This past Sunday the message was a little different. People at SCC have been submitting questions over the past three weeks that I took some time to answer on this fourth week of the Questions series. Jana Aupperlee joined me as an interviewer, and the voice of those who submitted the questions. I didn’t see the questions before she asked them, and she asked me different questions in each service. We didn’t have time to answer them all, but here are the questions that were submitted. To hear the answers I gave to some of them, here are the audio files.
Questions
Is it possible to be a good Christian without believing the unbelievable (i.e. raising from the dead, transubstantiation, water to wine, etc…)? I don’t know if it is doubt I feel, or if I find so much else possible (ex. newly discovered gospels? -After all, one group of people decided for the rest of us!).
What about prayer? If God knows what is going to happen, do we change the future with prayer?
The Bible seems conflicted on prayer…if I have the faith of a mustard seed or if I bug God enough, I should get what I ask right? Why don’t I? I’ve heard people say I didn’t ask for it right or with the wrong thought, or with not enough faith – those sound like a cop out? Or does prayer just change us and how we experience life?
Why doesn’t God choose to relieve suffering?
How does reincarnation fit with Christianity?
How should extra-Biblical texts like the Gnostic gospels inform our faith?
What will heaven be like and how much time should we devote to pondering it now?
What if there is no God?
How do you encourage/force yourself to change to what you know to be God’s way & you just can’t do it?
Once we have chosen to believe, that’s enough by the grace of God. But, if we have chosen to believe are we not expected to change our lives as well? Should we change our ways of language, of jokes, of behavior? Or can we believe and still live with the same behavior we’ve always practiced?
If everyone is forgiven for their sins then why is there a Hell? Does it depend on how bad you sin? How does he decide who gets forgiven and why?
Why are those who murder destroyed? Aren’t all sins equal? Shouldn’t they be forgiven too?
Why do the wicked prosper? Why does it seem like evil and unethical people keep getting away with so much that affects the righteous, good people continually?
Why is there so much variation amongst different Biblical translations? What can we do to minimize confusion?
Can we understand the Bible without the historical context or without extensive knowledge about ancient Jewish laws and practices?
Is God a male or female?
What if I can’t forgive myself even though I know God has?
What happens to gay people who have believed in God & then die? Where are they? Will I see my cousin again?
If God is all-knowing, how do we have “free will”? Does he know when I sin? When & how I will die?
We all hear all you need to do is believe in God to go to heaven. What does belief in God mean?
I know plenty of people who believe in God. I think they even believe the cross happened and He rose again. They do good works and have hearts of gold. However, it does not appear they live their life for Christ. We all know to love our neighbor and do good works but what does it mean to “live a life of Christ?” I know we all sin and I know it’s not my job to say who is or isn’t but sometimes you hear what someone says and then you witness their actions and behaviors and they don’t match. What gives?
Does God/Jesus have a position on war and national defense? It seems that Christians often have very different views on this issue.
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