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.

Considered Ethically and Theologically

Dennis McCallum

Romans 14:22

We are not called to blindly follow any governing body and subject ourselves to them in moral matters. We look into the theology of Islam which calls on those who follow it to act based on rules in the Koran. We also look at the history of the Christian church and its' own actions in the past. We do not have any calling in the Bible to create a Christian power government in any country. Our kingdom lies with God in heaven, we are here to guide people to His love and His good news.

Considered Philosophically and Prophetically

Dennis McCallum

Revelation 12:9-13

Are we becoming so politically correct that we can't call an evil act exactly what it is? Will holding to objective truths lead to violence? We see that when put to the test our post-modern consensus fails the test of reality. We look into what real truth is and what true prophesying, such as comparing the foretelling of the regathering of Israel against vague works like Nostradamus.

The Gerasene Demoniac

Jim Leffel

1 John 2:15-17

Jesus performed miracles to verify his claims about himself and to demonstrate his teaching in action. These miracles included interactions with the supernatural, and it is clear from the Gospels that Jesus' exorcisms of demonically possessed people foretell his future victory over Satan. Furthermore, modern Christians do not live in a spiritually neutral world, and Satan is still active in modern times through waging war against Christians and promoting his system of values. Christians should seek to live in a way that is cognizant of the spiritual war around them and to follow God's eternal priorities.

Women, Men and Servanthood

Dennis McCallum

Galatians 3:28

Paul wanted the Corinthian church to maximize their witness within their culture, so he called for certain cultural gender norms to be followed as to increase the spread of the Gospel. God and Paul both taught equality for men and women, as different but equal beings. God called men to lead in sacrificial love in the context of marriage.

Giving Up Our Rights for Others

Dennis McCallum

2 Thessalonians 3:7-9

Paul made a point to not let any non-moral cultural barriers affect his preaching of the gospel. Paul took strong stands on truth and religion, but he would learn and practice different cultures' dress, art, poetry, and music.

Jesus the Healer

Jim Leffel

John 9:2-3

Throughout his ministry, Jesus makes bold claims about who he is. To back up these claims, he performs many miracles, often in the presence of hostile religious leaders or in the midst of large crowds. From these miracles, we see that Jesus has unique authority. He is able to meet not only the physical needs of people, but our deeper spiritual needs as well.

Sexuality and Spirituality

Dennis McCallum

Genesis 2:24

Paul warned the Corinthian Church that sexual sins are sins against their own body. God's plan for sex in the context of a monogamous heterosexual marriage is given to us for our benefit. Sex in the context of a committed marriage is the best sex, and sexual promiscuity leads to an unquenchable sexual appetite.

Temptation

Jim Leffel

Deuteronomy 6:13

After Jesus' baptism, he went into the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan for 40 days. Satan offered him food, tried to force him into testing God, and promised him all the kingdoms of the world if only Jesus would worship him. Jesus denied Satan every time, creating a model for his disciples to follow. There will always be things that tempt us away from God, and Satan makes them sound legitimate, but God's provision and timing are always best. The decision we face is whether to trust in God and follow Him or be pulled away from doing so.