New video on Morality

I have just made a new video on morality. I listen to this clip from Greg Koukl this morning on morality and decided to make a little post about it.

Koukl on Morality

If you have ever been questioned by an atheist about how good God could allow evil, you might respond with the question, "What is good?" Now this does not necessarily get a Christian out of answering the dilemma, but it does point out that everyone has to answer the question as well.

I hope you enjoy.

Pastor Mike

How to identify bad teaching / teachers?

Here are a couple of articles recommended by John Piper that deal with a couple of well known pastors who both frequently come under attack (especially on the internet) for their teachings. How can we determine whether a teacher is godly and trustworthy or not?

In these 2 cases of Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes, we can see an interesting case study. For me the critical elements are whether or not the person affirms plain biblical and essential Christian doctrine. If so and if their ministry shows fruit, I count them as a brother or sister in the Lord, and hope that their ministries are blessed because I assume God is using them to further his Kingdom. If they do not affirm solid biblical doctrine then I do no recommend using their material and I am unsure of them. Sometimes people proclaim outright false and dangerous doctrine, and those teachers I warn against.

Here is a link to a Rick Warren interview about a recent controversy brought about by an article in a local LA paper.

Warren interview by Ed Stetzer


Here you can see that Warren strongly affirms the historical doctrines of the Trinity and that Christ is the only way. Having personal met Warren, and heard him speak, I can strongly commend him to you. Also, other strong Bible teachers (like John Piper) have good fellowship with Warren.

On the other hand, I have also been following the controversy surrounding T.D. Jakes who recently appeared at "The Elephant Room," which is a roundtable discussion put on by James MacDonald and Mark Driscoll. Having read what he said in the discussion, and then having read this post by 2 scholars that I really trust, I have some questions. He is not clear about what he believes. Is he preaching the same gospel? Does he believe in the same God? Maybe, but maybe not. While I cannot completely condemn him, I would certainly recommend being careful, and not taking Jakes as a primary trusted source of teaching.

DA Carson and Tim Keller comment on TD Jakes at the Elephant Room

Any thoughts on these matters?

Dating Links

Hello all,

Here are some of the links for my latest sermon on dating. Sorry the links are not working directly so you have to copy and paste the links into the address bar.

Dating Ideas

Date night questions:

50 Date night questions

First Date Questions


If you have some other good sites please put them in the comments section:

If you would rather I will put the list here below:

Date night questions

If you could store up only one hour’s worth of memory in your mind, which hour of our marriage would you want to remember?
If you could have witnessed any biblical event, which one would you choose?
When do you feel most loved?
Which strengths in your life bring you the greatest satisfaction?
What is the best way for me to encourage you?
What time of day is best for us to talk?
If we could just drop what we’re doing and go do something fun, what would it be?
What is one of the most adventurous things you’ve ever done?
In your opinion, what makes a great parent?
What are five essential values we want our children to embrace above all others?
What can we do as a couple to change the world in which we live?
What goals would you like us to accomplish in our marriage in the next year? … five years? … ten years?
Below are several questions from the book, 201 Great Questions (Preview or buy this book now), by Jerry Jones, published by NavPress. (To obtain more questions you’ll need to obtain the book —which we recommend! And/or you may want to obtain the book 201 Great Questions for Married Couples) Preview or buy this book now. To begin your time together, ask the following questions:
What is your earliest memory?
If you could live in any other time period, past or future, what period would you choose? Why?
What movie or television program have you seen in the last year that you wish all your friends could see?
If someone gave you enough money to start a business of your own, what kind of business would you start?
If you didn’t have to worry about making a living, what would you most like to do for the rest of your life?
When making decisions, do you put more trust in facts or in feelings? Are you pleased with most of your decisions?
What do you consider to be your greatest strengths? Your greatest weaknesses?
What is usually the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about God?
What would you most like people to remember you for after you die?
What are the five things you are most thankful for in your life right now? What are some of the things you do to show this thankfulness?
Whose marriage do you most consider to be a model marriage? What is it about their marriage that you most admire?
Has there been a time in the past year or two when God seemed especially real or close to you? If so, explain.
If it’s possible, you may try (because it’s no longer being published) to find the book, Now We’re Talking, by Robert and Pamela Crosby, published by Focus on the Family. Below are a few sample questions you can ask each other (which will hopefully inspire you to obtain the book, if you can find it, to continue building your intimacy):
What’s the best book you’ve read recently? Tell me about it. What did you like about it?
Which holiday do you enjoy the most? Why that one?
If you could possess any extraordinary talent in one of the arts, what would you choose?
If you could bring any former leader from the past back to run our country today, who would it be?
What makes a married relationship distinctively Christian? How is a Christian couple different from a non-Christian one?
In what ways do you think the marriages of our parents affect the marriage you and I share today? Be honest with me.
Are there some times when a disagreement needs to be postponed? if so, when? How can we discern those kinds of times?
When have you felt the most loved by me?
What fears do you wrestle with the most? How do you manage them?
What practical steps can we take as a couple to “affair-proof” our marriage?
With so many marriages falling apart around us today, what steps can you and I take to ensure that we stay close as a couple, emotionally and spiritually?
For additional questions you can use as conversation starters as a married couple, please click onto the web site links provided below

1.  What are your 5 favorite foods, with the most favorite first?
2.  What are your 5 favorite kinds of meals, with the most favorite first?
3.  What are your 5 favorite desserts, with the most favorite first?
4.  What are your 5 favorite restaurants, with the most favorite first?
5.  What is your favorite color?
6.  What are your 5 favorite hobbies, with the most favorite  first?
7.  What are your 5 favorite recreations, with the most favorite  first?
8.  What are your 5 favorite sources of reading, with the most favorite  first?
9.  What gifts do you like?
10.  What is your favorite books(s) of the Bible? Why?
11.  What is your favorite verse(s) of the Bible?  Why?
12.  What is your favorite song?
13.  What makes you the most fulfilled or happiest as a woman/man?
14.  What makes you the most fulfilled or happiest as a wife/husband?
15.  What makes you the most fulfilled or happiest as a mother/father?
16.  What makes you saddest as a woman/man?
17.  What makes you saddest as a wife/husband?
18.  What makes you saddest as a mother/father?
19.  What do you fear the most?
20.  What other fears do you have?
21.  What do you look forward to the most?
22.  How much sleep do you need?
23.  What do you consider to be your skills?
24.  What do you believe to be your spiritual gifts?
25.  What are your weaknesses?
26.  To ask wife:  What things (personal, home, car, etc.) need repairing?
       To ask husband:  What things around the home need to be cleaned?
27.  To ask wife:  With what chores and responsibilities do you like my help?
       To ask husband:  How can I make it easier for you to lead our family?
28.  What caresses do you enjoy the most?
29.  What caresses do you enjoy the least?
30.  What action of mine provides you the greatest sexual pleasure?
31.  What other things stimulate you sexually?
32.  At what times do you need assurance of my love the most?
33.  How can that love be shown?
34.  What can I do that will make it easier to discuss and work on areas or problems that are uncomfortable to you?
35.  What concerns do you have that I do not seem interested in?
36.  What things do I do that irritate you?
37.  What desires do you have that we haven’t discussed?
38.  What do you enjoy doing with me, with the most enjoyable  first?
39.  What things can I do that show my appreciation of you?
40.  What varying desires (spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual, social, worth, 
            appreciations, recreational, security, etc.) would you like me to provide? 
41.  To ask wife:  In what ways would you like me to protect you (physically, spiritually, socially, emotionally)?
       To ask husband:  In what ways would you like me to respect and reverence you?
42.  In what ways would you like me to sacrifice for you?
43.  What things do you see by my actions that I place first in my life?
44.  What implied or unspoken desires and wishes of yours would you like for me to
            fulfill?
45.  What concerns and interests of yours would you like me to support?
46.  How much time would be good for us to spend together each day?
47.  In helping family members to use their skills and develop their abilities, what
            motivating factors would be helpful for me to use?
48.  What can I do that provides the greatest comfort and encouragement for you when   
            you are hurt, fearful, anxious or worried?
49.  What personal habits do I have that you would like changed?
50.  What ways demonstrate to you that you are a very important person who is as important or more important than I am?

What is Faith?

Here is a link to a recent video I did on What is Faith?

Video

What is faith? Why do you believe what you believe?

Here I give a response to a wrong definition of faith that I have heard from both Christians and non-Christians. In particular, I am challenging the idea that faith is a leap in the dark or believing something without evidence. The Biblical concept of faith in God is not a leap in the dark, but rather trusting in a God who you know, who has proved Himself faithful in the past, and who based on the evidence of His past faithfulness will continue to prove Himself faithful in the future.

I also examine what types of evidence Christians can and should examine to come to their beliefs.

1. General revelation -- the evidence from nature and from logical arguments which is available to everyone.

2. Special revelation -- God's more specific evidence a. Jesus Christ -- His life, works, and teachings reveal to us the very nature of God. b. The Bible -- A record of God's work in the world from creation to completion. c. Testimonies of other people -- We often see God's work and believe in Him because the lives of others have been changed. d. Personal experience of God -- Necessary if you truly know God, but it should confirm and be in agreement with other evidence. You should also not trust experience alone or you will end up weak in your faith.

I welcome comments on the video, but please keep the discussion civil as I may have a number of different people including kids coming to watch the video.

Who builds the house?

Today I was reading in 1 Chronicles 25-29 and I read about David preparing the materials for the building of the temple. It reminded me of the account in 2 Samuel 7 when David want to build the temple himself. Instead he is told that God will build him a house and that house will be eternal. We know that what he meant was that the Messiah, who is Jesus, would come from the line of David.

Now what is interesting to me is that we often times want to do something for God, but we must first let God build our house. In fact, we need to let God give us everything before we can do anything for Him. Once we recognize our need for God, not just at the moment of salvation, but at all moments then we are ready to be used by God, because then we will not go out in our own strength but in His.

Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

Here are a couple of illustrations from my latest sermon about the return of Jesus.

The word "maranatha" is a Syriac expression that means: "Our Lord comes." It was used as a greeting in the early church. When believers gathered or parted, they didn?t say "hello" or "goodbye," but "Maranatha!" If we had the same upward look today, it would revolutionize the church. O that God's people had a deepening awareness of the imminent return of the Savior!

Here is an example of the type of attitude we should have.

On the shore of beautiful Lake Como, nestled in the Italian Alps, is a lovely old villa, perhaps two or three hundred years old. For years the grounds have been immaculately kept by a trusted old gardener. One day some tourists were complimenting him on his work. “The owner must come here frequently to supervise your work,” one of them said.
“No, sir,” answered the gardener. “He has been here only once in fifteen years and then I did not see him.”
“Well, then, how do you get your orders?” came the next question.
“They come from the owner’s agent, who live in Milan,” the old man replied.
“Then he must come here often.”
“No, not often, perhaps once a year or so.”
“This is quite amazing,” said the tourist. “You have no one to supervise your work, and yet the grounds are as neat as if you expected the owner to come back tomorrow.”
“Today, sir!” came the old gardener’s firm reply. “Not tomorrow, today!”

Are you ready and watching for Jesus to come.

How committed are you?

Are you willing to suffer for your relationships with those in your church family? Here is an article about how the western church does not function like a family. Should we?

Is suffering for the Lord part of your life? I love reading about how Christians function in other parts of the world, because it gives me perspective.

I believe that suffering is a necessary part of learning to trust God, and that especially in America when we try to avoid all suffering we limit the opportunities to grow in our trust of God.

So check out this article. What do you think?

http://www.christianitytoday.com/globalconversation/august2010/index.html?start=1