VIDEO: What is Mercy?
The Bible represents mercy as “active compassion.” God and Jesus are abundantly merciful. What can we learn from their examples? Parents and Bible class teachers, this short, animated video explains the concept of mercy and how we might attain it. Subscribe to our channel at ChristianQuestions.com/YouTube and never miss a new video!
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VIDEO: Can Our Sins Ever Produce Blessings?
Our sins can never produce blessings! It seems like we are in an absolute no-win scenario. Watch this short vlog then listen to the full podcast of the same name for more details.
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Ep.1123: Can Our Sins Ever Produce Blessings?
Defining what brings us God’s favor and what does not
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CHAPTERS
Theme Scripture: 1 John 2:1
As Christians, we are clearly taught to live our lives in harmony with God’s will and His ways by following in the footsteps of Jesus. We all know this challenge is one we can never fulfill with perfection. We all have experienced failure along these lines. Because we are imperfect, God expects us to fail, and yet He blesses us. Does this mean He accepts us as we are? Does this mean our sinful thoughts and actions can actually be sources of blessing? How many times have you made mistakes in judgment or action, yet still saw God’s blessing and providence come through? How do we properly interpret our experiences to reflect what God is blessing us for and leading us through?
Is this a no-win scenario?
Let’s get right to the point: our sins can never produce blessings! On the surface this perspective seems to be harsh, even cruel. No matter what we do in this human life, we can never be rid of our sinful nature. If our sins cannot produce blessings, then it seems we are in an absolute no-win scenario. It feels like this idea of our sins never producing blessings is a proclamation of doom. Because I sin, God cannot bless me.
Do we miss the mark?
Nothing is further from the truth! To understand how this works, we need to understand that sin according to the Bible means “to miss the mark.” Translation: any thought pattern that ends up with less-than-perfect conclusion is inherently sinful. Any action performed with less-than-perfect execution is inherently sinful. We are always “missing the mark” even though we are desperately trying to hit it! While this sounds depressing, it is actually where we begin to see the seeds of blessing being sown.
Understanding what it means to be blessed by God is the other critical piece that needs to be put in order. Blessing in Scripture does not necessarily equate to ease or the accumulation of stuff. While these things can be an outgrowth of blessing, they are grossly overrated as evidence of God’s care. Turns out that for God to bless us and for us to bless God (It is the same word in the Bible for "bless") has everything to do with appreciation. The magnitude of this thought in conjunction with understanding what sin is cannot be overstated.
Check out our April 27, 2020 podcast, “Can Our Sins Ever Produce Blessings?” for more. We take a deep dive into the role our efforts to please God play in the sin/blessing equation. We look at a national sin of Israel and trace God’s ability to bless His people in spite of it. We highlight a personal sin of someone with great power and influence, and trace God’s blessing as a result of repentance. We also get practical with the personal sin of someone most of us don’t know much about and again see how blessings follow. In all these cases, it is NOT the sin that produces blessing. Finding out what DOES bring God’s blessing will brighten your day!
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Ep.1122: Should the Coronavirus Change My Christianity?
Building a foundation to manage information, isolation and fear
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CHAPTERS
Theme Scripture: Philippians 4:6
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc. The virus itself is bad enough, but for most of us the havoc comes from what has been put in place to keep it from spreading. Jobs have been lost, social, religious and family gatherings are all on hold. We are supposed to just stay home. It feels like we have had enough. Boredom, restlessness, anxiety and depression are becoming our daily companions. Our personal desperation will likely continue to increase, as there is no clear-cut pathway yet revealed to ending this chapter of life. What do we do? As Christians, how do we manage the rules that hinder our worship? The over abundance of editorialized information? The isolation, the anxiety and the fear that drags on?
Let’s take a few steps back and put all these things in order so we can have a plan and work that plan.
Should we be defiant?
In these unprecedented and tricky times, we as Christians need to be sure of where we stand. What is our position as local governments are asking (and sometimes telling) us to not meet together for worship? Are we compliant or defiant? Do we cite the Apostle Peter when he was taken by the authorities and told not to preach? In Acts chapter 5 he boldly said, “We must obey God rather than men!” Should this be the Christians’ battle cry in these uncertain times? Actually, no!
There is a world of difference between what Peter was dealing with and our current conditions. He was preaching the word to enlighten unbelievers at his own peril. We, on the other hand, are wanting to meet together with other believers for our own benefit. We potentially put others in peril as we risk the spreading of a highly contagious virus. A spiritually-minded Christian should embrace the value of sacrificially protecting others, especially the elderly when we have opportunity to do so.
What about isolation?
How about handling isolation? How do we as Christians go about managing such a foreign task? Once again, the Scriptures present us with a clear pathway to follow. In several of the Apostle Paul’s writings he gives us solid foundation points to be able to cope with isolation. After all, he knew all about isolation and showed us how to make the most of it.
Check out our April 20,2020 podcast, “Should the Coronavirus Change My Christianity?” We delve deeply into managing isolation and hear from a faithful Christian woman in her 80’s about how she does it. Then wee tackle managing the information that is thrown at us everyday and learn techniques to parse through it. We hear from a Christian woman who is a DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practitioner) on handling the fear, stress, anger and loneliness we may be fighting. This episode lays out the profound scriptural beauty of how and why God permits evil, sickness and death. The bottom line is this: We are inviting you to let us walk with you through these hard and trying times. Together we can not only make it, we can shine the light of God’s love along the way!
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VIDEO: Should the Coronavirus Change My Christianity?
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Ep.1121: Jesus is Raised! How Does That Change Me?
Finding strength in the disciple’s challenges after Jesus was raised
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CHAPTERS
Theme Scripture: Luke 24:5-6
Easter Sunday is a widely celebrated holiday. It is a day that represents life. For Christians, it represents life in its highest form because it is about the resurrection of Jesus. It is far too easy to lose the deep meaning of Jesus’ sacrifice and victory in the commotion and fanfare of Easter eggs, the Easter Bunny and Easter chocolate. As Christians, we know Jesus’ resurrection was a world-changing experience, but was it a personal, life-changing experience for me? How does the fact of Jesus being in heaven again with God affect me every day? To trace the kind of changes his resurrection can have on us, we need to look at the kind of effect it had on some who were there and experienced it first-hand. What did they see? What did they change?
Being a witness to the most sensational events in human history has to have an impact! Never in the experience of mankind had anyone ever been killed, raised from the dead and come back as a being with spiritual powers. Further, no one else had ever walked among others and then was raised to heaven before many witnesses. In this episode, we highlighted the experiences of a few who were there for the whole thing. They were followers of Jesus, they saw the crucifixion, they heard about the empty tomb and they had encounters with the risen Lord. In a very short period, their faith went from shattered to sure.
The road to Emmaus
Just one of theses examples is the account of the two disciples walking to Emmaus on the day Jesus’ tomb was discovered to be empty. Sad and confused, they walked that seven-mile trek and tried to piece together the crucifixion with their dashed hopes for the future. As the story relates, a stranger observed their sorrow and began to walk along with them. He shared prophecies and reasoning that helped then to see these events as God’s will. We know that this stranger was Jesus himself, but their eyes were initially shielded from that truth. Once they found out, their lives were changed!
What about me?
Even though I wasn’t there to physically witness these events, I am here now to be a spiritual witness to these things. What kind of changes can I see in myself as I embrace the reality of Jesus being raised? He is now at the right hand of God, so where does that put me? Has my life been clearly and outwardly transformed as a result of what I see?
Check out our April 13, 2020 podcast, “Jesus is Raised. How Does that Change Me?” for more. We continue to break down the story of the road to Emmaus as well as several others. How did Jesus ease his followers into acceptance of his miraculous resurrection? How did they grow and respond as a result? And again, what about me? How can I daily learn to live Jesus’ resurrection?
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VIDEO: Did Jesus Ever Get Tired?
Jesus DID get tired, but under what circumstances? Parents and Bible class teachers, this short, animated video helps us feel closer to Jesus because he got tired just like we do. Subscribe to our channel at ChristianQuestions.com/YouTube and never miss a new video!
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VIDEO: Jesus is Raised! How Does That Change Me?
What has changed in me as I embrace the reality of Jesus’s resurrection? Watch this short vlog then listen to the full podcast of the same name for more details.
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Ep.1120: What Things Troubled Jesus?
Learning from three experiences that gave Jesus anxiety
If you do not have a password, please subscribe to our FREE Premium Content for the Full Edition version of CQ Rewind. The welcome message will contain your password, and a reminder will be sent each week when the CQ Rewind is available online for you to read, print, or download.
CHAPTERS
Theme Scripture: John 12:27
Jesus is our hero. His example, his teachings, his works and his faithfulness are absolutely legendary. They provide a flood of inspiration for anyone who would want it. To think of Jesus as being troubled in mind seems to be completely contrary to what we think of our Savior. After all, the book of Hebrews says he was "holy, innocent, undefiled and separated from sinners." How could he have anxiety? The fact is, there were three recorded instances in his life where he was troubled. Were these experiences a show of weakness or doubt? Did Jesus have some flaw we never talk about? No and no! What these experiences do show us is the amazing fortitude, courage and godliness of the man Christ Jesus.
Troubled?
What exactly does it mean when we say Jesus was "troubled"? The specific word used in the New Testament for the three experiences we discuss has an array of meanings. It can mean seriously uncomfortable, as John the Baptist's father was when he was suddenly visited by the angel foretelling John’s birth. It can mean agitated, as Herod was when he was speaking to the three wise men about their search for the newly born “king” whose star they had followed. It can also mean terrified, as the apostles were when they first saw Jesus walking on water. The point is, being troubled is not just a feeling of emotional unrest; it refers to a deep sense of discomfort.
Throughout the four Gospels we see many differing depictions of Jesus. He was often calm and humble. Yet, he was also challenging and cryptic. Jesus was overwhelmingly loving and compassionate. Yet, he was also firm in speaking hard truths. He had unwavering courage, sometimes sought peace and serenity, and he also became angry, very angry. Yet, throughout his entire ministry we never saw him troubled or with anxiety - until his earthly ministry was almost complete.
Interesting timing
We all feel the pressure and anxiety when we are faced with a seriously important deadline approaching. Our minds race, our heartbeat increases and maybe our palms sweat as we strive to finish our work. We put in whatever extra time is needed, check the details and make sure everything is in order. Then we check again as we weigh our efforts against what is being required of us. Jesus was no different. Not surprisingly, his three troubling experiences were all within the last month of his earthly life.
With the deadline he was facing and the magnitude of the work he was tasked with completing, we also need to examine what and who Jesus was up against. Satan knew Jesus had come to take the dominion of earth from him and was trying to stand in Jesus’ way. Satan would not go down without a fight. Check out our April 6, 2020 podcast, “What Things Troubled Jesus?” for more. We lay out these three troubling experiences, find the pattern of Satan’s influence and observe the profound victory Jesus achieved. This is a rarely heard lesson for the ages!
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VIDEO: What Things Troubled Jesus?
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