K-life Ft. Worth

Overflow 2 song list

2011-02-17T20:29:00.000-08:00

For those that asked, here is a list of the songs we did at Overflow in February as well as the verses we put up for them. I'll list the song and then an artist that sings it (if there is one) in case you want to download it.

Overflow Feb 17:

Psalm 100:1-5
1. Prince of Peace
2. Our God is Greater (Christ Tomlin, but Shane & Shane's is better)
3. I Stand Amazed (Christ Tomlin, live off the album Passion: Everything Glorious)
*Verse was Matthew 26: 63b-64
4. All Creatures of Our God and King (David Crowder Band)
5. Better is One Day/I Could Sing of Your Love Forever
6. Father (Hillsong United off the album "aftermath")
*Verse was Philippians 2: 7,8, 10-11
7. Come Ye Sinners (Robbie Seay Band)
8. Here I am to Worship (Hillsong)
*Verse was Matthew 27:27-31
9. All Who are Thirsty (Cody Clausen)
*at the end of this song, we sang the bridge from "Beautiful Exchange" by Hillsong

Love

2011-02-17T11:42:00.001-08:00

Each store front changed it’s red and green adornments to pink and white soon after the New Year. Florists are reminding their hopeful customers to place their flower orders soon for their special someone. Today is the day that people all over share cards, flowers, chocolates, and oversized teddy bears with their loved ones. Many dread this very holiday –renaming February 14th “Singles Awareness Day” – the pain of seeing happy couples around, or the giant stuffed animals with the I LUV U hearts are just another reminder of loneliness. Whether one looks at this day with happy hearts, and googly eyes for their special somebody or begrudgingly– I think most would readily associate the word Love with this holiday more than any other…

How can we best love? How would the bible teach us to love? Paul’s words to the church of Corinth in 1 Corinthians 13 read –

If I speak the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong, or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have and, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Can you imagine if all that was implied within a bear’s I LUV U heart message? Can one honestly say with a dozen roses that their love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things? The message of love from God’s Word is the perfect picture of Christ. He was the one, the example – the picture of selflessness. He was the one that laid down his life, picking up the cross and bearing God’s wrath and punishment of sin for humanity. What a perfect picture of love.

Scripture also says in Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates His own love for us in this, while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us. There isn’t anything that we can do to earn this love. He gives his love freely –

So whether you find describe yourself in “puppy love” or beyond annoyed about another flower delivery to your school that’s not intended for you… Remember this – Jesus loves you and the depth of that love is described in Romans 8:35-39 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come nor powers, or height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord”

…His love is real. He lived it out. And it’s the same for you 365 days of the year – forever. If you ask me -that’s better than the world’s supply of chocolate covered strawberries. – Consider God’s scripture the most beautiful poem ever written… and better yet – It’s true. Be filled with that truth forever. And know that you’re loved by the One who created you.

From Where Does Your Joy Come?

2011-01-17T11:39:00.001-08:00

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:9-17 (NIV)

The word Joy is mentioned previously in the Gospel of John only once – in John 3:29, When John voices his joy being his, and complete – because he is tending to the Bridegroom, Christ.

So what does it mean to have joy? How do we attain it? What does it look like?

I once met a very uniquely, successful, loving man. His name is Hunter “Patch” Adams. I knew him only by Robin Williams portrayal of him in the 1998 movie titled “Patch Adams.” He was a clown doctor who loved patients and wanted to provide affordable – even free treatment, to those who were in need.

Early in the Spring semester in the Grand Market Place (our dining hall) at the University of South Carolina, My friends spotted the real Patch Adams, and suggested that I meet him. As an audacious Sophomore, I was up for the meeting. I boldly introduced myself “ Hello, Patch! I’m Diana Carey, I thought you’d want to meet me.” – Who was I? After an unredeemable introduction, Patch and I started into a great conversation, which led him to ask me. – “Diana, where does your joy come from?” Rarely does such an opportunity present itself in this manner. I began to tell him all about my relationship with Jesus. Mind you, the Lord had revealed himself to me just 2 years earlier. I told him that I had joy because it was the joy of the Lord, in me. – And his response I’ll never forget. He said, it makes sense that people who know the Lord would have true joy. “After all,” he said “You claim to know God, so shouldn’t you possess such joy?” – The answer – YES! – In knowing the Living God, Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Lord, I have everlasting joy which no earthly circumstance could rob from me.

Joy comes only from the Lord. It is an everlasting quality. We can have joy because when redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ we know our future is secure in Him for eternity. There are many moments that make us happy in life. This happiness is as a result of something bringing temporary delight. With the Lord’s promised seal of salvation for those who believe in Him, joy is not temporary, but a forever blessing!

And what an encouragement to be reminded that for Christ, it was a joy to endure the cross – Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It was through a life of steadfast righteousness that our King attained his joy and dominion. Can we also conclude that we can share His experiences by that same means? May you be blessed and filled with joy in the knowledge and reality that Jesus Christ loves you and has filled you with His joy in order that we may love Him and others until we are reunited with Him. Let that be your joy!

Whose birthday is it really?

2010-12-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

As we rapidly get deeper and deeper into the Christmas season, many of our actions are guided by plans to be with family and the presents we will get them. If your family is anything like mine was growing up, the greatest day of my life was Christmas morning with bundles and bundles of presents all with my name on them. It's funny now because many of those things I received are gone or forgotten about. Our culture has done such a great job of marketing Christmas as a time for merchandise and materialism making it even harder to remember why the celebration of this day even happened in the first place. As we sit with our families on Christmas morning looking at the tree surrounded by all the boxes with our names on them, is there a present for Jesus?? After all is it not HIS birthday that we are celebrating??? How would it look if at your birthday party everyone brought gifts for everyone else but you?

Christ said in Matthew 25, "... that whenever we give to the least we are giving to Him." We want to encourage you to give this Christmas, but give to whom the celebration belongs. If we totaled up all of our expenses for Christmas, what a difference we make in peoples lives. So, the challenge has been issued give gifts to Jesus this Christmas after all it is HIs birthday.

Suggested ideas if you can't think of anything on your own
*www.charitywater.org/
*www.aglimmerofhope.org
*www.hopeinternational.org
* www.worldvision.org

Answering the hard ones

2010-11-29T13:02:00.000-08:00

Sometimes as Christians we are asked or presented with tough questions about our faith and how it all works. When we are confronted with these situations 1 of 3 things happens; we either give an answer grounded in Scripture, we make something up that sounds good to us and mark it as truth, or we just plain admit we don't know. If you are anything like myself you may doubt some things when asked a tough question, but instead of letting ourselves be beaten down by our lack of knowledge we must seize it as an opportunity to pursue the Lord in a way that we may have never done before. If we claim to love and follow Jesus then we hold what He has said to be true, and it is true. That is why as it says in 1 Peter 3, "... be ready to give a reason for the hope you have in you." We have to be prepared to give not just good answers, but true answers to those who wonder about why we submit our lives to someone we cannot even see. Being able to answer tough questions such as, 'why does God allow bad things to happen', 'how old is the earth', 'do we become angels after we die' can a lot of times be so crucial to our growth and believe in Jesus. The more we pursue him with our mind, and not just with our heart, the closer we can draw to him. So, if you are faced with a question that you don't know the answer to, pursue the Truth; take it to Scripture, outside reliable sources, or people who you know have been trained in the Word of God. Also, as we pursue answers don't take what you want to be true and make it work with scripture, Make Scripture what is True to you. These anwers seem hard and take effort to pursue, but it will be worth it.

World Religions

2010-11-01T22:46:00.001-07:00

I have often been asked the question of what to make of the different religions of the world in light of the truth of Christianity. It would seem that if we believe salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone, then we are arrogantly claiming that we are “right” and all other faiths are “wrong”. In fact, it is this issue that turns many seekers off to Christianity. If there are so many people in the world with so many different systems of belief, how can there be ONE way? How can Christianity claim to have the corner on the market when it comes to truth of salvation?

This tough question leads many to what I like to call the “mountaintop” view. This view puts the faith journey in terms of a mountain. “God” is at the top. However there are many different roads that lead to the top. Christianity might be one while Hinduism or Buddhism might be another. Really, as long as your road gets you to the top, it doesn’t really matter which one you take. You go ahead and believe whatever works for you. This is a nice thought. Tolerance is, after all, a good thing. It really would be nice if this analogy worked. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. Not in any way. In fact, I highly doubt that there is any serious follower of a mainstream faith that would concede to this model of viewing world religions.

What’s the problem? All people have an internal sense that something is not right with the world. We seek reconciliation and peace from the evil that we see in ourselves and in the world around us. In some way or another, this is the root goal of all religions and philosophies. However, not all religions agree on what is on top of the mountain. For Christians, the top of our mountain is a God who loves us and desires to know us personally. For Muslims, the God at the top of the mountain seems similar to ours, but is one who is inaccessible in the personal sense that our faith teaches. In reality, the Christian and Muslim Gods are very different. If you are Hindu, not one god is atop the mountain but hundreds. Only by conquering the cycle of reincarnation can one achieve oneness with Brahman. For Buddhists, there is nothing on top of the mountain. By controlling one’s Karma, one can break the cyclical reincarnation and achieve Moksha, or final release from the suffering of life. For secular humanism, the top of the mountain is reaching personal completion and fulfillment through ethics, philosophy, and introspection.

Obviously, these belief systems cannot all be leading to the same place, as they all disagree on the place they are leading to. So what sets Christianity apart as truth? As Christians, we are not saying that there is no value in other faiths. In fact, there is much value in the teachings of other religions. All espouse ethical living and personal betterment. However, Christianity does claim to have the monopoly on truth when it comes to salvation. This is because of all the religions and belief systems on earth Christianity makes a unique claim. Other religions say to “do this” or “follow this” rule or teaching and you will achieve salvation or completion or release. Only Christianity says to TRUST in the One who has already done it for us. This is a claim unlike any other! Our God doesn’t ask us to find A WAY through learning or rules. He claims that He Himself is THE WAY: John 14:6, and that salvation is of Him alone: Ephesians 2:8-9.

So is it arrogant or boastful of us to claim that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation? Many think so. However, if I were to tell you that 2+2=4, and that it could only ever equal 4, you wouldn’t say I was being arrogant. And why not? Because it is true. And the same is true with our faith. It is not arrogant for us to claim to be true what we in fact know to be true. So therefore we should be all the more motivated to speak the truth in love to others about the grace of God available through Jesus Christ. We don’t claim other faiths and beliefs to be of no value, but we also don’t shy away from the truth of salvation as revealed to us in God’s Word.

Share the News

2010-10-25T08:14:00.001-07:00

Every time something great happens in our lives it seems like we can never wait to share that excitement with others. Unfortunately we never seem to feel the same way about the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Paul clearly shows his feelings about this in his letter to the church in Rome. "I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to anyone who believes" Paul's excitement and passion about this truth drove him to devote his entire life to sharing it and equipping others to do the same.

Its then interesting to look at our lives and see how little the gospel drives our conversations and interactions with people. In fact many times we are 'ashamed of the gospel' maybe not in what we say, but in we don't say to others. If we truly believed this message of Jesus Christ was the greatest news ever (which it is), than we would not be able to contain it with anyone. Just in the same way if you won a game in the closing seconds, got a promotion at work, or even won the lottery we should not be able to hold in the great news that God has for us and others. The prophet Jeremiah writes of the LORD "But if I say, I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name, then in my heart becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in , and in fact I cannot endure it."

As believers in Christ we are called to share the message of salvation with our words and our lives. It should be something that we can't contain or hold back from doing. We must change our mindset of fear to one of power and victory, because every time we proclaim the name of Jesus to others it is a WIN! Regardless of others response to the gospel we are sonly called to share it and the Holy Spirit takes it from there. Imagine if no one had every shared this great message with you......

Faith and Science

2010-10-19T06:54:00.001-07:00

There is a debate going on out there that leads us to believe there is no middle ground between God and Science. There's a small percentage of Christians who loudly say that we must stay away from science because it contradicts our faith in every way. Likewise a small percentage of scientists say that having faith in God or religion is the most foolish thing a person could do as their is no proof and therefore can be no God. As is true with most debates, we tend to only hear the people who talk the loudest, and thus we are boxed in to thinking that there are these two distinct and unyielding viewpoints. However the truth is that there is a lot of common ground between faith and science. And more than just common ground, faith and science actually go hand in hand.

First of all, there is faith in science. The ultimate question here is: If there is no God, why is there something instead of nothing? In other words, why does anything exist at all? You either believe A). Nothing create something, or B). Something (God) created something. Now which seems more likely? Of course it seems unlikely that all of this creation came from nothing. However neither viewpoint can be effectively proven, so to believe either it takes an equal amount of faith--just in the opposite direction. Therefore it takes just as much faith, if not more, to say, as many scientists do, that there is no God than to say there is a God.

Secondly, there is science in Faith. Look at the creation story: what do we see here? Order. Intent. Detail. Causes, Effects. And what is science if not the study of the mathematical order and details that govern the world? Science is the study of discovering the underlying details that God put into His creation. It’s like the art critic who uses technology to study the brush strokes beneath the famous painting to discover if it is real or a fake. Science reveals to us the nature of God.

What do we learn about God from science? God loves order, not chaos. He loves laws, moral and physical. He loves beauty. He loves details—details even so small that we will never discover. Dr. Francis Collins, leading geneticist and head researcher on the famous Human Genome Project recalls the moment at which his team fully mapped out the thousands of letters of code which make up human genes. His Christian faith was strengthened by seeing a complex code written into the genetic makeup of each human being. In fact, he writes that he was led to worship by this discovery of unique detail.

Further, scientific discovery reveals that God is a huge god. Our ability to measure the universe is always growing. We can now see smaller and smaller things while at the same time see further out into the universe than ever before. And what we keep finding is that the laws and mathematics that we know govern our world are just as consistent at the atomic level as they are in deep space. What an amazing God whose creation is more vast, detailed, and beautiful than we can ever know yet at the same time so orderly and systematic. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands" Psalm 19:1.

God not only created this immensely complex universe, but He is actively involved in it. Colossians 1:17 says that "He is before all things and in Him all things hold together." God did not just light the match at creation and then let it all go. No, He continues to hold the universe together through His Son. Therefore the very fact that we continue to exist is a testament to His power! And how powerful is God? Take an amazing story found in Joshua 10 as an example. Here God literally stops the sun and moon in the sky to allow the Israelites more daylight to pursue their enemies. Think about that power!

God's power to create and hold together such complex systems from atoms all the way to black holes is terrifying. He is huge, intensely powerful, ultimately intelligent, and completely...GOOD.

So, like studying the painting reveals truth about the artist, studying science reveals truth about God. Romans 1:20 says that His creation will reveal His nature and character. We can certainly see this when we stand in the mountains or on the beach at night. Yet we can also see this when we sit in a science class and learn about biology. So rather than thinking that science takes away from faith, think about how science adds to faith. Study science. Learn about evolution. Learn about chemistry. Go outside and marvel at the things he has created. Discover your God in His creation and be led to worship. Because Colossians also tells us that "all things were created through Him and for Him". The "Him" being Jesus. So this whole universe was created by Him and exists to testify for Him about who He is and what He has done. And what He has done is die for us so that we can be with Him eternally. it all comes full circle. And if that is not a reason for worship, than I don't know what is.

Knowledge Vs. Love

2010-10-08T08:28:00.001-07:00

With all of the deep spiritual topics we have covered this semester (scroll down if you need a refresher), we want to take a moment to process, think, and refocus. We cannot place a great enough emphasis on the importance of loving Jesus personally. There is no greater blessing than to grow in one’s relationship with the Lord. Ultimately, we are created for relationship with the Father. Knowing and loving the Lord intimately can bring great peace in times of stress and disorder. A love for the Father is lived out in obedience to the Father. His Word says: “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." John 14:21

I often reflect when friends of mine will discuss the lives of professional athletes, actors, politicians, and other celebrities. If I didn’t know better, I could be convinced that my friends personally know the celebrities they speak of. After all, they seem to know the day-to-day details of these celebrities’ lives. It may be that they can rattle off very specific stats: the start of their career, best movies, clothing lines, pre-game rituals – the whole nine yards. But the fact of the matter is this- none of my friends have actually come into contact with any of these celebrities. They have merely heard stories about these individuals. They have read gossip magazines, heard sports’ commentators, listened to the opinions of others, but they do not truly know these people they speak about.

How many of us can say that about our relationship with Christ? Many of us have read about God. Many of us have heard about God. We’ve even heard others’ opinions about who God is. But do we know Him and truly love Him? We all know that there is a huge difference in knowing about someone, and actually knowing someone. What does your relationship with Christ look like? For to have great knowledge about Him, but not know Him is of no benefit.

Do you remember the Pharisees who knew the law, but who were not changed in their hearts? The entire Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapter 4 is specifically Christ addressing these heart matters. Paul puts it this way in his letter to the church at Corinth, chapter 3, verse 1: “If I speak to the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.” Wow! Friends let us remember that all of the knowledge in the world about Christ and who He is and what He did will never amount or compare to the great friendship that we can have with Him. To know him intimately through prayer, reading His Word, fasting, and trusting Him will change the life of one who believes forever.

DId God Create Evil?

2010-10-03T23:04:00.001-07:00

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard the phrase, “If God is a good God how can there be evil in the word?”

It might seem logical that God created evil since he created everything, but when you peel back the onion we see how that cannot be possible. We know from the first chapter of Genesis that 1. God created all things, and 2. God said that all he created was good. What we have to realize is that evil is not a thing, but rather a lack of something or a bad relationship of good things.

For instance guns, bullets, and trigger fingers are not bad things, but when you put them together in a bad relationship (or a lack of its intended purposes) than it can create something evil. So, essentially we as humans either choose to use the good things that God gave us properly, or we can manipulate the good things by misusing them not for good (evil).

So, if it is up to us to choose if we will do good things or not (evil), isn’t that a flaw in God’s ‘perfect’ creation of us? God has made us as perfect beings, and part of that is creating us to make choices. He gives us free will to either choose the things of Him or not. By design he has not made us robots who simply do all that He asks of us; rather He knit us together in such a way where we can choose to obey Him or not, giving us the ability to love him in obedience rather than to just perform in obligation.

God’s desire for us is that we would want to love and obey him, much like parents want the same from their children, in whom they cannot completely control as mindless beings.

When we look through the lens of evil this way we realize that God has not created or made evil, but simply given us the choice to obey Him or not. Through our own decisions and actions we go against the things of God therefore producing ‘evil’.

Is the Bible reliable?

2010-09-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

In our modern day, the influence of the Bible continues to be transforming. To the unsaved it is the ‘sword of the Spirit’ (Eph 6:17), and to the saved is a cleansing, sanctifying, and effective power (John 17:17; 2 Corinthians 3:17, 18; Eph. 5:25-26). The Bible continues to be the only divine basis for law and morality.
– Lewis Chafer

The Bible. The very Word of God. It is described as inerrant, infallible and holy. The Bible is one book comprised of 66 total books. There are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. It was written by more than 40 different authors living over a period of about 1,600 years. Today, there have been over 70.5 billion Bibles printed over the world and it remains at the top of the best seller list every year.

For Christians, the Bible offers saving truth to a fallen world in need of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Let’s specifically look at what the Bible has to say about Jesus as the Messiah.

The Old Testament contains over 60 prophecies specific to the Messiah that are fulfilled and recorded in the New Testament. Isn’t that amazing? One may ask the question, “How do we know that Jesus wasn’t just a great teacher who knew the Old Testament well enough that He specifically set out to fulfill the prophecies of the Messiah?” Well, there are 8 specific prophecies that were out of His direct control (apart from being God Himself). This includes the place of birth (Micah 5:2), time of birth (Daniel 9:25; Genesis 49:10), manner of birth (Isaiah 7:14), betrayal, manner of death (Psalm 22:16), people’s reactions (mocking, spitting, staring, etc.), piercing of His side, and the burial.

So what are the odds of those events happening out of coincidence? – Peter Stoner in Science Speaks (Chicago: Moody Press, 1963) determines the probability of one man fulfilling eight of the prophecies of the Old Testament for the Messiah to be 1 in 10 to the 17th power. – And for one Man to fulfill all prophecies found in the Old Testament, the odds jump to 1 in 10 to the 157th power. The Christian believes that Jesus is the fulfillment of those prophecies

Apart from the Bible, are there accounts of Jesus of Nazareth? Yes there are! What has been said about Jesus and His disciples by those who did not believe in his teachings and claims? There are many writings available that speak of Christ by those who did not receive him. They are beneficial because they are proof of his existence, and they are literature that skeptics to the faith of Jesus may see as nonbiased. Among these hostile references (meaning, not in support of Jesus) is Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian who made these statements in his completed work, “Antiquities of the Jews”–

...convened the judges of the Sanhedrin and brought before them a man named James, the brother of Jesus who was called the Christ, and certain others. He accused them of having transgressed the law and delivered them up to be stoned.
At this time there was a wise man who was called Jesus. And his conduct was good, and [he] was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucified and to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to them three days after his crucifixion and that he was alive;...
-Flavius Josephus

Josephus’ statements, even though he did not believe in Christ’s deity, show support of the gospel and the accounts of the Jesus and his disciples. For the one looking for outside sources of the historical existence of Jesus, they are available. Along with Flavius Josephus there was also Cornelius Tacitus, Plinius Secundus, and Lucian, who were other non-Christ following historians that wrote about the life of Christ and His disciples.

Ultimately, the reader of the Bible should read and decide whether he believes the Bible and accepts its claims. There is a profound amount of evidence in support of the Bible. This evidence in support of the Bible can be found in archaeology, other Historical literatures, the fulfillment of prophecy and Hostile Witnesses (meaning those who didn’t believe in Jesus’ claims of Deity). However, I will stress that is it is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that one could believe the Word, and receive the gift of salvation. So to the Christian this means there’s never a need or greater gain to argue the points of the Bible. Jesus, himself did not argue, but simply shared the Word, and there were many that would not receive his teaching from Him and his followers. We as believers are called to share the gospel with others, and trust the Lord to turn hearts to Him.

Does God Exist?

2010-09-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

"People almost invariably choose their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive" - Blaise Pascal.

What 17th century mathematician Blaise Pascal is hitting on here is very relevant to us today. We will almost always choose our beliefs according to our own preference, not what we deem to be true. This is a very dangerous concept especially when it comes to our faith in God. If we don't truly know that God, and therefore our faith, is real, then it will be very easy for us to cast those beliefs aside when we hit troubled waters in life. It is thus all the more important to realize that we are not walking around blindly believing in things we can't see. There is great evidence for the existence of God. Now, we can't prove that God exists, but we can argue that it is very likely that He does. We will do this in 3 steps.

If you are talking about God being real or not, the first place to start is with creation. By looking around at the world, we see that something had to create it all. This derives from the law of cause and effect. Every cause has an effect. We know our universe is not infinitely old (otherwise it would have run out of energy an infinite amount of time ago). And if it is not infinitely old, then it had to have a beginning. And since the universe is a finite thing, it had to be caused by something that is infinite (finite beings can't create themselves). So this "cause" has to be infinite and powerful enough to create what we see. Some will argue then, that such a cause could be the Big Bang--a powerful event that fits our description so far necessary for creation.

However, is it really possible that this "cause" was a random event? Not likely. Here's why. When we look at the complex gears of a watch, we know that it didn't happen randomly. There was a watchmaker who carefully designed and put it together for the purpose of keeping time. A design implies a designer. When we look at our natural world and see complex designs, it must be true that there was a designer as well. I'm not talking here about snowflake patterns or tree roots. Let's look at the most complex piece of creation: Human Beings. One molecule of human DNA contains as much coded information as can be found in a volume of an encyclopedia. When we see an encyclopedia lying around, we don't assume it came to be randomly. We know that it was written--organized into words, sentences, paragraphs and chapters--all for specific purposes. Likewise, Human DNA determines the physical makeup of a person--every aspect of what they look like and how they function. Simply put, the most complex part of creation comes with an exhaustive instruction manual imprinted on every cell! How can we look at this and think it doesn't warrant a designer?

So where are we? We have an infinite "cause" that is both powerful enough to create, and now, intelligent. But how can we get from here to the God of the Bible? Let's take a look at one more argument called the argument from Moral Law.

If I were to gather a hundred people in a room from all different cultures, continents, languages or even time periods, it would be quite an event. There wouldn't be much we could communicate on or understand about each other. However, if in that gathering, I all of a sudden pulled out a gun and started shooting people, everyone would have the same reaction. There's not one person who wouldn't think that is wrong. Meaning that despite post modern theories of moral relativism, there are certain moral issues that all people agree on. For example, murder of innocents, rape, stealing. Now, we didn't all get together as humans and decide on these things. No they are just imprinted in us. Such a moral code that is universal to us all had to have come from somewhere apart from us--from something that created us and could have put it in us.

So that leaves us with a powerful and infinite cause who is also an intelligent designer and has a moral law. What does that sound a lot like? The only religions on earth with a deity fitting that description are Judaism, Islam, and Christianity--three religions that have remarkably similar origins. Therefore, we have shown that while it is impossible to prove God exists, it is possible to say that it is FAR MORE LIKELY that He does exist than that He doesn't.

Ready To Give A Defense

2010-09-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

This semester during klub we will be taking a look at Christian apologetics. A part of me has always thought that studying apologetics was only for the super intellectual, for those who were having doubts about their faith and needed more concrete answers, or for people who love to debate with people of other faiths. But in preparing for the start of K-Life this year, I have come to a much better understanding of the true purpose of Christian apologetics.

The word apologetics comes from the greek word apologia, which translates into our english word "defense." So who is the subject of the defense when we are talking about apologetics. At first I thought, "I am the one that needs defending. I need to defend myself so that I don't look stupid in front of my Muslim friends when they ask questions about the validity of Jesus. I need to defend myself when my professor teaches that believing in Creation is ignorant." And on and on. But its not about defending myself--that is a purely selfish motive. It's about defending Jesus. I love Him and I will not stand to see others speak incorrectly about Him, His Word, creation, etc. It is my responsibility as His follower to defend Him and therefore the Christian faith. The same way that my heart starts beating fast and I turn into mother bear when I see someone at the playground push my son to the ground, I will come to the defense of my Lord and Savior.

Defending Jesus is part of the way I am called to love Him. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." Deut 6:5 I must be always ready to defend Him when others have incorrect information or sometimes no information at all. There are answers to the hard questions about the Christian faith--and they are intellectually sound answers--I just have to take the time to learn what they are. And that's what we aim to do this semester. So get ready.

"But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you..." 1 Peter 3:15

So be thinking about questions you want answered about the Christian faith. Then email them into us so that we will have the opportunity to address them in an upcoming question and answer session.

Is Christmas Important?

2009-12-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like me, this time of year can get you pretty excited. The buildup to Christmas is unlike any other holiday or season. The minute that Thanksgiving is over, Christmas season officially gets underway. Obnoxiously loud and cheesy Christmas music (Mariah Carey) can now be heard in every store, elevator, and on 86% of all XM Radio stations. Everyone is anticipating that gift they hope to get or searching desperately for that perfect present for someone special. Many of us will visit family that we only see once a year, students will get a break from school, and people in Texas will drastically overreact to any signs of ice and snow. And before all of this is finished, the average consumer will have spent over $900 to make it all happen.

Now, it is typical this time of year for us to be reminded by pastors, parents, and the occasional tv show that there is a "reason for the season" other than rabid consumerism. Of course we know the true purpose of Christmas is to celebrate Jesus' birth to a virgin Mary. Many of our families will at some point take time to read the Christmas story in Luke or maybe even just that illustrated children's book we enjoyed so much as kids. But besides the obvious answer--so He could die for our sins--just what IS so significant about Jesus' birth?

We are all very familiar with the Christmas story found in Luke 2. But maybe we are too familiar with the words of this story. I believe we have heard and read this passage so many times that whether we know it or not, we practically have it memorized. We are desensitized to the awesomeness of what Jesus did in being born a human. That's right, I said what Jesus did. We focus intently on what Jesus did in His life and on the Cross--and rightfully so! But let's not forget what Jesus did in coming to earth in the first place.

Now we might not even think there is anything so significant about Jesus being born as a baby. It's just such a cute story isn't it? You've got precious baby Jesus being licked by a bunch of barnyard animals while shepherds and some weird kings from somewhere give gifts that are really hard to spell. So let's move away from the traditional account and listen to what the apostle Paul has to say about the same event.

There is an incredible Christological passage found in the 2nd chapter of Philippians that has always helped me to focus on the miracle of Christmas. Paul, talking about Jesus, says this:

Who, being in very nature God,
Did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
But made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
Being made in human likeness.

Essentially, Jesus who was Himself literally God didn't think twice about giving up that power and privilege. Instead He willingly became nothing--a slave. This is the miracle and mystery of Jesus' birth. Never let yourself think that Christ taking on flesh was a trivial thing! He gave up everything to become nothing--a human. A more accurate translation would be that He "emptied Himself".

So when we read the Christmas story, it is more than just the tale of a cute baby Jesus in a manger. It is the story of the Son of God who set aside His position at the Father's side and stripped Himself of everything to become nothing more than a bond-servant. This is an incredible amount to give up, and yet Jesus didn't hesitate to do it. Because He knew that there would be a second half to Paul's Philippians passage--a second half that would give us hope:

And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself and became obedient to death--
Even death on a Cross