May 2011 - Page 2 of 5

Part Three: The Value of the Law

May 2, 2011September 9, 2019Moses - The Law of God; Exodus 20

Exodus 20:1—And God spoke all these words: 2] "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

David Guzik's Exodus commentary makes some of the following observations:
"As an introduction to the Law, God introduces Himself and reminds the Israelites once again what He has done—v. 2. It is because of who God is, and because of what He has done for us, He has the right to tell us what to do—and we have the obligation to obey Him. It's also important to draw the connection that the following Laws were not "invented" here at Mount Sinai.

How the Mighty Have Fallen – Part Two

May 2, 2011September 9, 2019Solomon

What will happen to a rebel? Not a juvenile delinquent, not a child who threatens to run away from home... but a stubborn king, a rebellious monarch who knows better but refuses to obey His God?

Solomon was such a man; he defiantly ignored the explicit instruction of the scripture and failed to pay attention to very wise council—his own. What Solomon wrote in Proverbs 1 is a very clear picture of the outcome of defiance. Listen to what this great king left for us, but failed to heed himself: These words of wisdom are spoken in Proverbs 1:23-33:

Intercessor Job Description

May 2, 2011September 9, 2019Prayer Training

Choose one of the following areas to pray specifically for: Youth Children Men’s or women’s ministry Buds program (Boys United with Dads & Sons) Hillcrest Community Services—Serenity, Food Bank, Lifelines, etc. Hillcrest 2001 people and facility building plan University ministry (Campus Christian Fellowship) Small groups One or more missionaries from Hillcrest Chapel Worship and teaching...

How can I follow a God who sends people to hell?

May 2, 2011September 9, 2019The Q & A Cafe

God's chief desire is that we would avoid hell. The Scriptures tell us that He sends Jesus into the world to save us from the consequences of our rebellion (hell) rather than to send us to hell (John 3:16-21).

Why isn’t it enough just to be a good person?

May 2, 2011September 9, 2019The Q & A Cafe

Christianity is not first and foremost about morality; it is about relationship. God is a person, not a thing, and desires that we relate to Him as a person. If He is the creator, the One in whom all things begin and in whom all things find their completion, then it is with Him that...

What about all the evil done in the name of God?

May 2, 2011September 9, 2019The Q & A Cafe

The fact that people fail to live up to an ideal does not mean there is necessarily anything wrong with the ideal. It does mean that there is something wrong with us, though. Jesus was pretty straight with us about our shortcomings. God is perfect and demands perfection, but none of us live perfect lives; all of us are screwed up.

How can we say that Jesus is the only way to God?

May 2, 2011September 9, 2019The Q & A Cafe

There are good and bad directions.

We know that we cannot get from Bellingham to Seattle by car by driving north on I-5; the Mount Baker highway will not take you to Mount Hood; and you can't get to my house on James Street. (You'll have to trust me on the last one.)

Why should I believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead?

May 2, 2011September 9, 2019The Q & A Cafe

There is little question that the story we have about Jesus is historical—the cities, politicians, and religious leaders He interacted with have all been confirmed historically. We have little reason to believe that the words of Jesus in Scripture are inaccurate, since they were passed on to us by the people who hung out with Him.

As long as I’m sincere in what I believe, isn’t that enough for God?

May 2, 2011September 9, 2019The Q & A Cafe

Sincerity is important. Peer pressure and a desire for acceptance are poor reasons to follow Jesus. God doesn’t ask us to fake it; He desires a free and sincere obedience. But sincerity should not be confused with truth. I can sincerely believe that the earth is flat, but I will still be sincerely wrong. Since...

Are people who never heard about God going to hell?

May 2, 2011September 9, 2019The Q & A Cafe

I can't give a definite answer to that question. I have to trust God's character and believe that He will do what is right. Does Jesus appear to people who have never heard about Him in the last moments of their life, or just after they die, and give them a chance to respond? I don't know, but that wouldn't be inconsistent with His character. He desires that no one would be lost.