Founders Baptist Church

Jesus' sermon on the mount in Matthew 5 gives some instructions about living as Kingdom citizens. Within this chapter, there are specific verses that talk about how citizens of God's Kingdom are to deal with and treat others. This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and Dr. Josh Philpot will deal with questions that relate specifically to verses 38-42. Dr. Philpot tells us a questioner writes saying, that they know that being a Christian means they are called to love and care for other people. They also write that they find real joy to meet the needs of others, especially those within the church. Although they say, there are times when they feel like they are being taken advantage of, like when the person is perfectly capable of doing for themselves. There are yet other times when they want to fulfill a need, but the person in need insists on it being met in a particular way. The questioner asks, can they use their best judgment to respectfully say no, or should they just give in- Would this be to offend the other person and cause conflict- What exactly does the Bible mean when it says to give him your cloak or go with him two miles-

Introduction--One of the sad realities associated with growing older in this country, during a time when your nation has experienced the judgment of God in the form of a moral freefall, is the awareness that you have witnessed the loss of an appreciation for certain words.-Character words. Words that once had meaning, not only in the church, but due to Christian influence, even in the world at large. These words no longer to seem to matter, at least not to the degree they once did.-Words like--Honor-Integrity-Loyalty-Faithfulness

This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and Dr. Josh Philpot come together to discuss Christian discernment. Two specific questions were submitted regarding a recent sermon by Dr. Caldwell. Why is the world a poor counselor to the church when it comes to setting the church's agenda, and how can Christians cultivate a life of godly discernment---Dr. Caldwell tackles the first question with a simple straight forward answer. The church cannot takes its counsel from the world because of the world's spiritual condition. Even though men in their fallen state can recognize certain things about what's right and what's wrong, they have no real answers or solutions to fix what is wrong. Outside of Christ, man has no access to the answers or solutions. Man lacks the wisdom of God, and this wisdom only comes through Christ.

Introduction--One of the great errors that the church has had to battle throughout history is the viewing of salvation as something that is not NECESSARILY experiential. -According to this error, salvation occurs wherever you find a willingness to profess faith in Jesus. -Pray this prayer.- -Say these words.- -Welcome to the family of God-- -Don't ever allow someone, or some set of circumstances, to cause you to doubt.- -You asked Jesus to save you, and that settles it.--What also characterizes this error is a gutted gospel message. A gospel that is not the gospel. -Professions of faith are called for, but in response to a message that doesn't match the fulness of the biblical gospel.-Sometimes, no mention of sin. -If sin IS mentioned, it is often minimized and dealt with superficially. -There is a superficial presentation of God, of Christ, of what salvation really is, and what it means for someone to believe.-YOU HAVE TRUNCATED MESSAGE-ELICITING A TRUNCATED RESPONSE-Those who fall prey to this error emphasize salvation from the standpoint of its legal results. Salvation is a legal matter. Salvation is factual, it is objectively true, but it is not necessarily something that changes a life in this age. -It SHOULD. It CAN. But we cannot say that it always WILL.--So that, it is possible, according to this view, to have been saved from the fires of hell, and brought into a heavenly citizenship, and there be no real difference in your life right now.-The results from this error has been devastating.

How should the church minister to Single people -not yet married, not married, and never married- in its congregations- What can a church do to be more accommodating to Single people- Where does the Single person, fit into the ministry of the church---This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and host Dr. Josh Philpot talk about the complexities and misunderstandings of the place of Singles in the church. Dr. Caldwell points out that ministering to Singles in the church can be confusing and somewhat difficult. He believes some of the difficulties of ministering to Singles may come from the wrong perspective of Singleness that is found even within the church itself. The expectation is that everyone is going to get married. Marriage is the norm for most people, but not all will marry. Marriage in our churches is often looked at or understood to be a standard of maturity and passage of adulthood. However, by holding to this view we can contribute to Singles feeling as if there is something wrong with them. This is especially true if the person is older and has never married. If the person is not college-aged, but in their 30's or 40's it can lead to a sense of isolation and loneliness. Singleness is not bad or wrong. It is not a sub-standard or second-class life. The Apostle Paul himself speaks positively of being Single in 1 Corinthians 7-6-8. There is beauty and blessing of Singleness as taught in the Scriptures. So Singleness can be embraced and celebrated in godly living. Therefore, one of the best things the church can do is teach what the Bible teaches about Singleness with clarity.

To what kind of music can a Christian listen- Can listening to secular music affect our life negatively- Should Christians be concerned about the style of music, is one kind better over another- Does the Bible give specifics about the types of music or entertainment from which a Christian may choose-

This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and Dr. Josh Philpot discuss the ramifications of sin in the life of a Christian. Christians understand when they become saved that their sins are forgiven by God, in Christ. Yet, because sin has not been eradicated from our lives, the day-to-day reality continues to be a struggle. How are Christians to deal with this- The desire to do right and obey is there, yet at times we find ourselves still living in disobedience anyway. Often the result of the sinning brings feelings of guilt and grief. Sometimes there are even feelings of despair and worthlessness as Christians are continuously aware of their ongoing failure to please God. Does God punish us for this ongoing sin that we commit now or, will we be punished one day at the judgment seat of Christ-