Churches sometimes ask people to share their testimony (or, story of conversion/confirmation, profession of faith) and their understanding of the Gospel. Answering these questions may be a condition for joining the church or a particular team at the church. Why do churches do that? A few thoughts... To protect the church from wolves. The church is commanded to … [Read more...] about Why Evaluate a Profession of Faith
Faith
Giant Problem
In the story of 1 Samuel 17, we meet a giant problem. And it has a name: Goliath. The man was huge. The English Standard Version says his height was "six cubits and a span," which means he was over nine feet tall. His armor weighed five thousand shekels, which is 125 pounds, and the head of his spear weighed six hundred shekels, which is 15 pounds. The weight of his gear … [Read more...] about Giant Problem
Faith and Feelings
We have a tendency to assess the security of our faith by the depth of our feelings. If we feel very deeply, surely our faith is secure, or so we reason. But feelings are fickle, and the security of our faith rests not in our emotional state but in our sure Savior. John Stott (2012) walks us through this thinking. First, the danger: "Yet the way to be sure [about our … [Read more...] about Faith and Feelings
The Cause Behind Our Unbelievable World
"There can be no easily believable explanation for everything I've seen in this little ball-happy universe of ours. Occam's well-worn razor will do us no good. There will be no 'simplest' explanation. A single world combining galaxies, black holes, Jerry Seinfeld, over 300,000 varieties of beetle, Shakespeare, adrenal glands, professional bowling, and the bizarre reproductive … [Read more...] about The Cause Behind Our Unbelievable World
Don’t Stop Believing
Charles Spurgeon on the need for abiding faith: Oh that we might always live so that the Lord might see in all our actions that they spring from faith. Then shall our actions as well as ourselves be always accepted of Him by Christ Jesus, for the Lord has plainly declared, "the just shall live by faith; but if any man draws back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him" - that … [Read more...] about Don’t Stop Believing