Spirits and the Material World

Jim Leffel

Ephesians 6:10-12

Humans live in a spiritually divided world. Satan was a created being who led a rebellion against God and now rules Earth. Because of this rule, spiritual warfare is a forced circumstance of our world. Fortunately, we know the outcome of this war. We don't need to live in fear because God is in control. Still, believers need to be aware that Satan takes people more seriously than they take themselves and wants to impose his will on them.

The Final Judgment

Gary DeLashmutt

Revelation 20:11-15

All people without a relationship with God will stand before His Great White Throne to face judgment for their rebellion. At face value, most people understandably find this event horrifying, but God's righteousness and goodness are actually demonstrated in His willingness to judge evil. God doesn't force Himself on anyone, but rather allows people a choice. If you've chosen to accept Jesus's free gift of forgiveness, you can take comfort in the fact that you are completely safe from this judgment!

Considered Theologically II

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 3:10

We take a look at the nature of evil and how it is explained through the lens of different worldviews such as naturalism, pantheism, postmodern relativism, and theism. How does what we believe about God coincide with the evil that we see every day in the news? We will specifically focus on the WTC attacks at the end, and see how the lens of other worldviews explains why those who committed the atrocity did so based on their beliefs.

The Problem of Evil

Dennis McCallum

Luke 13

Jesus is asked about those killed at a tower in Siloam, calling to attention the question of the problem of evil. This question is addressed primarily through four worldviews: Spiritualism, Naturalism, Monoism, and Biblical Christianity. The first three views don't match what we know internally, along with external evidence from science, and lead to fatalism about the cruelty people experience in the world. The biblical view shows that God is loving and has allowed suffering temporarily so that as many people could place their faith in Christ before He judges all evil in the world. This provides hope and significance to the suffering we encountert.

How Can a Loving God Allow so much Suffering?

Gary DeLashmutt

2 Corinthians 1:4-5

Pain and suffering is an unavoidable part of the world that we live in. Much of the pain and suffering in this world is a result of human choices, which is a consequence of the free will that God gave us. Some pain and suffering are consequences of us living in a fallen world; there isn't always a clear reason for the suffering we endure, but we know God can use it for good and can show us things through our pain.

God and the Problem of Evil

Dennis McCallum

Romans 1:21-28

The problem of evil in the world requires an answer. Biblical theism differs from other worldviews in that it offers both acknowledgement of evil and assurance of future justice. The Biblical view is that evil was chosen by personal beings who had the free will to make that choice but now stand under the judgment of God as a result. In His love, however, God chose to offer a way for every person to be justified before Him despite sin and evil.\r\n

Sermon on the Mount (Part 2)

Dennis McCallum

Matthew 6:1-6

Jesus calls Christians to be the salt of the Earth, he wants us to share God's message through our lives and how we interact in our world. Many Christians today look to protect themselves from the evils of the world. God calls us to share His message to the watching world, and not box ourselves in to protect ourselves from sinful people.