Category Archives: Questioning God

Teach this truth to new believers

Posted on February 10, 2013 by

  Discipline is a mandatory part of God’s plan for spiritual transformation. Some Christians are not experiencing spiritual growth because they don’t understand this truth. One of the early points of Christian discipleship should be instruction on the fact that, “The Lord … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Call to ministry, Christian Counselor, Christian life, Christian Schools, Christian worldview, Christianity, Church Leadership, Counseling, Disciple-making, Discipline, Discouragement, Doctrine, Encouragement, Fathers, God's Patience, God's control, God's Heart, God's Protection, God's Will, Joel Osteen, Mad at God, New Christian, Pain, Persecuted, Punishment, Questioning God, Salvation, Sanctification, Spiritual Detox, Spiritual disciplines, Spiritual growth, Spiritual inventory, Spiritual transformation, Study of God, Suffering, Trials, Walking with God | Leave a comment

Reflecting on the life of my friend Dr. Mark Hassel

Posted on January 25, 2013 by

  Sometimes life takes unexpected and frightening turns. On July 1, 2005, we experienced one of those turns. It began with a mid-day call from a member of our congregation. On the other end, Dr. Mark Hassel asked if he and … Continue reading →

Posted in Afraid to die, Afterlife, Death, Doctor, Fear of death, Heaven, Hope?, Life of a pastor, Loss, Mark Hassel, Questioning God, Suffering, WGAL | Leave a comment

What God did for us

Posted on December 26, 2012 by

  “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and … Continue reading →

Posted in God, Gospel, Gospel-centered, Grace, Hope?, Jesus Christ, Love, Love Wins, Mad at God, Questioning God, Salvation, Suffering, Theodicy | Leave a comment

Watch your tone

Posted on November 28, 2012 by

Some tones of voice are destructive to good relationships. 12 destructive tones Condescending Bossy Angry Snobby Frustrated Impatient Defensive Moody Distant Disrespectful Dark Whining One of the best ways to change our communication is to replace destructive tones with constructive … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Complaining, Conceit, Confession, Conflict, Contentment, Cynicism, Marriage, Narcissism, Parenting teens, Pride, Questioning God, Relationships, Speech | 3 Comments

It is what it is?

Posted on October 21, 2012 by

  Have you ever heard or made the statement: “It is what it is.”? What do we mean by this?   Is this just another way of wording the line from the prayer of serenity about being willing to “accept … Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Attitude, Contentment, Counseling, Defeat?, Despair, Discouragement, Encouragement, Faith, Fear, God, God's Patience, God's control, God's Heart, God's Protection, Grace, Gratitude, Hope?, Loss, Pain, Prayer, Questioning God, Spiritual Detox, Spiritual growth, Spiritual inventory, Spiritual transformation, Suffering, Trials | 1 Comment

Confused by suffering?

Posted on October 19, 2012 by

Many of us have learned how to put smiles on our faces in public while feeling much differently on the inside. Life can be hard at times. And, if you’re the kind of person who cares about others, it’s easy … Continue reading →

Posted in Anger, Anxiety, Assurance, Bitterness, Broken Relationships, Christian worldview, Comfort, Counseling, Doubt, Evil in the world, Faith, Fear, God's Patience, God's control, God's Heart, God's Protection, God's Will, Hope?, Human depravity, Mad at God, Origin of Sin, Pain, Problem of evil, Promises of Bible, Questioning God, Suffering, Trials, Unbelief | Leave a comment

Paradoxical beings searching for paradise lost

Posted on October 4, 2012 by

When we look at the world with all of its problems and the evil that fills the globe, it’s too easy for us to ask why God doesn’t “do something about it.” We look for answers and solutions and even … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Afterlife, All religions the same?, Anthropology, Apologetics, Bible, Bible from God, Christian worldview, Christianity, Creation, Crisis, Culture, Death, Depravity, Despair, Ethics, Evil in the world, Faith, Mad at God, Origin of Sin, Pain, Questioning God, Restoration, Science, Wisdom, Worldview | Leave a comment

If God is both all-loving and all-powerful, why doesn’t he use his power to stop suffering and injustice?

Posted on September 22, 2012 by

The late Chuck Colson suggested that, “No question poses a more formidable stumbling block to the Christian faith than this, and no question is more difficult for Christians to answer. Yet the biblical worldview does have an answer, and it accounts for universal … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Anthropology, Atheism, Atheists, Bible, Christian worldview, Culture, Democracy, Evil in the world, God, Government, Hamartiology, Hope?, Human depravity, Humanism, Justice, Law, Main problem, Meaning of life, Origin of Sin, Peace, Questioning God, Republican, Restoration, Sin, Worldview | Leave a comment

Does life feel difficult?

Posted on September 1, 2012 by

I’ve always felt like I’ve lived much of my life with the wind in my face. I’ve felt like I was called to swim upstream. I am sure this feeling goes back to my early years, growing up as the … Continue reading →

Posted in Burnout, Call to ministry, Calling, Christian life, Comfort, Counseling, Defeat?, Depression, Despair, Discipline, Discouragement, Doubt, Elders, Emerging Leaders, Emotions, Encouragement, God's control, Grace, Leadership, Life of a pastor, Prayer, Questioning God, Restoration, Student Ministry, Suffering, Trials, Wisdom | 1 Comment

Two kinds of Knowledge about God

Posted on August 28, 2012 by

Look up at the heavens. Look at the skies. Be still and listen because their voice and their words go out to “all the earth,” to “the ends of the world.” Their voice and their words are universally accessible to … Continue reading →

Posted in Anthropology, Apologetics, Atheism, Atheists, Christian worldview, Common grace, Elentics, Evangelism, Questioning God, Seeking God, Wisdom | Leave a comment