NextGenKent

What would you say is one thing you wish was better about your life?   Things on the other side of the fence hold an attraction to us--are temptations for us. It is part of our human nature.  Some of that nature helps us to search for God.  Most of it betrays us. The temptation is for us to become covetous, greedy, self-absorbed, selfishly ambitious, and hold on to the belief that the good we have is the best--for anyone and everyone.  One way we respond when we think something good we have is losing its street cred is by pretending that it is better than it really is. Mark records the prophet Isaiah's description of hypocrites in his gospel as: (1) honoring God with their lips while their heart is far from Him = How does this happen? (2) worshipping God in vain = What does this mean? (3) teaching doctrines that really are just commandments of men. ( Mark 7:6-7) Have you ever been surrounded by hypocrites? Ever been found among them? There is...

Not all Christians will go to heaven? What!?! I posted a while back about a lady who asked her pastor why she should become a disciple because she was already a Christian. My pastor preached recently on the growing body of people in our society who call themselves Christians but do not attend church. My children have spoken to me of teachers in school speaking about religions and listing Christianity among other religions. With these statements in mind, I have come to the conclusion that not all Christians will go to heaven. You can call yourself a Christian, and while this should express faith in Jesus Christ, it evidently means that you subscribe to a system of beliefs I would call "the religious practices of Christianity." Among them is the belief in Jesus Christ, which amounts to believing that he existed, walked this planet, did good, performed miracles, died, and was resurrected, ascended to heaven, left behind some disciples (who became apostles) who car...

What if I never had to sin again? Part 1. I have been pursuing some answers to my sin problem--or my overcoming sin problem, that is of being able to move beyond forgiveness to developing patterns in my life that keep me connected to God and all that that means. Isn't that called Sanctification? Well, most likely, but stating the word now locks me into a theological debate I do not want to get involved in. But yes. I purchased a book not too long ago entitled, The Five Views of Sanctification, which basically has each view beating up on all of the others in Jesus' name while rising to the top. I bought it because it added yet another feather into the hat of my search for perfection--it continues in humanity too. It is a viable question of merit. Perfection? Another theological term I do not want to debate (but discuss? Yep). It doesn't mean to me what it means to so many others. To me it means responsibility to the best I am able. Some would say it is the Garden of E...

I teach Evangelism & Discipleship I & II online for a Christian University in Ohio. I was looking over an assignment that really threw me for a curve because the exercise goes against what the course is teaching. The course uses as one of its textbooks, Becoming a Contagious Christian: Communicating Your Faith in a Style that Fits You, which teaches that there are several ways of evangelizing referred to as "styles" and that there isn't only one acceptable way. Those styles are: Direct style, Intellectual style, Invitational style, and Serving style. Then the course has students read an article that emphasizes one style (Direct, or perhaps Intellectual) and asks them to attempt to do so. The article gives the following statement for its rationale: "We are dedicated to equipping people for evangelism, not because large numbers follow us, but because it is the command Jesus gave to His followers. We don’t take others with us for OJT because it’s c...