Q&A #107 - February 20, 2019

1.) Do you have any good marriage or parenting resources you’d recommend for a couple that is having a hard time getting on the same page, both in general but also more specifically in relation to their parenting styles?
2.) In light of Doug’s comments in a recent podcast, have any of you actually been accused of being the anti-christ?  What is the worst insult any of you have received after preaching a sermon?
3.) What is the point of the story about the Greeks in John Chapter 12?
4.) Is the Canada Post Mail Box outside the church building in the parking lot just for Living Springs, how many individual boxes does the church get?
5.) A person I know with a Catholic background recently told me about a relative of their’s that just passed away, and then they spoke of the need for us to pray for the dead person.  What, if anything, should I have said in response.  Does the Bible say anything of praying for the dead?

Q&A #106 - February 13, 2019

1. Do hamsters smell?
2. Who would win, flash or reverse flash?
3.  In light of Mark 12:30 and Luke 14:26: it is wrong to buy romantic cards to my wife with the phrase, “I love you with all my heart” written in it, or to sign cards that way?.   (Maybe this question should be deferred until closer to valentines
4. Why did Paul talk about it being better not to marry but isn’t marriage part of what god has for us here? Grows us, challenges us, let’s us live in community to the deepest sense. Isn’t that good for us?
5. As at least 2 of the staff have first hand experience with adoptions, please tell us about it; including some or all of the following questions:
• For the person who knows absolutely nothing about it, where do they begin, what are the normal steps involved?
• Is it expensive to adopt?
• Are there people who absolutely should NOT consider adoption?
• Should there be a much greater percentage of Christians adopting children?
• What about adopting Older children?
• What about the stories of social workers with a crusade against christians couples being allowed to adopt?
• What about older people adopting children; how old is too old? 
• What, if anything, do you say to those people who instantly have a list of excuses whenever the subject is brought up?
• Is it Worth it?

Q&A #105 - January 30, 2019

1. There is a large group of African Canadian members of our church. Why doesn't the service and worship reflect their culture more than it does? Understand this is coming from a white person who would love to see our church reflect the diversity of worship/theology/ways of life of the membership.

2. Why is sex so taboo in the church?

3. - What did Jesus mean when He said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven”?

4. The USA recently had Martin Luther King Jr. Day.   Over the years I have heard many sermons etc, of people praising Martin Luther King Jr. and talking about God’s calling on his life, and all of these have spoken of him as if he was a christian.  However, upon reviewing his very own writings it is clear that he was not a christian as he did not believe in the divinity of Jesus nor did he believe in the resurrection of Jesus. 
Questions: 
- Is it a correct assessment that a person is not a Christian if they deny the divinity of Jesus and deny the resurrection of Jesus?
- What should our attitude or response be when information like this comes to light about people whom we have been led to believe were christian leaders with a special call on their life?

Sources: Stanford University The Martin Luther King, Jr.  Research and Education Institute  :  
https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/humanity-and-divinity-jesus  
https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/what-experiences-christians-living-early-christian-century-led-christian

Q&A #104 - January 23, 2019

1. How can we get more people to come to church?
2. Why aren't there speakers in the bathroom
3.  What happens when Living Springs doesn’t receive enough funds in a month to cover the budget?  Is debt incurred or do some bills not get paid or do some people not get paid?
4. Thirty odd years ago it was very common that preachers would quote the JB Phillips paraphrase in there sermons, however it has now been a long time since I have heard anyone quote from it, is there a particular theological reason that the JB Phillips paraphrase has fallen out of favour, or has it just been forgotten?
5.  What is the meaning of the saying "do not go beyond what was written” - 1 Corinthians 4:6 
6.  Why do some people claim that Satan is already bound and in the pit, if they are correct how do they explain all the evil in the world?  What comfort does it give them to believe this?
7. Jordan with an Ask question. How do you view the Devil? How active is he in our daily struggles? How much influence can he have over believers? Where does he live? Can he be omnipresent?

Q&A #103 - January 16, 2019

1.) -  What exactly is “Soul Care”?   Is the idea of “Soul Care” a new thing in Church History?

2.) -  In John 17:3 Jesus prays: “Now this is eternal life – that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.”  Why doesn’t he include knowing the Holy Spirit in the statement; especially after Jesus was just speaking about the Holy Spirit, (as a He,) in chapters 14, 15 and 16?

3.) -  Should Christians participate in the “Four quarters please”, protest campaign once the new “Gay Loonie” is released later this year?       
Notes:  a.) - The “Gay” Loonie is a one dollar coin that if set to be released this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Canada.    b.) - The idea of the Protest is that people are to ask for 4 quarters rather than accept a loonie that is promoting homosexuality, and the idea of the protest is being promoted by CitizenGo.

Q&A #102 - January 9

1. In reading Romans 9:17-24, wouldn’t these verses point to the idea of predestination? Based on the entirety of Scripture I believe God has given everyone the freedom to choose him or not, but how do these verses fit in to the greater picture?

2. Another question from our community group:  Why did God choose to make Jacob the father of the 12 tribes of Israel after he so deceptively stole Isaac’s blessing from Esau?

3. What, if anything, does the Bible say about suicide? If a believer dies by suicide, do they still go to heaven or does that final sin separate them from God for eternity?

4. A question that came up in our community group:  Why was Jesus so rude to the woman in Matthew 15:22~28 & Mark 7:25~30?  (As an aside question: are these two passages about the same woman?)

5. What is the nature of the Wrath of God?  
Further explanation: I’ve always associated the idea of God’s Wrath with the image of jumping off a cliff and being dashed against the rocks below: Gravity is good (as without it for even a few seconds the earth would violently explode, or so scientists tell us), but if we try to defy gravity by jumping off a cliff we will suffer the “Wrath” of Gravity as we are dashed against the rocks below.  However I am realising that this image is far to simplistic and doesn’t account for the many references to God’s Burning Anger.

Q&A #100 - December 19

1.) - Recently at least one of you expressed that N. T. Wright’s books were worth reading, have any of you read his book: “The Day the Revolution Began”   If so then can you please explain what you think the main point is that he is trying to make?  (Obviously don’t bother with this question if no one has read it.)

2.) - In a recent episode a question was asked that if Bethel was a Cult why do we sing their Worship songs, your answer was something like: that although you disagreed with some of the aspects of what they teach that you don’t think that they are a cult.  My question is: what if they or another group whose worship songs we sing were a cult; should that disqualify those songs from being sung?  What if they become a cult after the song has become widespread?

3.) - How should the words of 1st Corinthians 7:29 be incorporated into a marriage?

Q&A #99 - December 12

Our Longest Podcast to Date

1. What’s your favourite toy
2. Reading in Hebrews chapter 6 this morning I came across 4-6. Can you guys explain this passage? “It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.” Hebrews 6:4-6 NIV

  What does it mean to fall away? Aren’t we always welcomed back? Or is it a case of “falling away” is completely turning our backs on God, but even then wouldn’t we be welcomed back. Thanks
3. Why did god create people if he knew they were going to come up with theories like the Big Bang?
4. There's been a lot of talk in Christian circles about non-violence. It seems to make a lot of sense in some ways, but in others it does not. For example, many non-violence advocates seem to teach that Christians need to deal with everyone in a gentle non-confrontative manner to show Jesus' love. Jesus himself seems to be quite aggressive/confrontational when the need arose when confronting social injustice and other issues. How do we make sense of this new movement in the church?
5. The other day I was talking to someone about the immense price that Christ paid to forgive us.  The person I was talking to answered something to the effect that Christ didn’t really pay that much of a cost because he only suffered within his humanity and that Christ has shed His humanity after He ascended, so in effect He no longer carries that suffering with Him.  How would you respond to this person?
6. Who is Jesus speaking of in John 19:11? Who is the one guilty of sin?
7.  “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:19-20 ESV How does Romans 1:19-20 line up with the fact that the only way to salvation is through Christ? These verses seem to indicate that no one has an excuse to not know God, which I would agree, just waking up in the morning and seeing the world around us points to a divine creator, but how does the world around us reveal the death and resurrection of Christ? There are likely millions, if not billions of people since Christ who have acknowledged God through creation but may never have heard of Jesus. If just acknowledging the existence of God isn’t enough, which we know it isn’t, then do all these people automatically go to hell or is there anywhere in the Bible that would indicate perhaps there is a special revelation of Christ’s sacrifice upon death so people can choose him?
8. Where in the Bible is are the details of Satan being cast from heaven? Also, if Satan can be cast down due to the sin of pride and wanting to be better than God then does that mean that we can sin in heaven? Will we still have to fight our sinful nature once we’re there? And if not, how did Satan sin and where does it say we won’t be able to? Or is it just that we won’t wsnt to? Is it because he was an angel and not a human made in God’s image? Basically I guess, can you explain the story and background to Satan a bit? Thanks.

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