Biblical leadership is likened to being a shepherd, however many Christian leaders of our day fall woefully short of this example. So, how do you gain trust, foster teamwork, inspire and evaluate, all at the same time? Watch this short vlog and then listen to the podcast of the same name.
Parents and Bible class teachers, this short, animated video explains basic questions about the Bible in a simple, easy-to-understand way. Subscribe to our channel at ChristianQuestions.com/YouTube and never miss a new video!
Most of us have friends, but they’re not often really good friends. What’s missing? Intimacy. Intimacy among friends is profoundly valuable and also rare. Helen Keller said, “I would rather walk in the dark with a friend than walk alone in the light.” We all yearn for that kind of powerful and lasting influence in […]
BFF. Best Friends Forever. These three words conjure up an image of connectedness and loyalty that any one of us would want to be a part of. Sadly, it is an image that for many will only ever remain a thought and never become a tangible reality. Why is that? Why are so many of […]
The fountain of youth. The cure for cancer. A magic diet pill. We would all love to have these incredible “miracles” for whatever ails us. When Jesus walked the earth 2,000 years ago he, in a sense, was a life-changing elixir and a source of quick fixes as he healed the masses. Who wouldn’t have […]
Parents and Bible class teachers, this animated video details the basics of prayer, what we should NOT be praying for and what our attitude should be when we pray. Subscribe to our channel at ChristianQuestions.com/YouTube and never miss a new video!
Marriage was established and blessed by God in the Garden of Eden and the scriptures give man free choice regarding the decision to marry. The Apostle Paul, who was unmarried, encouraged Christians to consider doing the same. “I wish that all people were as I am.” He reasoned that an unmarried person is able to […]
Parents and Bible class teachers, have your kids watch this short, animated video to learn more about why we try to always be truthful. Be sure to check out our podcast episode 937, “Should We Ever Lie?” for more examples and Scriptures. Subscribe to our channel at ChristianQuestions.com/YouTube and never miss a new video!
No one ever wants to experience betrayal. It is easily one of the most devastating life events we can imagine. When we come face-to-face with it, it shocks, breaks and undermines much – if not all – of what we hold dear. For many, once we are betrayed it becomes a cancer that cannot be […]
Betrayal is one of the worst feelings we can have and causes ripple effects throughout our life and those around us. There is relief! Watch this short vlog then listen to the full podcast of the same name to chart your path out of this despair.
Loyalty is squarely built upon three core beliefs; trust, a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose. Trust comes from words, actions or a track record that builds confidence. When we feel safer or better off as a result of someone or something, we trust. A Christian’s trust is based on the ever solid […]
Humanity is built for loyalty. We have wired within us a longing to be seen and accepted by others as trusted and important. We are also blessed with a deep desire to give allegiance and live with faithfulness to those whom we deem worthy of our fidelity. If you just stop and think about being […]
Parents and Bible class teachers, this short, animated video details the things we can see and experience to help us realize that God exists. Subscribe to our channel at ChristianQuestions.com/YouTube and never miss a new video!
How could Jesus have died for just the chosen and still have redeemed the entire human race? The Bible seems to send mixed messages on this question, however if we look at the big picture context of these things it reveals a whole new level of meaning. To get answers to these seemingly contradictory Scriptures, […]
Every Christian adheres to and celebrates the belief that Jesus died to pay for our sins. In the spirit of Jesus’ own words saying “there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved,” we go about preaching the good news of the salvation made available through the life, death and resurrection […]
Sometimes we go along with everything running full steam ahead and we feel very close to the Lord. Other times, life gets in the way and our Christian world seems distant and less important. How do we get that zeal back? Watch this short vlog and then listen to the podcast of the same name […]
When we think of Christian faith we often think of those heroes past and present whose lives reflect the courage and fortitude needed to stand up for Christ in the face of an opposite world. We recall their drive, experiences and actions and feel inspired. What zeal! Then we look at our own lives, and […]
(For more on the story of our guest, Amy, see Episode 829: “What Happens When Life Gets Broken?”) The world has changed on every level and in every way. As those things which were hidden and covered up in our society are being revealed we begin to see aspects of our social order in a […]
It seems like the #metoo movement still isn’t done helping to “out” bad behavior around the world. Some say the Bible encourages poor treatment of women, but is any part of that true? Watch this quick vlog and listen to the full podcast of the same name for more on this timely subject.
Some people say you have to be baptized as a baby, others say as an adult. Some say it is completely unneccesary. Is it a requirement of all Christians? Watch this short video to see our thoughts.
This great question was submitted to us by a 10-year-old listener. Parents and Bible class teachers, subscribe to our channel at ChristianQuestions.com/YouTube and never miss a new video!
Christianity at work…for the most part, we all need to support ourselves. That self-supporting system generally comes in three phases. First is the education phase, where we are supposed to choose what self-support direction to take and then how to do it. Second is the work of making ends meet, which for most of us, […]
Would the people who see us on Sunday recognize us on a random Wednesday at our jobs? When we are faced with ethical dilemmas or something as “innocent” as office gossip, do we stand up for what is right? Hold our tongue and wait for it to be over? Or do we cross a line […]
Jesus talked more about the kingdom than any other topic! But he described it in seemingly contradictory ways. Watch this short vlog and then listen to the podcast of the same name. Is Jesus talked so much about it, it must be important!
What part of the gospel did Jesus most focus on teaching? For many of us the answer would be simple: Jesus taught love; love one another as he and God love us. While this is a beautiful and profound answer, it is surprisingly incorrect. Jesus focused probably three times more on teaching about the kingdom […]
What is glorifying God supposed to be? Do our praise and worship sufficiently satisfy the “glorifying God equation” in our daily lives? Watch this short vlog then listen to the full podcast of the same name.
Praise God! Psalm 34:3 says, “Magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together!” As Christians we often think of glorifying God as an incredibly positive exercise in expression, excitement, joy and passion. Our praise and worship usually bring us to feeling His love and power, and this in turn opens […]
Listen to this quick vlog on Christian liberty, our license, danger zones and powerful scriptural examples, then listen to the full podcast of the same title.
Everyone loves the idea of being free, and in America we especially are reminded of the privilege of liberty at this time of year. Unfortunately I think many of us do not really understand what freedom and liberty are, and even more so what they are not. In reality, true liberty by very definition has […]
See Episode #1021 Part I and Episode #1024 Part II. Understanding the truth of the hellfire teaching is difficult. On one hand, we have powerful Christian tradition that has for over 1500 years emphatically taught that all who do not come to Jesus will suffer eternal torment and torture for their sins. Hard teaching […]
We had an outpouring of response to Parts I and II of this series. In Part III of the podcast, we directly explain some difficult Scriptures that at first glance seem to support a burning, eternal hellfire. Watch this short vlog and then grab your Bible and listen to the full podcast of the same […]
Are some transgressions worse than others? Can we find solace in the thought that “at least my sins are not as bad as that guy over there!” Watch this short vlog then listen to the full podcast of the same name.
Let’s start by stating the obvious. Sin is bad. To act in accordance with sin is to act in a way that is not only contrary to the will of God but is also damaging to our standing before God. It is obvious that if we want to be pleasing to God then we need […]
Are you a peacemaker or a peacekeeper? What’s the difference and which is what we are supposed to be? Watch this short vlog and listen to the podcast of the same name for more.
The world is not a peaceful place. It seems to have become especially hostile in the arena of thoughts and perspectives. For some reason we can no longer tolerate a dissenting opinion – rather than respectfully listening to disagreement, we instead resoundingly lash out with personal attacks, sarcasm and a self-righteous indignation. Pretty sad, huh? […]
“The end result of God’s judgment upon those who do not accept Jesus is eternal fire and torment.” Such is the serious warning of many Christians of many centuries before us and of our day as well. Their studied claim is that Jesus was specific,and his words are the words of the Gospel and are […]
Part 2 of this 3-part vlog continues with reviewing history and Scripture to show that there is no burning hell of eternal torture. Watch this short video then listen to the full podcast of the same name.
Israel is a country that only covers about 21,000 square kilometers (not even in the top 150 countries – about the size of New Jersey) and houses about 8.3 million people (which figures to be about .11% of the world’s population). Yet for its insignificance, this land is always in the news and always seems […]
The Old Testament serves as a factual and archeological source for tracing Israel’s past and how they developed as a nation. The 12 sons of Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel) were the beginnings of the nation and they moved into the land that would also bear that same name. Why are there so […]
As believers, we know the Bible is true and harmonious, but sometimes that means we need to harmonize scriptures that seem to contradict one another. For example, the Scriptures tell us that the earth will both live forever AND be destroyed – how does that work? How can we apply a particular study technique to […]
“Just be yourself, no can ask any more of you than that.” This is such free and easy advice – someone has probably said it to you, and you have probably said it to someone else. But what does it mean? The fact is we sometimes end up defined by our circumstances or perceptions. In […]
“Just be yourself, no can ask any more of you than that.” This is such free and easy advice – someone has probably said it to you, and you have probably said it to someone else. But what does it mean? Is being yourself just reacting to whatever comes your way with a knee-jerk impulse? […]
It is called Hellfire. For many centuries the churches have taught that when sinners die they face a punishment of eternal torment and torture in hell. Reading some of the descriptions of how this intense and endless torture works will make your skin crawl and your stomach turn. Yet, those who adhere to such teaching are […]
For many centuries the churches have taught that when sinners die they face a punishment of eternal torment and torture in hell. Reading some of the descriptions of how this intense and endless torture works will make your skin crawl and your stomach turn. Yet, those who adhere to such teaching are firm in their […]
Doubt primarily comes to us two ways: intellectual and emotional. What’s the difference and how do they work together? We all wonder, and at times we all second guess. So, what of it? Is there a way to look at our questions and insecurities in a different light? How do you overcome your doubts and […]
If you have doubts that means you must not have faith. So goes the typical thinking of many Christians. If we adhere to this thought then each and every one of us will need to brace for our next crisis of faith, because the fact is we ALL doubt. We all question. We all wonder […]
Mercy or justice? Both! Mercy and justice are not only inseparable but fully dependent upon one another. Look at God’s impartiality. It’s clean. We can see His integrity ONLY when we connect what He did in biblical times to what we know about His motives and plan. Simply stated, God’s justice is restorative. It not […]
MERCY or JUSTICE? We often see them as opposites. When someone does something particularly bad we want justice in its harshest and most direct form to be there waiting for them. We tend to see justice as hard but righteous punishment reserved for those who we feel deserve it. Mercy is perceived differently. Often when […]
One of the most amazing things about Jesus calling followers was that he often did things to turn people away. In John 6 he said following him required the eating his flesh and drinking his blood. In Luke 14 he said that to be worthy of him, you had to hate your family – all […]
It is so easy to talk about following Jesus. After all, he came as our Savior, voluntarily sacrificed his life and opened up the way to heaven for us. Why wouldn’t you want to align yourself with someone who wipes away your sins and can give you eternity in the process? It’s a no brainer, […]
Christian support. One of the hallmark characteristics of being a Christian is compassion. Jesus was the epitome of acting in a way that helped and cared for others. We are called to walk in his footsteps. Simple enough – or is it? In our world, there are a myriad of causes we can be kindhearted […]
Jesus’ example teaches us to be compassionate, but In our world there are a myriad of causes we can support but we have limited time and dollars. What do we do? What causes should the Christian support? Where do we invest our time, effort and resources to be truly God-honoring followers of Jesus? Watch this […]
We all want to be successful at whatever it is we are focusing on. How do we do it? Be single-minded. Have your vision clear and your energy directed. It’s not easy. We end up distracted, or we start something but don’t finish or we even rationalize our way out of triumph. How do we […]
We all want to be successful at whatever it is we are focusing on. Our Christian life is no exception, though the words we use to describe “success” are entirely different than with other endeavors. We want to be faithful – we want to live lives of sacrifice – we want to walk in Jesus’ […]
God’s character is all-encompassing, but we generally think of Him as having four main attributes that everything rests on: Justice, Love, Wisdom and Power. How do those attributes work together? How does God’s plan tell us more about who He is? Watch this short video to learn a little bit more about our amazing Creator.
Loving your enemies is to want good and not harm to come to them. Jesus mapped this out for us, especially in the last days of his life before his crucifixion. Jesus not only taught us in detail how to love our enemies, he showed us in living color how to profoundly care for them. […]
Love your enemies. Once you dig down to the deepest meaning of this phrase it is perhaps one of the most daunting tasks ever put upon anyone. Jesus not only taught us in detail how to love our enemies, he showed us in living color how to profoundly care for them. He literally “walked the […]
“When I grow up I want to get married and be a mom or be a dad!” For many of us there are simple dreams in life that germinate in childhood. As we grow they blossom into clear and exciting expectations. This expectation of growing up and getting married is so basic and so obvious […]
Living a fulfilled Christian life in our morally corrupt world is a challenge. Add the dimension of being single and now there’s critical mass! Everywhere you look it’s ALL about relationships, attractiveness and sex. How do single Christians find their way to not only coping with this “single” challenge but living their lives with contentment, […]
What makes something a treasure? First a treasure is attractive. It draws our attention by its look feel or sound, or by how it makes us feel. Second a treasure represents personal value. It’s something that is of special personal significance. Third a treasure represents wealth by commanding time or attention or space or concern. […]
Think about your life for a moment. Think about those things, people, places, experiences and memories that are most precious to you. The few thoughts that top this list are in all likelihood some of your greatest treasures. Now, think again about your life for another moment. Think about the things, people, places, experiences and […]
For most of us it’s simple. God is good, Satan is evil. They fight and God wins. God destroys Satan and all evil with him. It is simple and reassuring until we think a little more deeply about it. Where did evil actually come from? If God created all things then He must have created […]
Are God and Evil a pair that must coexist? Did God create evil, and if so, can’t He just get rid of it? Watch this vlog and then listen to the podcast of the same name to explore more on the purpose of evil and more.
The world can be divided between two kinds of people: Those going through the grieving process because of some sort of traumatic loss, and those who know someone going through such a loss. We will all grieve at some point over people, animals, possessions or opportunities lost. Watch this short vlog about how to heal […]
For more, please see ChristianQuestions.com/grief Loss brings grief. Everyone hurts when they suffer loss and many losses are met with grief. The recent Florida school shooting brings the trauma out in the open for all to see. Yet, before and after that singular tragedy there have been and will continue to be countless experiences of […]
We are losing our grip. Really. There is a battle for our children raging before us and we are losing it miserably. Raising children does not at all look like it once did a few generations ago. Back then, parents were expected to control their households and children were expected to grow up within that […]
What makes a good parent? Does the Bible provide us with guidelines that could be applicable even in today’s generation? Watch Rick’s clog then listen to the entire podcast with the same name for practical tips on raising productive, godly kids.
Part II builds on our discussion of Part I, where Jesus predicted there would be corruption of his true church almost immediately after his death and that of his Apostles. On this short vlog, we touch on some of the problems with Christianity today. Watch and then listen to the entire podcast of the same […]
A few weeks ago, we began talking about Jesus speaking the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares. This was one of the few parables he actually interpreted for his followers. In that interpretation he revealed it was a prophecy about the difficult future of Christianity. He spoke of false Christians and an entire age […]
If you believe in the Bible then you believe there are two institutions that have existed as long as humanity has been on this earth. First, there was the institution of obedience and honor to the Almighty Creator. God created and blessed Adam, and he in turn owed his allegiance to God. The second institution […]
We all know the statistics are grim when it comes to staying married – among Christians and non-Christians. Watch this vlog that describes basic “secrets” of the Bible that, if adhered to, really increase your chances of not just staying married, but staying happily married. Then listen to the podcast of the same name. Your […]
We have all heard the expression “turn the other cheek.” Looking at its origin in the Bible (specifically in the Beatitudes) we see that Jesus made a specific statement about the right cheek, not the left. Does that mean if someone hits us on the left we can hit them back? And what does this […]
Life has really changed. With all of the amazing connectedness we have through social media, we are more alone than ever. We see people via Facetime but we cannot touch them. We “chat” without talking. We “like” without truly feeling emotion, we “follow” without knowing where we are going and we “join” without ever going […]
We frequently hear that Jesus’ death changed the course of history, but what specifically did his death DO for mankind? Did it have multiple purposes? Why doesn’t anything seem to be getting better? Want more in-depth answers and Bible study? Check out Episode 911: “What is the Legacy of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection?” for more […]
So much of what Jesus taught was about the practical parts of living – learning to love, forgive and encourage one another – and these are the parts of his teachings that seem to garner the most attention. Jesus did, however, spend significant time imparting prophetic teaching as well. He came to earth as a […]
Jesus taught us many things and often spoke in parables to hide their true meaning. One of the few parables he explained was the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares. He predicted that the gospel message would be corrupted as time moved further away from when he and his Apostles died. We are grateful […]
Christian Questions is a weekly Christian podcast that aims to provoke meaningful discussion along spiritual lines. We invite you to “Think about the Bible like you never have before.” Your hosts, Rick and Jonathan, were on the radio for 18 years before going all podcast in 2016. They discuss biblical topics relevant to your life […]
When I was a kid and faced with the potential consequences (“consequences” nothing…I mean, I was faced with getting punished!) for my actions, there was often that moment that every kid dreads. I had to tell my dad or mom what I did. Now look, they already knew what I did; they were teaching me […]
How well do we do when faced with the gray areas and the white lies of life? Do we have resolve? Is it strong? What is it based upon? Can God bless us when in those gray areas? Watch this short vlog and then listen to the full podcast episode of the same name where […]
On this information-filled podcast, this explosive subject is dealt with head on from a medical standpoint, overlayed with Christian principles. The topic is treated with respect and empathy. Watch this short vlog and then listen to the full podcast to get our take on this aspect of society.
As Charles Dickens opened his classic novel, A Tale of Two Cities, he wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” He went on to explain the contradictions of his own culture. Here we are generations later, and we can easily say the same thing. Our culture is filled with […]
How can you be a “positive provoker” to help others make better decisions and be happier in life? We have some great suggestions using the Bible for inspiration. Listen to our vlog and then to the full podcast on this subject.
The world is full of provoking and it is NOT A GOOD THING. First, there is the provoking that takes place among children by way of demeaning and bullying those who seem weaker or different. Then there is provoking on an adult social level as those on various sides of issues regarding personal freedoms and […]
Whether we think about it or not, we all leave a legacy behind us as a result of our life and experience. Sometimes that legacy can be rich with wisdom, accomplishment and example, and other times our legacy can be a sad tale of unfulfilled potential, broken dreams and a trail of “if only” and […]
Whether we think about it or not, we all leave a legacy behind us as a result of our life and experience. Sometimes that legacy can be rich with wisdom, accomplishment and example, and other times our legacy can be a sad tale of unfulfilled potential, broken dreams and a trail of “if only” and […]
On our 2017 Christmas podcast, we took a unique approach to telling the traditional Christmas story by including various conversations Jesus had as an adult. We found a pattern of who he gave his time to and what secret reveals he shared to these special people. Watch this quick vlog and then listen to the […]
It is the Christmas season. It is a time for happiness, giving, receiving and appreciating. There was a time not so very long ago when the main focus of the Christmas season was the birth of Jesus as the world’s Savior. We are past that now, thanks to our political correctness, and Jesus is very […]
We all want a sense of security and peace and to feel heard, accepted and cared for. Is prayer the way to do this? Should everyone pray? Does it really do any good? Watch this quick video and then listen to the full podcast.
Prayer is a staple of religion. If you don’t follow any particular religion then perhaps you meditate. The point is, humans by and large are tuned to opening their minds to some kind of external power or tranquility. For many, this opening of their minds provides a sense of security and peace as they feel […]
Everybody complains. Sometimes, well…actually occasionally, we do it from a positive perspective for the purpose of effecting change and that’s good! But most of the time we complain because someone or something is irritating us, or putting pressure on us or challenging us or contradicting us. Most of our complaints are not for the purpose […]
Is complaining ever good? Is it always bad? Can we be more productive in trying to get what we want? Does the Bible help us in this regard?
Last week we began talking about what it takes to actually change the world around you – what it takes to not only have a dream for change but to begin that process of change. We talked about Nehemiah, a little-known figure in the Old Testament, who not only had a ridiculously big dream for […]
Did you watch Part I and listen to the podcast? There was SO many cool lessons about what Nehemiah did to mobilize his community and change his world that we needed an additional podcast to bring all the modern-day lessons to light! Onto Part II!
There is so much we can do to take action and make things better. Watch this quick video and then listen to the podcast about how Nehemiah changed everything using his brain, wits and faith. You will be surprised how much of this story resonates with our lives today!
Everyone wants their world to be better. Everyone has dreams and ideas they see as transformative – even innovative – yet the vast majority of us never do anything about those dreams and ideas to bring them to reality. Why the lack of effort? Because change is hard. Because it takes thought, energy and determination […]
What good is having thankfulness a part of my everyday life? What steps do I need to take to be more thankful? Watch our 2-minute vlog for an short answer and listen to the full podcast episode filled with tips and Scriptures.
Human nature is a funny thing. We live in an age of instant gratification, an age of virtually no waiting for anything. We send a text, a tweet, a message or we post, and our expectation is for an almost instant answer or follow or response or reaction. What we want we not only assume […]
Every so often someone comes along who stands out from the crowd, someone who distinguishes themselves from their peers by their manner, their motivation and their mission. They don’t seem to fit into any comfortable category, for theirs is a mission that has world-changing implications and such missions are not common and least of all […]
Jesus called John the Baptist “the greatest man that ever lived,” but what made him so special? What lessons can we learn from his life and apply to our own lives? Watch our 2-minute vlog that answers this question and listen to the full podcast.
Everyone has had and will have the experience of being wrong, of making mistakes and of not understanding something well enough to properly represent it. Everyone! The question is not about what to do IF these things happen; the question is how do we handle it WHEN these things happen? Making mistakes and being wrong […]
What course of action and what attitude should we have as Christians when we know that we have said or done something wrong? What examples are there in the Scriptures? Click here for the full podcast.
So, if you are a little kid it’s time for the excitement of “trick or treat” – costumes and candy. If you are older it’s time for parties, horror movies that look and feel so real they make your skin crawl, the undead, dark spells and generally unfettered behavior. Yup, we are talking about Halloween […]
Is witchcraft all that bad? Listen to our 2-minute vlog for our short answer and then listen to the full podcast.
What has happened to us? We live in an age where ego and emotion are more important than virtue and values. An age where personal preference outweighs personal worth and “I want it now” trumps integrity. We live in an age where absolutes aren’t (unless we decide they fit into our personal plan) and standards […]
Is sin really as black and white as we think it is or does it depend on the situation? Listen to the entire podcast here.
The Bible can help us with peer pressure at any age. Watch this short vlog then listen to the full podcast of the same name for more.
Peer pressure. When we say those words we typically think about teenagers, school and bad decisions and those thoughts are accurate. Young people face inordinate amounts of social pressure on a regular basis and its effects can be devastating! Here’s the thing – adults are also subject to peer pressure and its place in our […]
There is much confusion about what “the end of the world” actually means. Will the earth burn up? What happens and why? We look at many Scriptures that give us these answers.
Are the Jews God’s Chosen People? Is it true that Jewish people are favored in God’s eyes and if that’s true, why bother being a Christian at all?
How do I know if I’m a true Christian? What should I look for to know if I am a real follower of Jesus or not?
As time goes on, many of us will look back at 2017 and remember it as a year of storms. We have had storms of political division and unrest, storms of tragic events ranging from terrorism to the senseless taking of innocent lives. We have also had literal storms – specifically three major hurricanes that […]
Are hurricanes, floods, wildfires and earthquakes all coded messages from God? Is He punishing us for our blatant sins or telling us to mend our foolish ways? We don’t believe so, but there definitely are lessons for us to learn. Listen to our 2 minute vlog for a short answer and then listen to the […]
A few weeks ago in Part I we began a conversation about Bible study and its inherent challenges of understanding and interpretation. As we discussed the book in all of its complexity, we suggested a very straightforward and simple conclusion: the Bible is difficult to understand because it was purposely written to be difficult to […]
Why did God set up a plan where everyone does NOT get a fair chance to come to an understanding of the Bible in our present environment? What good could possibly come from such a strategy? Watch this 2-minute vlog for a short answer and then listen to the full podcast of Part 2 to […]
In the immensity and complexity of the book we call the Bible, there are some verses that have become somewhat famous…like the Christmas text “Good tidings of great joy…” The football stadium text “For God so loved the world… the character of God text “God is love…”. Another text that is well known and deeply […]
Everything Jesus said was important, but there is a brief exchange on the cross with the man next to him where Jesus gives us a glimpse of the future. Watch this quick video then listen to the full podcast for a lot of nuances to this scene you might never have thought of before!
This is Part 1 of a 2-part series. Pick up a book or an article and start reading. If that book or article is well-written, it will bring you to some kind of conclusion, some kind of understanding or realization that you didn’t have before. Now, these realizations can be across a wide scope of […]
The Almighty God, Creator of all things, surely could have had the Bible written in such a way that it would be universally understood! Well the fact is, He didn’t! Why not? There is actually a really cool answer to this! Watch our 2-minute vlog for a short answer and listen to the full podcast […]
You hear the word “temptation.” What do you think of? For some of us it might be best to NOT answer this question out loud. For others it might be dark chocolate or getting even or pushing the envelope or wanting to take what is not ours. In every case, such enticement is directly built […]
In many ways we are daily in a fight for our lives. There are so many choices that present themselves to us each and every day, many of which can distract and derail us from what is most important. The biggest factor that determines whether we stay on track with life or go down some […]
It was just a few weeks ago the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, sparked a firestorm of vitriol and reaction throughout our country. What happened, what didn’t happen, who reacted and how – all of these things became the fuel for more protests and more protests against the protests and reaction of a very negative kind everywhere […]
…Unless one is “born again.” This phrase carries great meaning no matter what Christian denomination you come from. The meaning of the phrase certainly changes depending upon your particular belief system, but the power of the phase remains intact. To be “born again” in all cases implies one of the most significant spiritual changes any […]
We all would like to think that we are special in some way before God. We want to be sure of His love for us and His guiding hand in our lives. For most of us, being special translates into a feeling – an emotional response that produces a sense of security. But is that […]
Christians like most other people are creatures of habit. Although society has engineered dramatic changes in how we handle our lives, for many Christians the act of going to church remains a staple in their lives. We go to church to do what? Traditionally we have gone to learn about God, to have fellowship with […]
Last week we began our conversation by saying that pride can be a tricky thing and prejudice can be an awful thing. We focused our attention on the pride side of the matter and its insidious way of taking over our lives. Now it’s time to talk about prejudice, and this is a hard conversation […]
Pride can be a tricky thing and prejudice can be an awful thing. Let’s focus on pride right now. On the one hand we are told to take pride in our work – well, at least when I was a kid that’s what I was told! We want to be proud of our children and […]
Failure, as everyone knows, is an unlooked for and unwelcome commodity in life. It disrupts our plans, impedes our progress, upsets our feelings and is generally intrusive to our lives. As a result of failure’s glowing resume, we often do whatever we can to avoid it, and when we experience it we often try to […]
241 years ago the course of world history changed. On July 4th, 1776, the 13 colonies adopted The Declaration of Independence, proclaiming to be “The United States of America.” Since then the United States has risen to become a world power and has been the source of many amazing world innovations. One innovation that seems […]
Have you noticed how easy it is to offend people these days? There seems to be such an overt need to accept and to be accepted that we go overboard with the “correctness” of our words and behavior lest we hurt anyone’s feelings at any time. Now, being accepting of others is a good thing, […]
Nobody likes failure. Even when we have been told it’s good for us, that it’s a stepping stone, and that you don’t learn from success nearly as much as you learn from failure, we still don’t like it! For many of us, it can be discouraging, debilitating and even depressing. So, what do we do […]
We all need to be heard, and we all need to be acknowledged. We all need that feeling of validation that comes with being personally recognized as having value, and all of this comes through the important tool of communication. The problem is that we have become terrible at both the giving and receiving […]
The world is systematically becoming a dark place. It is not that people are purposely looking to dwell in darkness. It is that people – many people – have come to believe in things that had their origin in darkness and treachery. Wherever you look you can see the subtle creeping in of thinking, philosophies […]
We are not patient. Not anymore. It used to be just a few decades ago that when you needed to talk to someone far away, you waited until the day ended, went home, had dinner and then you tried to call them. Several decades before that, you thought about what you wanted to say, wrote […]
Revenge – the desire for it can be a powerful and even overwhelming emotion. Sadly, thinking about revenge can be a fun, motivating and bonding experience. It occupies our minds with creative and often diabolical means with which to carry out our purpose. It is amazing how the development of such a negative action can […]
So, have you ever been or have you ever known someone who has been a victim of fraud? You know, had their credit card number stolen or their bank account hacked or their social security number breached? It is all quite real and it is all quite unsettling. Now, have you heard the term “fake […]
Vengeance, indignation, burning anger and jealousy. These are some of the words the Bible uses to describe God’s reactions to this present evil world. To put it mildly, God is not happy. Can you blame Him? Look at us – look at what this world does, what it stands for and how we treat one […]
You want to be happy. I want to be happy. Everyone wants to be happy, I mean, who wouldn’t want to be happy? The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America talks about “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” as being unalienable rights of humanity. What can we conclude from all of […]
Never before have we been in such a place of insidious contradiction. On the one hand, technology has opened a once locked door of accessibility. Anyone with an internet connection can now reach that which was once thought to be unreachable regarding knowledge understanding and goodness. On the other hand, technology has given the world […]
After the greatest act of love ever committed, Jesus lay dead in a donated tomb. His loyal companions and followers were stunned, sickened by what they had witnessed. But beyond the gory details of this death, they were hit with the uncomfortable thought that perhaps all they had known the past 3 ½ years was […]
Thinking about the death of Jesus always produces a variety of emotions. On one hand, we feel a deep sense of gratitude, hope and praise, for without his willing sacrifice and ignominious death, we would all remain under the sentence of sin with no possible way out. In short, we and the entire human race […]
We make choices every day. Some are easy choices that we don’t even need to think much about and there are others that require some on-the-fly time and attention. Then there are the choices that can be difficult and even agonizing. These are the choices that can make or break a life or shape a […]
When you think of compassion, what do you picture? Perhaps you see Jesus healing the multitudes or volunteers caring for victims of some natural disaster. Perhaps you see an individual patiently working with a disabled person or a soldier protecting children in a war torn region. Perhaps compassion makes you think of Doctors Without Borders […]
Did you ever notice that there never seems to be enough time? For some reason or other, we are always rushing around to do the things we need to do and we seem to scarcely be able to even take a breath in between this and that. Our lives are often harried, and as a […]
Raising children is different than it used to be. Somehow or other, the lines between parents and children have become blurred. Somehow or other, the very idea of firm discipline has become associated with beatings and abuse. Somehow or other, our children’s feelings have become the foundation for our parental actions and responses. What happened […]
Jesus loves you! This is a true, simple and potentially life-changing statement. Once we accept what that three-word sentence actually means, it can become a steering mechanism for everyday of our lives, pointing us to righteousness, godliness and self-sacrifice. Jesus loves you. Pointed and refreshing, but what does it really mean? Does Jesus’ love for […]
Fear is a life dominator. When fear wells up within us we are often physically paralyzed, speechless or at a loss for cogent thought. When fear strikes we run, we hide or we cower before it as our new and merciless master. When we see fear in others we can easily be drawn into its […]
We are so shortsighted. Most of us can only see as far as the next phone, tablet or computer screen and we really don’t think much about we are seeing – we just want to see it, to have our minds toyed with and occupied, never giving thought to what is beyond and what is […]
“The best things in life are free.” That certainly can be true, but as always there is more to the story. Take love – the love that is between a husband and a wife as a for instance. While this love certainly should be free – freely given and freely received, it does have a […]
Two weeks ago we talked about Elijah and the incredible courage he had toward accomplishing God’s will. We saw him prophesy, take responsibility, wait, perform miracles, wait some more, appear before his greatest enemy and overwhelmingly conquer in a challenge to prove that God is in fact God over all. The next thing we knew, […]
As Christians, we pin all of our hopes on the belief that Jesus was crucified and died for our sins. This is the bottom line core reason for our coming to Christ for it speaks of him doing something for us out of pure love that we in no way could do for ourselves. To […]
Courage is perhaps the most underrated, under-appreciated and invisible virtue of our time. We are so busy complying with the status quo, with watching our words and with following what others say and do on social media that we seem to have forgotten the simple yet powerful virtue of courage. Courage is stepping up, stepping […]
George Orwell’s 1949 book, 1984, was about the future. It was a scary and suggestive look at what could happen to society if we didn’t protect our freedoms from totalitarianism. The idea that “Big Brother is watching” was a fearful one, as this fictional story gave the feeling that what we say and think are […]
The ability to compromise is a lost art. We have become so diverse in our thinking, so polarized in our viewpoints and so set in our conclusions as unequivocally right, that the mere idea of compromise is in some cases viewed as a repulsive evil. Now look – there are times when compromise should be […]
How is it that life seems to go by so fast? How is it that we more often than not look back on our life – the things we did and what we became – with a measure of regret, knowing that we could have been more or contributed more? Have you ever stopped to […]
Christmas has come – the hustle and the bustle, the lights, the music, the trees, the ornaments and the garland. Christmas has come – Santa and reindeer and elves and Frosty and movies and presents and gift wrap and cards. Christmas has come – whether you feel you can say “Merry Christmas” or just “Happy […]
What a pain in the neck – or my back or my arm or my leg. None of us like physical pain and when we have it we usually try and do all kinds of things to get rid of it. One really great way to do this is to go to a physical therapist […]
This short video answers this most poignant of all questions. This world is so troubled and every generation of mankind has faced horrible evil before going into the grave. There must be some hope, some reason for all this pain. If an all-loving God exists, when will He do something? Where is He with all […]
What would you think of a powerful leader who sanctions rape, pillaging, the destruction of thousands of lives for the wrong doings of one, racism and genocide? No matter who we are, if we have a conscience in any way tuned to the sanctity of human life, we would have to label them a monster […]
Stress is all around us and unfortunately, within us. We know stress is not good for us. Physically it wrecks havoc with our bodies. Mentally it causes us to make poor, rash decisions and not work up to our full capacity. It causes us to lash out at those around us and causes damage to […]
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How would you like access to power? This power can change your life, give you things, protect you and even heal diseases! This power is from a source that is unlimited, a source that is generous and a source that truly has your best interest in mind. Sound intriguing? For many Christians, this power is […]
Here’s a question…what do the 4th of July and Thanksgiving have in common? The most obvious answer is these two celebrations are uniquely American in that their very founding was undeniably linked to the founding of the United States. The less obvious answer is that these two holidays were also founded in humble recognition of […]
A goose that lays golden eggs. King Midas and the ability to turn things to gold through “the Midas Touch.” A winning Powerball Lottery ticket. Confessing Jesus as your Savior and inheriting an irrevocable one-way ticket to heaven. What do all of these things have in common? First of all, they all sound really good […]
People want to be happy. They think about it, they talk about it and they do things to find happiness. The United States Declaration of Independence speaks of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Yes, we all want to be happy, but have you ever thought about joy? Have you ever heard of people […]
So, what is Halloween about anyway? Is it all about the costumes, the candy and the parties? Is it all about the social connections of people actually seeing and talking to other people or the excited grade school kid who gets to dress up like a video game hero? Or is Halloween all about the […]
Sometimes we forget that life is precious and it is worth fighting for. When someone dies as a result of suicide, that fight has been lost. When we lose a loved one to suicide we might ask ourselves; have we become so entangled in the web of social standing and status that we somehow stepped […]
What does it mean to be a Christian? Seriously, what is the real bottom line true meaning of following in the footsteps of Jesus? Is being a Christian like an entitlement program? By professing Jesus do we receive protection from evil, deliverance from trials or the healing of our maladies? Do we receive a promise […]
Trust is a tricky thing. In some instances it comes to us with ease – as children we typically trust our parents above all others. As we become adolescents we often lose that trust, because we have replaced it with trusting our friends who are obviously much cooler and smarter than our parents. When adults, […]
Defining God is a monumental task. The measure of its difficulty is such that very few will ever follow through with it, for the world is overrun with contradictory myths, stories and legends about the nature and purposes of God. So many stories, so little truth! Defining God requires us to look into things beyond […]
Lying. Okay, we know it’s bad but is it really always a bad thing? From a parent’s perspective, it is one of those things that is perched at the top of the “never do this” list of moral and ethical behavior. With children, the boundaries are clear and easy to define, because as we show […]
Gossip – is it ever useful or good or is it always a waste of time and bad? Have you ever stopped to consider just how much of our present culture not only accepts it but places it in the enviable and important position of being a core and driving value of our everyday existence? […]
We all do wrong. We all hurt other people. Sometimes the hurt we deliver is the result of oversight, ignorance or immaturity, or careless words and actions or sloppy and selfish thinking. We hurt someone, but we don’t really mean it. Sometimes the hurt we deliver is a result of anger or vengeance or jealousy […]
Judgment Day! The very words strike fear into the hearts of many believers across the borders of many religions. After all, this world obviously does not dole out any form of true justice to its vast population, and whatever God you may believe in surely sees this and will soon balance those scales that are […]
Faith is a part of life. Faith is not reserved for those of us who claim religion. On the contrary, faith is an integral part of human life, no matter what perspective you come from. We have faith in the people in our lives that they will be there for us. To varying degrees, we […]
Faith is a part of life. We here at Christian Questions have been blessed to be given the opportunity to live with faith as a basis for our lives. Doing this radio broadcast for the last 18 years has taught us much about faith and much about what is required to keep our faith not […]
History does repeat itself. Sometimes in its repetition we can see the heartbreak of the transgressions of the past repeated in the present with an even deeper and more insidious result. Look around you and what do you see? Shootings, stabbings, bombings, race riots, gangs, rape, murder, genocide; Black lives matter, police lives matter, all […]
Good and Evil. Throughout history there has always been a battle between the two and for many who hold a religion as sacred, this battle has its leaders. As Christians, we embrace God Almighty as the unequivocal Creator and Leader of all that is good and righteous, and we see Satan as the captain of […]
Everyone loves a hero. Everyone loves to watch “that guy” as he (or she) defies the odds, stands up against darkness, evil or injustice and fights – sometimes he fights alone and sometimes his fight inspires others to stand and fight with him. We admire the guts, the vision and the strength of such people, […]
Lots and lots of people pray, and we pray for all kinds of things from wanting more material things in our lives to wanting to be healed from disease or injury, to wanting bad experiences to end. While we also pray for God’s will to be done, it seems as though the focus of most […]
“Materialism” is a philosophy that permeates much of the world today. It is the belief that physical stuff underlies everything real, and it rejects any supernatural forces as having influence in our world. It teaches that the universe came into existence on its own, without any intelligence or design behind it; and it has proceeded […]
Most of us really don’t like ourselves. We are too tall or short, too fat or thin, too reserved or too lazy. We don’t like ourselves because we don’t think before we act or we think too much and don’t act at all. We don’t like ourselves because we are not attractive enough or we […]
We are blessed. We live in a country where freedom of speech and assembly are a given – a country where we can choose who to worship and how we accomplish that worship. We live in a country where we can apply ourselves, work hard and attain levels of success that are not only rare, […]
Life can get heavy sometimes. It can happen for all kinds of reasons – our own poor judgment or mistakes, circumstances beyond our control, accidents or a tragedy. Whatever the reason, the fact is that sometimes life just becomes a heavy burden. When life does get heavy we begin to doubt and to fear, which […]
To figure out how important the substance of what we believe is, we really need to go back before the varied traditions of Christian thinking developed to the time when the original messengers of the Gospel were on the scene. That would be the twelve Apostles and what we find there is telling. For instance, […]
…But do you trust me? Such a question pierces right down to the heart of any matter, for true trust is sacred. Any relationship – be it family, friends, business or otherwise – will thrive when it is intact. With it, growth, change and the conquering of obstacles are all not only possible but probable. […]
Easter Sunday is the Sunday that the Christian world traditionally celebrates the resurrection of Jesus. Obviously this follows Good Friday, the day we honor his suffering and crucifixion. These events would change the world, both immediately after they happened as well as forever after that. Somehow these miraculous world-changing accounts of crucifixion and resurrection have […]
Did you know that Jesus raised three different people from the dead? Most of us remember the raising of Lazarus and the dramatic scene when Jesus has the stone removed from the tomb and Jesus says with a loud and commanding voice “Lazarus come forth!” It is an event that sends chills down your spine […]
ISIS has become a household name. Most of us don’t even know exactly what the initials stand for, but we do know what the ideology stands for: terrorism, violence and crimes against those who don’t think, act and believe the way that they do. Somehow these radical Islamist terrorists seem to believe that by brutalizing, […]
Everybody wants to know what the future will look like. With all of the myriads of ways we can connect with each other, we certainly are not shy about telling others what we personally think the future will bring. Depending on the school of thought that you come from, looking ahead 100 years or so […]
Jesus was a powerful man who was called upon to deliver a powerful message. He walked this earth 2,000 years ago and preached about peace, love, honoring God and a kingdom. It can be argued that his message and his life were more influential than any other in all of history. Okay, fine. So, where […]
“Happily ever after” is the very attractive and very much sought after life script which for most of us not only remains a complete mystery but is it as elusive as a winning lottery ticket. The question is, are we chasing a fantasy or can we actually have a life that includes the “ever after” […]
Think about it for a minute – right here and right now in the 21st century, nearly half of the world claims to follow the teachings of either Jesus or Muhammad. Jesus lived nearly 2,000 years ago and Muhammad about 600 years after Jesus. Did you ever stop to think about how consistent or inconsistent […]
What kind of image comes to your mind when you think about someone who makes promises but never keeps them? Is that a person you feel comfortable with, a person that you can count on, or is that a person who you think twice about, they conjures up doubt and even suspicion in your mind? […]
Time passes and that original drive and inspiration begin to fade. It is kind of like the new toy you get for Christmas – after you use it for awhile, it ends up being just another toy to be tossed around. But wait a minute! This is your life we are talking about and NOT […]
There is a new standard for personal behavior and speech, and it is no longer based on the fundamental value of personal freedom. Somehow or other the feelings and potential perceptions of some have become more important and more necessary to protect than the basic rights of thought and speech for all. What are we […]
The rapture is an incredibly dramatic event that is believed in by many Christians and encapsulates a view of God’s mercy, justice and wrath all at the same time. Though there are many differing perspectives on how this belief unfolds, the rapture’s common thread is that when it happens, all true believers will be instantaneously […]
Happy New Year! …Or is it? Have you asked yourself if you are happy and excited about this New Year or do you fear the same old stuff will get in the way of the better life you had imagined? When you look at your own character and your own track record, what do you […]
So, Christmas day is here. Hopefully it is filled with family, joy and happiness! Hopefully it provides some time to sit back and reflect on the amazing opportunities we have for freedom. Honestly, sometimes we at CQ look at Christmas as a bittersweet holiday. While we enjoy the story of Santa and his elves and […]
Demons – what are they – who are they? Are they associated with Satan or are they figments of very fertile imaginations, brought to life through very real special effects and computer technology? Demons are real and are the minions of Satan – but when we think of minions, what do we think of? Believe […]
So, what do you think of when you hear the statement, “Ah, this is the life!” Ease, fortune and comfort? Well, Jesus said He is “The Life” – so what does that mean and does that statement still develop the same picture in your head? Probably not. Okay, how is Jesus “The Life” and how […]
Angels… We have such varied perceptions of them. Sometimes they are viewed as little cupids, flying around shooting people with their arrows of love. Sometimes we think they are white glowing winged creatures. Sometimes we think they take on human form and intervene in specific and dramatic ways and sometimes we think that they are […]
There was once a time (and it seems that it was long ago), that the whole idea of Thanksgiving as a holiday held deep and profound meaning. Seems kinda funny to say that, because when we think of Thanksgiving now, what do we think of? Family, turkey, football, stuffing, days off, pumpkin pie. Eating too […]
Hope is perhaps the most vital element of life. With it one can do amazing things, overcome seemingly impossible odds, achieve remarkable results and find true and deep meaning in life. Without hope, we doubt, falter and crumble. Without hope we often leave the greatest achievements unachieved, the greatest discoveries undiscovered and the greatest opportunities […]
Life can be likened to a house. Some houses are spacious and elegant – people tend to notice them when they go by. Some houses are smaller, functional and more basic – people tend to look past them when they go by. When you think about it, whether the house is elegant or basic, the […]
Jesus had an amazing way of saying a lot with few words. Jesus had a mission – he spoke about it, lived it and taught its principles. A major part of that mission was to open the way of “sonship” to the Father. Jesus told us he IS the way to the Father and he […]
The Bible often tells us what is going to happen before it happens. Sometimes its prophecies are very specific and sometimes they are shrouded in symbols, but in all cases they tell us about the future. So, what is the future? Our world has come to a point where it has the capacity to destroy […]
Ours is a society of diversity, and we as a society have made it that way. There is a great value in diversity because it helps us to focus on, accept and appreciate the contributions given by those who may not be like us. This is good. The problem lies in how our diverse society […]
The Ten Commandments are iconic. They represent a distilled view of what God wants the human race to follow after in daily life. They are concise, firm and explicit. Someone once said that God gave them as the Ten Commandments, not the Ten Suggestions. The last of these Commandments is the command to not covet. […]
Christians are familiar with the Scriptures that tell us to be “faithful unto death.” But what does this really mean?
On the night before his crucifixion and literally hours before he would begin a sleepless ordeal of beatings, humiliation and accusation, Jesus took his precious time to give comfort to his truest followers. He spoke of what would happen, of God’s care for them and of his love and devotion to them. He taught them […]
God is love! We as Christians love to bask in the magnitude of that statement as it gives us comfort and confidence that our faith is in a Being that possesses understanding, compassion and wisdom. God is love – that statement just makes us feel good! So was that the reason John wrote it – […]
Anger and rage – these are two emotions that are all too familiar in our present day. How often do we hear of random acts of violence? Think about what that means – it is something done that causes hurt to others who just happen to be in the way. Where does all of this […]
Is this life all there is? Is there life after death? Watch and find out about God’s plan for all mankind!
Humanity loves ritual and tradition, as they give us a sense of our roots and a sense of belonging. Christianity has its rituals, one of which is baptism. The problem is, there are many ways that different Christian groups define baptism. So, what part should baptism play in our Christian faith? Is it necessary? Should […]
One of the unique aspects of Christianity is the way in which we believe the power and influence of God to work in our lives. That power and influence, better known as the Holy Spirit to some and the Holy Ghost to others, appears to be almost mystical. It is the power Jesus promised would […]
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