Q8. What is the greatest proof of God’s existence?

One of the things I’m coming to appreciate most about our church is that there are all kinds of people present. Most of the people who come to our church are naturally Christians. They either grew up in the church or started going to church regularly at some point in their lives. Then there are those to whom church is a new experience. They don’t understand all the nuances and rituals that take place, but sort of go through the motions anyway. And then there are those who are seekers, skeptics and non-believers. How do I know? Because they ask me questions like this. Now I’m not saying that people who ask this question aren’t believers, but this is the most obvious question asked by those who are still on the fringe of faith.

Q7. What was Psalms intended for?

Just finished watching the Celtics romp the Knicks 104-59. One of the questions I fielded at Ask Anything was “Who do you think will be this year’s NBA champions?” Two words: 104-59!

Anyway, as I was flipping through my stack of questions, I thought this would be a good one to answer. Reason: I’m currently reading a Psalm a day devotionally with some friends at church.

Q6. How did you get into ministry?

People often assume that because I am a pastor, I have some sort of special connection with the Man upstairs. Well, given the job description for pastors, I guess it would be a good thing to know him well and know what he wants for his followers, and in that sense, have a tight relationship with the Father. But in reality, pastors struggle just as much as the average person to keep their walk with God deep, personal and authentic.

Q5. How do you hear God’s voice?

This seems to be one of the more popular questions people have. At “Ask Anything” this question was asked in about a dozen different ways. Richard Foster writes in “Celebration of Discipline”:

Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.

Hearing God’s voice begins with an exploration into the inward life. This exploration takes place through fasting, prayer, worship and celebration. However, our generation ignores these classic disciplines that help us draw near to God. Hearing God’s voice is not about learning some mechanics or formula for spirituality, instead it’s an inward reality.

Q4. What does the bible say about homosexuality? pt.3

All of our hopes are based on Christ’s finished work on the cross. What the NT promises to repentant Christians here and now is forgiveness for the past. The repentant believer who occasionally sins is distinct from the unrepentant person following a steady, unresisted course of planned disobedience. To the person who repents and seeks to obey Christ, the NT promises total forgiveness through the cross of Christ. Homosexual practice is not the worst sin, nor is it an unforgivable one.

Furthermore, for every Christian the power of sin has been broken at the cross. Writing to the Corinthians, Paul addresses the sexually immoral saying “That is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:9-11). By using the past tense, Paul suggests that his readers have changed. They have given up their former practices, although some will continue to be tempted in this area all the way through their lives. God’s promise is that “no temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Cor 10:13).

But is it possible for our sexual orientation to be changed?