CIAM Radio

Segment 1

• John Stott’s cautious support for annihilationism sparked theological tension.

• The church, historically, has rejected annihilationist views.

• Reinterpreting hell marks a break from church history and doctrine.

Segment 2

• Our view on hell should be guided by God’s word, not emotion.

• Bible examples show instant judgment for “small” sins—divine justice is deadly serious.

• Hell’s eternality, rather than compromising God’s justice, magnifies it.

Segment 3

• Annihilationism’s survival is more cultural than biblical because it speaks to modern sensitivities.

• Enlightenment and Victorian culture softened God’s justice to adjust for human tastes.

• Theological liberalism grew where a biblical fear of God faded.

Segment 4

• Each generation reshapes God, in some way, to fit its comfort level.

• Vatican II and modern psychology blurred the lines on judgment and accountability.

• As God becomes more “sentimental,” hell disappears—and so does the gospel.

___

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What evidence do you have for what you believe? In Isaiah 41:21-29, God issues a bold challenge: idols and the Almighty will both "set forth their case." Dr. John Neufeld explores this courtroom scene where God demonstrates His reality through detailed prophecy—including naming Cyrus 200 years before his birth—while idols remain silent and powerless. We become like what we worship, making this choice eternally significant.

God and the World's Idols: What are you really worshipping? In this series through Isaiah 40–44, Dr. John Neufeld explores one of Scripture's most powerful confrontations between the living God and the idols humanity creates. Writing to a nation facing exile and questioning whether their God has abandoned them, Isaiah paints a stunning portrait of who God truly is — His wisdom that needs no counsel, His power that never grows weary, His sovereignty over history itself.

Listen to today's Laugh Again with Phil Callaway, "Legacy of a Packrat." Enjoy!

Abortion will be in the forefront of our nation’s political and legal future for years to come. Essentially, however, it is not merely a political or legal issue, but a moral one, with deeply spiritual overtones. Because this is true, we need to be alert, informed, and concerned.

From the Series: The Sanctity of Life...The Inescapable Issue

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Intimacy is rooted in honesty. Acknowledging wrongdoing is the first step towards recovering intimacy because you’ve been honest. Is there someone you need to make things right with?

Could the way you’re thinking about your spouse be shaping your marriage in ways you’ve never imagined? Author Ted Lowe helps revolutionize your marriage…starting with your mind.

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Tricia Goyer wants to encourage Christians to embrace happiness in the Lord. She described her own painful past as an unmarried teen mom who surrendered her life to Jesus and experienced His profound love and happiness in her soul. Tricia warns fellow Christians about dangers of trying to be perfect, of trying to “earn” salvation, and of striving to do more rather than celebrate all the good God has done. She also shared stories about her struggles to raise 7 adopted kids and navigate their trauma, and how she learned to trust God for the results.

I guess it's possible to get lost in a computer. There was an article I read a while ago that talked about how some business leaders were complaining about this emerging problem with some of their computer people. They were talking about computer technicians who just kept going deeper and deeper into programs, and spending lots of time on sophisticated functions that didn't really have anything to do with getting their job done. One of them had an interesting name for it - "the rapture of the deep" they called it; lost somewhere in that computer; making the computer an end in itself rather than what it's supposed to be, which I think is a means of getting a job done. You know, some people get lost in the Bible too.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Headful of Bible."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from James 1, and I'm going to begin reading at verse 22. "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." I think this verse is talking about people who know the Bible, but are fooling themselves. That's kind of scary, isn't it? I mean, we're Bible people. But it's possible to be self-deceived and in the process of getting to know the Bible you get self-deceived. Why? Because you've forgotten that the purpose of studying the Bible isn't just to know the Bible; it's to do it; it's to be changed by it, like looking in the mirror. What needs changing? You don't just get information. If you looked in the mirror this morning you probably took action!

So, like the computer buffs, they remember Bible facts, they discuss theology, they look for deeper and deeper meanings, they analyze the Bible, they dissect the Bible, they learn big words for things in the Bible, but they're getting lost in biblical space. To be sure, we should never take God's revelation lightly. It demands, it requires serious study. That's good. But the ultimate objective is not to know it; it's to do it.

2 Timothy 3:16 - "All scripture is God-breathed" - good, good. "...and is useful..." Oh, it's supposed to do something, it's not just something you know. Maybe you've been slipping into a state of let's call it uh... passive loyalty to the Bible. Oh, you've got the head part going. Yeah, you're strong in Bible information, but maybe you're weak on application. Maybe when you were a younger Christian you didn't know much about it, but you were applying it. It was changing you, wasn't it? Maybe the balance has shifted.

There are three ways to read the Bible. You can read it for information, you can read it for inspiration, and you can read it for transformation. And that last one is what God has in mind. When you pick up the Bible, are you asking every time you read it, "What connection does this make to something I'm going to face today?" Start a spiritual diary, and in it you write two things: What did I read today; what is God saying here and put it in your own words... not Bible words. And then, what am I going to do differently today because of what God said?" The Bible isn't just to be mastered. It's to be obeyed.

So don't get lost in a spiritual rapture of the deep. Oh yeah, go after the deep things of God to be sure, but only so they can deeply penetrate the way you live. Otherwise, you could be very deep but very dead.