it? Why are the physical constraints in the universe so finely tuned to allow the possibility of complex life forms? Why do humans have a moral sense? What happens when we die? They conclude with the admonition that God exists and is a personal infinite God. You should know who you are and know that a personal God is there for you. You are not surrounded by mere mass and energy particles. When you accept Christ as your Savior, even though it will not be perfect In this life, your moment-by-moment personal relationship with Jesus will gradually transform you.

Ordained minister Dennis Hall and his guest Pastor George Whirley, New Creation Restoration Church and Prison Ministry, Indianapolis, Indiana discuss the common perceptions regarding character. It is pointed out that in society the perception exists that leaders who achieve good results are effective, regardless of the means used to arrive at the results. It is obvious that some of the most admired leaders in the business world have private lives that do not reflect integrity. Maturity is an important aspect of character and can be defined as "the ability to delay gratification."2 Peter 1:5-6 talks about self-control as part of growing biblically in character. Developing biblical character and growing spiritually is a process that takes place over a long period of time, and it requires interaction with others in a place where members "speak the truth in love." (Ephesians 4:15). This is the reason that churches are essential to believers "so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:12-13).

Ordained minister, Dr. Dennis Hall exposes the myths of Eastern meditation grounded in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Although many report benefits from these types of meditation techniques, a recent study from Brown University uncovered meditation-related adverse effects that were serious or distressing enough to warrant additional treatment. These effects included psychosis, seizures, depersonalization, mania, and other forms of clinical deterioration. Meditators acknowledged that it is not unusual to experience visions, see or hear spirits, see light, and have out-of-body experiences all of which could be demonic oppression. Because of the shift in consciousness carried out through meditation, participants are open to major deceptions that are no different from the lie in the garden. In these Eastern meditations, full of mysticism, participants can believe that they are God, can lose their God-given ability to judge right from wrong, and have their moral standards lowered. He lays out the scriptural basis for biblical meditation, pointing out that there is no hint in the Bible that meditation is some kind of esoteric practice that requires instruction by gurus or teachers and special techniques for controlling one's breathing are repeating mantras. Dr. Hall carefully lays out elements required for biblical meditation and provides practical suggestions for meditating as part of Christian discipline.

Ordained minister, Dr. Dennis Hall, explains why the Bible is the most amazing, influential, unique, and transformational book in the world. It has been on the bestseller list for 2000 years and it is estimated that the Bible has sold 5 billion copies since it was first published and sold. Over 100 million copies are sold each year. Held out as the infallible word of God, over time it has been proven to be historically and factually reliable. Followers of Jesus Christ turn to the Bible to deepen their faith and understand the reasons for their hope. Skeptics, agnostics, atheists, and the curious often study the Bible to find a reason for their unbelief. No matter what category you fall into the Bible cannot be ignored. Three major world religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, are guided and influenced by the Bible. The Bible is an excellent source for personal edification through its presentation of individuals facing moral choices, life challenges, and situations that are applicable to us today. Another reason to study the Bible is for cultural literacy purposes. It is in the Bible that you understand the origin and meaning of popular phrases like being a good Samaritan, the folly of letting the blind lead the blind, going the extra mile, and doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. The famous theologian, Charles Spurgeon, once said, "a Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't."

Ordained minister Dr. Dennis Hall addresses the experience of only 3 out of 5 eligible voters participating in voting in the elections in the U.S. He explains why if your God is not interested in politics, you are not worshipping the God of the Bible. He points out that Romans 13: 1 teaches, " Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities" and that in America we do not submit to political authorities since we grant political authority to the representatives we elect. Edmund Burke said, "All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." Thus, voting is critical to the well-being of our society. Voting is a method to love our neighbors as Jesus commanded. Based on writings by Chris Blake, he lays out ten commandments for Christian voting. He challenges listeners to not vote for their own interests and bank accounts but to focus on what your vote means to others. If Christians and Godly people abandon the political process the values and ethics and moral standards of our communities will suffer.

Ordained minister, Dr. Dennis Hall, talks about the variety of plans we make for our lives. He answers the question, "Should our lives have plans and what does the Scripture say about this? "He points out that the Scripture is replete with verses that suggest our lives should consist of plans and those plans should be given and endorsed by God. The phrase, "If the Lord wills" is examined in light of biblical instruction. How to make our plans consistent with God's plans is outlined by looking at Isaiah 29 through 32. Making sure Jesus is part of your planning can only be done through prayer.
Can also be seen on YouTube at: Video link

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Ordained minister Dennis Hall and Justin Bohner, Assistant Pastor, First Baptist Church, Highlands, North Carolina discuss the phenomena of selfies, which is "a photo of yourself that you take, typically with a smart phone or WebCam, and usually put on social media." There are over 92 million selfies taken every day. It seems like everyone is taking selfies and sharing them on social media. However, more and more studies are linking selfies to narcissism. Narcissism is a personality trait of self-centeredness where a person has an excessive interest in one's physical appearance and image. One of the main reasons that people take selfies and post them on social media is attention-getting. We are becoming a nation of narcissists where people are displaying a hunger for appreciation and admiration and a desire to be the center of attention. In Philippians 2:3-4, believers are admonished to give up their pride and walk in humility. These pastors conclude this podcast by quoting 2 Chronicles 7:14 – "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 
Episodes can also be seen on YouTube