Founders Baptist Church

Introduction--New life in Jesus Christ means new burdens. Far from the Christian life meaning no cares, no stresses, no difficulties, it in fact means a new set of cares, added stresses, added difficulties. -Without question, our life represents burdens lifted.-There is the sweet knowledge of the forgiveness of our sins. -There is the new fellowship that we know with God. -There is a peace, a supernatural peace, that belongs only to those who are saved. -The kind of difficulty we knew in our lostness is sweetly replaced by a kind of difficulty that you only know in salvation.-One of those difficulties is a brand-new concern for the souls of the people you love. -Romans 8 ends on the emotional high of security. Romans 9 reminds us that we aren't just concerned for ourselves, we are concerned for others.-You know a new concern for all lost people. But there is a special aching, an informed aching, for the people who belong to your own clan. -A new burden for your immediate family, for your extended family, and for all the people you've had a personal relationship with throughout your life.-THIS BURDEN IS ESPECIALLY HEAVY WHEN THE PEOPLE YOU LONG TO SEE SAVED REGARD YOU AS THEIR ENEMY.-This is the case for many Christians. Your love, your loyalty toward a person, is regarded by that person who needs the gospel as if it is a betrayal. --Why won't you just accept me as I am----Why do you always have to talk about Christ, or the Bible, or my soul----Why can't you be happy for the choices I've made, and the life I've chosen to live----Why do you treat me like I'm a great sinner, instead of celebrating my choices----Why do you condemn me----Why have you turned your back on how we

Has God created people knowing that they will be damned- If God creates someone knowing that they will be damned, why does He create them at all- Isn't this unjust of God to create people who will be damned to hell for eternity---Is it just, is it right for God to create people knowing that they will become sinners and stay sinners- Eventually, thus to be penalized and committed to eternal damnation and hell- This is the question raised for discussion on this episode of the Straight Truth Podcast. Dr. Josh Philpot presents this question to Dr. Richard Caldwell and asks if it is just for God to do this sort of thing.

Introduction---Last Lord's Day evening I mentioned how the doctrines of grace, after troubling our hearts initially, can become sweet to our hearts.--Some of this transformation can be explained by maturity, but it is also explained by humble submission.--To speculate in the realm of theology is neither productive nor safe. Pride is not only willing to disagree with Scripture- it finds it very hard to confine itself to Scripture.---Well, here is what I think.- -Here is what I believe.- -Here is my take on that.- That is the language of pride whenever it finds itself at odds with Scripture. To tell me what you think when Scripture hasn't spoken to something is one thing, to tell me what you think IN OPPOSITION to Scripture, is another.--To stop short of believing all that God has revealed about Himself, and about what He has done, is sinful, and it is self-destructive.--Humility not only disciplines itself to think in terms of what God has revealed, it chooses to delight in all that God has revealed. It chooses to delight because it knows that God is good, and all that He has done is good.--It is humility that digs down deep and to takes full account of what God has made known to His people. It is humility that not only values the word of God- it believes every word of God.--Until we humble ourselves to embrace all that God has revealed about salvation, we will not know the joys, the comforts, the sweetness, the satisfaction, and the confidence in salvation that God wants His people to know.

This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and host Dr. Josh Philpot discuss free will as it pertains to salvation in Christ, decision making, and choosing in general. Do we as fallen men and women choose God, do we contribute to our salvation- How does free will work with what the New Testament teaches about God pre-ordaining all things, predestination, and election- Do we have free will to decide and choose for ourselves---Dr. Caldwell first explains that we do not contribute anything to our salvation. The faith that takes hold of God's promise in Christ is not something that we were born with- no one is born a believer. Salvation comes about as a result of the new birth, or regeneration that Jesus speaks of with Nicodemus in John 3. Jesus explains that apart from the new birth, no one can see or enter the Kingdom of God. Ephesians chapter 2 teaches that everything about our salvation, even the faith brings salvation, is a gift from God.

To whom do Christians pray- Are we praying to the Trinity, to Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit- Is there a way that our prayers are to be structured- Is the Lord's prayer an example for us to think rightly about prayer- How should a Christian go about their prayers, is there a specific way---This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and host Dr. Josh Philpot discuss these questions and more as they speak about prayer in the life of believers. Jesus' disciples recognized the importance of prayer and desired for Him to teach them how to pray.