Am I a Hypocrite? Posted: Nov 10, 2009 by Bryce Thompson It seems Christians in general are the favored archetypes for hypocrisy. (These are just examples, so don't get too carried away.) Am I a hypocrite if I seek to serve the poor but oppose universal healthcare? Am I a hypocrite if I oppose same sex marriage, yet I'm divorced? What if I oppose abortion but approve of capital punishment? I'm not here to discuss various societal issues and whatnot. My contention here is the rationale and application of the term 'hypocrite' is flawed. Furthermore, it is not a sufficient excuse for rejecting the Gospel of salvation. Would it be sufficient to say that the doctrine of love as preached by Jesus is not the prevalent mindset practiced by contemporary Christians? (That ball got dropped long ago.) Also, that Christians consistently fail to uphold the standards to which they are commanded? Ok. We're on the same page, then.  Read the full article…

How to Know God's Will (Part 1) Posted: Nov 09, 2009 by Jacob Riggs Knowing God's will has been the number one question in my mind since I have been a believer. It just doesn't seem to go away. It applies in a ton of different circumstances. What should my job be? Should I go to graduate school? Where should I go to graduate school? Who should I marry? Are we ready to have kids? It's good to want to know God's will. It means you're concerned about what He wants with your life. That's a really great thing. However, it's sometimes tough to know what God's will is. I don't think it has to be as tough as we make it out to be. I'm not saying it's simple. I'm just saying it's not as mysterious as we might think. I haven't had a ton of experiences with looking for God's will (I'm only 24). But the few that I've had have been memorable and impactful. I hope you find this beneficial. So here's the first part of this and what I think is a very important component a lot of people overlook in finding God's will.  Read the full article…

MORE: Moments of Revelatory Exhilaration Posted: Oct 14, 2009 by Phill Lytle I was driving home from work late last year. The traffic was bad, as usual. The heater in my car doesn't work that well and, needless to say, it was cold. And oh yeah, I had a headache. All in all, I wouldn't describe my mood as good. It wasn't a horrible day, so don't assume I was angry or bitter about life. I just wasn't "feeling" that Tuesday afternoon, if you know what I mean. But all of that changed when I got hit by what I like to call a Moment of Revelatory Exhilaration. God didn't audibly speak to me. I didn't get a vision from heaven. But I did catch a glimpse of something beyond me and my immediate circumstances. Scripture tells us He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men (Ecclesiastes 3:11); I'm sure there are many different ways that verse can be interpreted or explained, but I'm not going to exegete the passage. I know what that verse says to me; God has made everything beautiful in its time and He created humanity with an innate ability to appreciate truth and beauty. He did this so we could and would recognize the Originator of that Truth and Beauty.  Read the full article…