Reasons for God

Is God Good? Are Humans Bad?

The following is the transcript of a talk given at Church of the Cross during the “Dealing with Doubts” series on August 19, 2012.

Today we are going to look at perhaps the most difficult question that any human can face: the problem of evil and suffering. The problem of pain.

This is a problem that everyone has to resolve. Christians agonize over how to think about the recent shootings in Aurora, CO and the wildfires that swept the state and affected Colorado Springs. This past week, my wife and I have had to wrestle with this question due to some painful injustices we have experienced in regards to our housing situation.

Is Christianity Just Wishful Thinking?

One of the most honest and heart-wrenching objections to Christianity that I’ve ever heard goes like this:

“I would absolutely love to believe that Christianity is true. The idea that I am unconditionally loved, that I will live forever in paradise after death, that an all-powerful God will hear my prayers, that someone good is looking after me, and all the rest… I would love to believe that message is true. But I just can’t bring myself to do it. It sounds like wishful thinking, and I’m too realistic for that.”
Read more

What To Leave Out Of A Life Plan

Putting together a Life Plan is an exciting process! Once you get going, you might feel a surge of energy as you dream about your future.

Pretty soon you’re cramming it full with your entire ‘bucket list’: go skydiving, write a book, visit Argentina, adopt a cat, start a bed-and-breakfast, and end world hunger.

At some point, though, you step back and feel overwhelmed and even discouraged by all your great ideas. “Oh, no. There’s no way I can do all of this.” Once you get to the “I feel overwhelmed” part of the process is when you know it is time to start cutting back. If you self-edit too much at the start of the process, you might short-circuit some very important dreaming.

So: What do you leave out of a Life Plan?

What To Put in a Life Plan?

So you’ve decided to write (and follow) a Life Plan! But what do you put in your Life Plan – and what do you leave out?

I’ve interacted with dozens of students as they’ve put together, worked on, and experimented with different kinds of Life Plans. Here’s the thing: they’ve all looked radically different. Some are very poetic and artistic. Others are highly organized, structured, and clear. Some students focus on very specific details, while others prefer to give their attention to the big picture.

The Next Christians by Gabe Lyons – A Book Review

The Next Christians, by Gabe Lyons, offers a provocative but ultimately encouraging vision for the flourishing of the Christian faith in 21st century America. Both big-picture vision and practical ideas come together in this intriguing book; as the subtitle indicates, The Next Christians offers “seven ways you can live the gospel and restore the world.”

Lyons’ book is divided into two major sections: first, an analysis of the rapid cultural change in the U.S., with the challenges this has created for the American church, and second, defining what he calls the “restorers” — the next Christians whose bold and faithful lives to Jesus and the gospel, exhibited in creative and loving connection to those around them, will strengthen and grow the church.

Wisdom from St. Benedict

The idea of a Life Plan is an ancient one. It goes back to the Garden of Eden, when God advised Adm and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). God has always offered his people a meaningful and purposeful guide to life.

However, in faithfully responding to the Biblical story for contemporary challenges, very few have compiled a guide to life that has stood the test of time for over 1,500 years! Born in 480, in Italy, St. Benedict of Nursia has become known as the father of western monasticism due to the influence of his “Rule of Life,” which became widely adopted in monasteries across Europe with the support of Charlemagne, and is still the most widely used set of guidelines for monastic communities today.

Mastering Monday by John Beckett – A Book Review

Mastering Monday, by John Beckett, provides excellent guidance for integrating the Christian faith with the responsibilities of work. By all accounts, Beckett practices what he preaches, and this book is, as far as I can tell, written by a person of integrity, love, and genuine faith in God.

The book is organized into three sections: John’s own story, reflections on people who worked in the Bible (from Adam to David to the disciples of Jesus), and explaining five Biblical themes for the integration of faith and work. Throughout, Mastering Monday is an encouraging, hopeful treatise of practical ways to integrate an active Christian faith with the demands of our jobs.

Objection to a Life Plan: It Feels Legalistic!

Legalism is the attempt to be somebody, apart from the grace of God, by keeping a set of rules.

Some people seek to ‘win’ through success in business and financial gain. Others do it through their good looks. Perhaps you are the best tuba player in the world.

How Should the Church Respond to Doubt?

Whatever their worldview, everyone has doubts. Christians are no different.

Given this pervasive experience, every local church needs to acknowledge the reality of doubt. In preparing to respond to doubt, the church has a responsibility to anchor its approach in solidly Biblical principles. As we’ll see, however, this requires us to develop a wise and contextual understanding for the particular doubts and cultural norms of our friends and neighbors.

Objections to a Life Plan: I Feel Limited!

Have you ever volunteered to be harnessed by a straight jacket? I know that I haven’t. In fact, I hope to never be trapped into such a claustrophobic experience. As far as I’m concerned, a straight jacket should be called an “I’m-going-to-go-crazy” jacket.

Sometimes, when thinking about the idea of a Life Plan, it feels like a similarly constricting idea. I believe the internal monologue goes something like this: “Oh boy, a life plan! It will let me limit my choices, miss out on serendipitous opportunities, take all the fun out of life, and make me want to poke needles in my eye every day!”