Communion with Kids

What is communion?

That is a great question and one that we should be ready to explain to our kids when they ask. Here is the most clear passage to use with your children:

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

The disciples (now us) were commanded by Jesus Christ to continue to do this so we would remember what He did for us. The symbolism and taking of the elements (bread/wine) allows us to proclaim the gospel, good news of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, until he returns. While explaining the symbolism may be way beyond their grasp right now, it is good for them to know what the symbols stand for.

Who can take communion?

Believers in Christ. Those who have professed a faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why do we do it?

1. To honor what Christ has done for us in His sacrifice on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

2. To reflect and examine our own hearts and confess our sins to God.

3. It helps us to stay intimately connected to Christ and remember what he has done for us.

Here’s a video for older kids...

And some for younger kids, too...

Sometimes It Feels Like My Faith Is Slipping Away--How Do I Handle Doubts about What I believe?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter fifteen of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

Sometimes It Feels Like My Faith Is Slipping Away--How Do I Handle Doubts about What I believe? (Chapter 15)

We have finally made it to the final chapter of the book. It has been a great journey that has hopefully encouraged you and had you dig deeper into what answers we have as Christians for many of the skeptics and doubters in our world. While I do believe that there are answers to the questions all skeptics have, I also know that for many skeptics this will not be enough. The Bible makes it clear that not everyone will come to know the truth, which is a sobering thought, and that some will continue in their sin and hard hearts. However, the Bible also says that we are to go out and make disciples of all nations, which means that those who have ears to hear will come to Christ. 

This final chapter talks about doubt. Many people who have backslid or fallen away from their faith, often cite unanswerable questions and doubts as the reason for leaving Christianity. I would answer that having doubts is not always a bad thing. Having questions about what you believe and what the Bible teaches about that topic or area of life is a very healthy attitude to have. How often in the Psalms did David and others cry out to God for answers?

Kruger includes many examples of hero’s of the faith who had doubts. One of my favorite preachers, Charles Spurgeon, was quoted at length about his doubts.

“On a sudden, the thought crossed my mind--which I abhorred but could not conquer--that there was no God, no Christ, no Heaven, no hell, that my prayers were but a farce, and that I might as well have whistled to the winds or spoken to the howling waves.”

Spurgeon struggled with his faith and like many Christians had questions about what he held so tightly. We often think as Christians that we are not “good” if we have doubts, or that Jesus is going to cast us away for not being 100% all out for him all the time. However, we must be reminded that Jesus knows us intimately, he knows everything about us, and he knows what it is like to struggle as the God man. Hebrews 4:15 says,

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

He understands our fears and our doubts, and tells us to come to Him.

However, “doubt is not the same as unbelief.” We often equate the two and believe that any doubt we have must mean that we are not believers. However, that is far from the case. Often doubts can lead us to diving deeper into our faith and what we believe. A few years ago I took a deep dive into how we got the Bible, which led me into the area of New Testament Textual Criticism. This led me further into a greater understanding and profound love for how God has preserved his word for us today.

A final thought I would like to share comes from an important section halfway through this chapter. It relates to my last observation about studying the Christian faith deeply. If you truly want to have a firmer foundation, there is nothing better you can do then study the Bible, God’s word. Kruger makes the point, “good theology matters. A believer with a solid theological foundation is able to handle these difficult questions better than a person who has a shallow understanding of the Christian faith.” I would encourage everyone who reads this post or this book to seriously consider how much time and effort you put into knowing the faith. The more you know God through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, the stronger you will be in your faith. 

In Christ, 

Billy

Some Parts of the Bible Seem Morally Troubling--How Can a Book Be from God If It Advocates Oppression or Genocide?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter fourteen of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

Some Parts of the Bible Seem Morally Troubling--How Can a Book Be from God If It Advocates Oppression or Genocide? (Chapter 14)

This chapter by Michael Kruger focuses on the recent trend within our culture to attack the Bible based on moral grounds. While this seems a bit odd to most Christians living today, it is an argument that continues to gain ground, and leave many Christians wondering how we are to defend against these attacks. If we truly believe that the Bible is the Word of God, given through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and is true in all that it says; then we must be willing to defend all that it says with coherent and logical arguments. 

Three issues that Kruger focuses in on are “that the Bible condones slavery, oppresses women, and advocates genocide.” Besides the past of Christians who owned slaves in the American South and in other parts of the world, there are verses that seem to condone the idea of slavery such as Ephesians 6:

5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

How would you as a Christian defend this passage by Paul to the Ephesian church? Could you help to give people an understanding of the cultural context and what exactly Paul is talking about? Thankfully, we have had scholars throughout the years that have dedicated themselves to giving Christians resources to help with this very question. 

First of all, the type of slavery that Paul is talking about is very different from that of the American South. For instance, slaves were often paid, managed property, became educated, and did so voluntarily for a limited time. However, Kruger rightly points out, “this doesn’t mean that Paul is commending this first-century version of slavery….he encouraged slaves to gain their freedom if they can (1 Cor. 7:21)....he was just trying to give his reading advice on how to navigate the world in which they found themselves.” The Book of Philemon even talks about a slave and master relationship that was radically changed as Onesimus became a Christ follower, now a brother in Christ to Philemon. 

The second issue that is talked about is women in the Bible and their treatment. While the Bible does mention some situations and historical accounts of women being mistreated, that is not the standard that God has set, and is instead the results of a fallen world. In citing the creation account, Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” God created man and woman to be fundamentally valuable in worth and dignity because they are made in His image and likeness. There is no indication that men or women are worth more in God’s eyes, and that honestly is all that matters. While our roles and functions may be different our value is the same. 

Also, throughout the Bible there are numerous women who are commended for their work in God’s plan. Kruger cites Phoebe and Priscilla, both who were active in supporting the ministry of the early church and even supplying homes for the early church to meet in. Also, the Bible is supportive of women in its references to sexual fidelity. Kruger wrote, “Paul also pushes back against the sexual freedom of the Greco-Roman world by insisting that sexual fidelity in marriage applies to both men and women (1 Cor. 6:12-20).” Both men and women were to be treated with the utmost respect and care, no matter what the society claimed was acceptable.

Finally, the issue of Genocide is discussed. The most common example that is brought forth is the killing of the Canaanites. I think Michael Kruger does a wonderful job of framing this account in proper theological terms. We often look at an event and only see the perspective of what we have experienced or understand. However, if we are to look at events in a biblical perspective it will help us to think through what God is doing. What if God used his chosen people to be an instrument of his judgement on the people of Canaan? What if we believe every human being was under the wrath of God and deserved to be judged? Kruger wrote, “In the end, the objection against the Canaanite conquest is really just a general objection against God judging anyone at all.” A loving God, a Just God, a perfect God, must judge sin. That is the God of the Bible. 

If you object to what the Bible says about morality and how God has worked through people in history, you are left with creating your own morality. This is exactly what people without a biblical worldview do. Kruger ends the chapter with the following idea:

“Needless to say, the irony here is thick. Skeptics are appealing to a moral standard in order to object to the God of the Bible. But they need the God of the Bible in order to have a coherent moral standard in the first place. In effect, they are sawing off the branch they are sitting on.”

In Christ, 

Billy

My Professor Says That Books Were Left Out of Our Bibles--Can We Be Sure We Have the Right Ones?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter thirteen of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

My Professor Says That Books Were Left Out of Our Bibles--Can We Be Sure We Have the Right Ones? (Chapter 13)

This chapter of the book is focused on the burning questions that may come up on a college campus as to whether we have the right books of the Bible. Who put the Bible together? What if we have the wrong books? Are there other books that are missing? The books that are labeled today as the Apocrypha are those books that don't have the historical credentials, lack eyewitnesses, and are often much later in date. 

Michael Kruger talks about the origins of the Gospel of Thomas, a favorite of many people who want to discredit the current biblical canon. However, much of what is included would sound more like a self-help preacher today then the actual word of God, for instance, “Know yourselves; then you will become known.” 

The New Testament canon and that of the Bible has much better origins than what many scholars have led people to believe. By the end of, or during the 2nd Century, a core group of Books were accepted in the New Testament canon. Only a few “disputed books--typically James, 2 Peter, 2-3 John, and Jude” seem to have taken longer to accept. However, we know from other sources, and second century church fathers like Irenaeus and Clement of Alexandria, plus the Muratorian Fragment that lists of canonical books were being compiled. 

Further evidence is provided by Michael Kruger, for instance, he speaks Papias the Bishop of Hierapolis who seems to have accepted many new testament books in the early 2nd Century. Papias had Mark, Matthew, 1 Peter, 1 John, Revelation, “and maybe even some of Paul’s epistles” in the canon. This is impressive since most scholars today in secular universities will tell you that it was essentially free for all in the early years of Christianity. That it was only a bishop in the 4th century that came up with this list. 

Finally, we have internal evidence that the Bible and other Scriptures were being written, even by the Apostles. 2 Peter 3:15b-16 states, “just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.” Peter is speaking about the writings of Paul and how some of them can be difficult to understand. This shows that even during the writing of the letter of 2 Peter, the author was aware that Paul had been writing letters to churches as well. But even further than that, it was clear that those letters were thought of as graphe or Scripture. 

This chapter continues to show that while many will say that Christianity and the Bible are just things to take on nothing but faith. Our faith is a part of real history, real people, real writings and events. We cannot disconnect our faith from the history that God is working in and through. Instead we can marvel at how God has been preserving his people, his Word, and his plan from start to finish. 

In Christ,

Billy

For further information watch this YouTube clip: https://youtu.be/vVbYNmKj_Zk 

I’m Being Told That Ancient Scribes Changed the Words of the New Testament Thousands of Times--Is That True?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter twelve of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

I’m Being Told That Ancient Scribes Changed the Words of the New Testament Thousands of Times--Is That True? (Chapter 12)

“The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no one dreams of questioning” 

F. F. Bruce

Michael Kruger begins this chapter by focusing on an argument he heard in college from his professor that he had never heard before. How unnerving it can be when we first hear a challenge to the faith that we had not considered yet? Doesn’t it cause us to doubt and wonder if maybe what we are believing in is a lie? Maybe we are not as solid in our faith or understanding? Kruger goes on to show how we can trust the witness we have through the thousands of manuscripts we have in our possession today.

One side of the debate comes from a New Testament Scholar and Textual Critic, Bart Ehrman. Ehrman is one of the foremost scholars on the New Testament manuscripts that we do have of the Bible. Ehrman is quoted as saying, “we don’t really have any book of the New Testament. All we have are copies of those books. In fact, we have only copies of copies of copies of copies,” and “that there were between two hundred thousand and four hundred thousand differences--what are called textual variants” With this mountain of evidence against the reliability of the New Testament, and the entire Bible for that matter, how can we trust that what we carry around or are on our phones is really God’s word? 

Well, there are always two sides, or more, to every piece of evidence. We all understand that the evidence we have for the New Testament is deep and wide. The manuscripts we have date back to around the 2nd Century. Also, if we think about how books were made, written by scribes by hand, we can understand that at some point spelling or word order may have been affected in some manuscripts. However, that does not mean we do not have enough evidence to have a certainty of what God wanted us to know. For instance, a common mistake in manuscripts is word order, “the use of the word, ‘the’ (the article with proper nouns in Greek does not affect the meaning).” 

Now, there are two significant textual variants that often take people by surprise and may cause some to feel uneasy. The passages are John 8 and Mark 16. Both of these passages have a speckled tradition in the manuscripts and are often not found in many or even in the earliest manuscripts. Therefore, we have to look at the data we have, which is a lot, and determine if these readings are original. Part of the issue is that for many people these texts have been a part of the Christian tradition for years, and so to remove them, or put them in the footnotes, would be seen as problematic. However, most English translations do a nice job of putting these passages in italics or making a note that these are probably not original or in the earliest manuscripts. 

In conclusion, we should remember what we know about God when it comes to the Bible. If God is who he says he is and wants us to be in relationship with him and know him better. If he has preserved the words that we are to have, then we should take confidence in all of the evidence and truth he has clearly given us. A final note to add is that in all of the slight variations and differences in the manuscripts,

“Not only are such unresolved variants very rare, but none of them determine a key doctrine or teaching of Scripture. No foundational truth is hanging on a passage with an unresolved variant.” 

What an amazing truth that is!

In Christ, 

Billy

My Professor Keeps Pointing Out Contradictions in the Gospels--Can I Still Trust Them?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter eight of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

My Professor Keeps Pointing Out Contradictions in the Gospels--Can I Still Trust Them? (Chapter 11)

“Now, as a literary historian, I am perfectly convinced that whatever else the Gospels are they are not legends. I have read a great deal of legend and I am quite clear that they are not the same sort of thing.” 

C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock

The Gospels are some of the greatest pieces of literature and history that we have about our Lord Jesus Christ. The Gospels are also some of the most scrutinized texts in all of human history. Michael Kruger wrote, “If you want to undermine Christianity, then you begin with undermining the Gospels. If you lose the Gospels, you lose Jesus. And if you lose Jesus, then there is no Christianity.” This may seem like an overstatement but if you think about it, how would you truly know who Jesus is? What he did? How did he fulfill the laws requirements?

Kruger then spends the remainder of the chapter talking about the dating, authors, reliability, and contradictions in the Gospels. One of the great things about our manuscript tradition is that we have copies of the Gospel accounts from around the time Jesus lived and died. We have evidence that the Gospels were written anywhere from the 50s to the 90s in the first century. Kruger wrote, “that means they were written when people who had witnessed these things were still alive.” We have first hand accounts from people who were around, and since these were written in the time period, many witnesses would have been able to corroborate the accounts. If there were any things written that were false the community would have told people. 

As far as the authors are concerned, historically we would want to have people writing who knew Jesus best, and that would be his closest disciples. Two of the best pieces of evidence that we have that these people (Matthew, Mark, John, etc.) wrote gospels are the Church Fathers and the titles of the Gospels. For instance, Iranaeus born sometime around 120 and dying around 200, gives solid evidence that John the son of Zebedee wrote John. Kruger wrote, “Irenaeus’s primary source for much of his knowledge was his own mentor, Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna. And here’s the amazing thing: Polycarp was mentored by the apostle John himself.” We have a clear line of evidence from John to Iranaeus that the Gospel of John was written by one of Jesus’ own disciples. This provides us some amazing trust in the Gospel and who Jesus is.

Finally, the Gospels sound and include so much evidence of eyewitness testimony. The Gospels include clear language that was used during the time period, and also specific Palestinian places, Jewish names, etc. The names could not have been made up and just inserted into the Gospels, people outside of Jerusalem and Palestine would not have understood the cultural context that well. Kruger makes it clear that “our four canonical Gospels show impressive awareness of the culture and context of the first century--and that is precisely what we would expect if they were written by the people whose names are attached to them.”

We have such a rich evidence of the truth of the Gospels that we need not be afraid when people bring up supposed contradictions. We have real evidence and historical information that prove the Gospel accounts are true. We also, as Christians, have the word confirmed through the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21).

19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

In Christ, 

Billy

Everything I Believe Seems to Hinge on the Truth of the Bible-- How Do We Know It’s Really from God?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter eight of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

Everything I Believe Seems to Hinge on the Truth of the Bible-- How Do We Know It’s Really from God? (Chapter 10)

“The best evidence of the Bible’s being the word of God is to be found between its covers. It proves itself.” 

-Charles Hodge

One of the things that is quite apparent to anyone inside or outside the Christian faith is the necessity and reliance on the Bible as the word of God. It is often the first thing that a non-believer will seek to discredit or have a hard time believing. As Michael Kruger states at the beginning of this chapter, “If the Bible can be undermined, then the entire Christian worldview falls apart.” We are the people of the Book, and we should not be ashamed of any part of what God has revealed to us in His Word. 

One of the unique ideas of the Christian faith is that God has revealed himself personally to people. We are able to know, not completely, but in part, God. God has often been described as transcendent, which is true, but he is also personal and knowable. Kruger states it this way, 

“He is what we might call a personal absolute. To say that he is absolute means that he is transcendent and all-powerful….But he is also personal, meaning that he is not just an impersonal ‘force’ or a ‘power’ but a living being who can, and does, relate to his creation.” 

If God is the creator and sustainer of all things in the universe it would make sense that he could possibly communicate with his creation. If he is that powerful and absolute, there is no reason to believe that he would not be capable of knowable communication. Also, since this God cares about all his creation he will not just take the time to speak to a certain person only, individually, but will instead seek to communicate clearly to all people. What is the best way throughout history to be able to clearly communicate to a person at one time period, and yet make a way for future generations to know? While oral history would work for a while, it leaves much room for adaptation and change, while written history keeps a record so that all can come to it. 

Therefore, God speaking, inspiring people to write down his words, allows for most people during that time and in the future to know who he is. The unity and clarity of the Scriptures as written are a wonderfully self-attesting revelation. A pagan philosopher in the second century, Tatian, converted to Christianity through an encounter with Scripture, 

“I was led to put faith in these [Scriptures] by the unpretending cast of language, the inartificial character of the writers, the foreknowledge displayed of future events, the excellent quality of the precepts.” 

God wants us to know him and how he works. He wants a relationship with his creation. He sent his son Jesus Christ into the world, willingly, to rescue us from our sins and show the ultimate display of love. 

In Christ, 

Billy

I’m Finding It Harder to Believe in Events Like the Resurrection--How Can I Believe in Miracles If I’ve Never Seen One?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter eight of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

I’m Finding It Harder to Believe in Events Like the Resurrection--How Can I Believe in Miracles If I’ve Never Seen One? (Chapter 9)

As we get older the biblical accounts can start to look like fairy tales or “stories” that we were told as young children by our parents. One of the most challenging things is believing in things that we have never experienced before. Miracles in the Bible present just that type of challenge to our rational, humanistic, reasoned, 21st Century understanding of the world. 

When speaking with other people about our faith, that includes many miracles, we must first determine whether they believe that miracles are even possible. If the person whom you are speaking to has a worldview that denies that miracles can happen, all things are explained in some way, then it will be difficult to just rush into a conversation about Jesus doing miracles or rising from the dead. Michael Kruger cites C.S. Lewis and his thoughts on miracles, “Unfortunately, we know the experience against them [miracles] to be uniform only if we know that all the reports of them are false. And we can know all the reports to be false only if we know already that miracles have never occurred. In fact, we are arguing in a circle.”  

Arguing that miracles are not possible can only happen if you have taken the time to debunk them, each one.

But, there is often a more difficult position to come up against, that miracles are just highly improbable. Bart Ehrman for instance wrote that, “Any other scenario [besides a miracle]--no matter how unlikely--is more likely than the one in which a great miracle occurred, since the miracle defies all probability (or else we wouldn’t call it a miracle).” So, if there is an easier, more probable answer for an occurrence, then that is the way that we should view the event. As we have talked about in prior posts it is key to see how a person’s worldview shapes the way they interpret events. For instance, someone who has a naturalistic or atheistic worldview would see the events around them as nothing more than scientifically explainable phenomena. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ could then be explained away in any number of ways that are more probable than him rising from the grave, witnessing to many people, and now being in Heaven. However, for someone to discount that God would raise Jesus from the dead they would have to first prove that God does not exist. But, if they cannot do that, then the basis for claiming that the Resurrection or any miracle cannot happen is debunked. 

Given a Christian, theistic worldview, it is easier to assume that miracles are probable. If there is a God who is in control of all things (Eph 1:11), created all things (Gen 1:1), cares about all things (Luke 12:6-7), and is active in his creation (Col 1:16-17); it would be assumed that miracles are possible. We have an astounding amount of eyewitness accounts, testimonies, and evidence that the Resurrection is a true account. Two of the best books, besides the Bible, written on the subject are Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ & Sean and Josh McDowell’s Evidence that Demands a Verdict. I would recommend all of those for someone wanting to look at the evidence we do have. 

In Christ, 

Billy

Science Seems Like It Can Explain Everything in the Universe--Do We Really Need to Believe in God?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter eight of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

Science Seems Like It Can Explain Everything in the Universe--Do We Really Need to Believe in God?

One of the biggest challenges on a college campus or in the world today is how the Bible and Christianity fit with what we know about the natural world. It is one that often takes us by surprise if we have never truly thought through and studied what the Bible says about creation, earth, man, nature, etc. 

Are we as Christians just relying on ancient thoughts and writings to explain the scientific world? Are there Christian scientists, and what do they believe about many of these theories that claim that the Bible and science do not work together?

Michael Kruger tackles this subject in chapter 8 of his book, which is primarily written as letters to his daughter, who is majoring in Medicine. Kruger first makes it clear that there is not really a war between science and Christianity. To the contrary, many scientists throughout history and today are using their Christian worldview and what they know about the Bible, side by side with their scientific pursuits. It may surprise you to learn that John Lennox, a math professor at Oxford stated, “over 60 percent of the Nobel Prize winners between 1900 and 2000 identified themselves as Christians.” So, intellectual pursuit and knowledge are not incompatible with a Christian worldview. 

Another point that Kruger brings up in this chapter, which is quite compelling, is the idea that science needs a Christian worldview to function. Kruger writes, “It needs a worldview in which the universe operates in an orderly, predictable, uniform fashion -- what scientists call the uniformity of nature.” The reason it is so important is so that experiments can be done. If the world was random and nothing ever happened with any sort of predictability you could not conduct repeatable experiments that would lead to scientific discoveries. It is a wonderful and amazing truth that our universe operates with a certain framework. 

Also, it is made clear by Kruger, and rightly so, that just because there is disagreement with a scientific theory does not mean that all science is “bad” or “wrong”. For instance, Kruger cites Richard Dawkins a famous atheist, “It is absolutely safe to say that if you meet somebody who claims not to believe in evolution, that person is ignorant, stupid or insane.” While it may be true that many in the scientific community take evolution as fact, there still remains many who do not, some of which are not even Christians. Without going onto a lengthy doctoral thesis about evolution, there are some things that have not been proven without a discussion. For instance, Kruger mentions “origins of the first living cell, how order can increase in the face of the second law of thermodynamics and the systemic gaps in the fossil record.”

Therefore, science and a biblical worldview are not at war with one another. Instead there are certain theories and ideas that lead to worthwhile discussion and debate. Kruger ends this chapter with dipping into the inter-faith debate many Christians have about the Book of Genesis, and its opening chapters about creation. While I believe that the early chapters are giving us a historical account, meant to be interpreted that way, I know many of my brothers and sisters in Christ would push back on my interpretation. However, I think we can all agree that the opening chapters and even verse should have a bearing on our understanding of science:

  “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

In Christ, 

Billy

There Is So Much Suffering in the World--How Could a Good God Allow Such Evil?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter seven of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

There Is So Much Suffering in the World--How Could a Good God Allow Such Evil?

The question of Evil in the world is one that has been the sticking point for many people either questioning their faith, leaving the faith, or never embracing the Christian faith. If we serve a God who is ultimately good and the standard for good, how could that deity allow suffering, evil, and pain? Most people outside the faith would claim that such a being could not exist or would not be worth believing in at all. As Kruger wrote, “the ‘problem of evil,’ as it is called, has been used as one of the foremost arguments for atheism.”

Here is the crux of the argument for atheists in general, or any person who is rejecting the God of the Bible. Kruger outlines the issues, and this has been sketched out by many philosophers and theologians throughout history,

1. If God were all-good, then he would want to prevent all evil.

2. If God were all-powerful, then he would be able to prevent all evil.

3. Evil exists.

4. Therefore, an all-good and all-powerful God cannot exist.

So either God is not all powerful or not all good since evil exists. However, this does not tell the whole story. What if perhaps God is all good and all powerful, yet in his creative will has allowed for humans to have a “will.” In that will he has given them the ability to choose, and based on the decisions they make, freely, they can choose to do evil. We know that since the Garden of Eden, where man and woman sinned, we have all inherited a sin nature. Therefore, all human beings since then have the innate desire to choose to do evil or through the redeeming work of God and the Holy Spirit to choose good. So both free good and free evil can occur in the world through the allowance of God.

Now, let’s take those thoughts a bit further down the logical path. What if, for instance, God not only allowed evil to occur, but had a plan for the evil that would occur? A perfect, good, and awesome plan. Therefore, he would not want to stop all evil from happening as it would have a final and beautiful plan. Making it so that people are not just robots and they could freely choose to love or reject God.

Kruger expands on this idea in a succinct and poignant way half-way through the chapter, “Here’s the point: Just because we don’t know all the reasons God has for allowing evil, that doesn’t mean he does not (or could not) have them. And unless the skeptic can prove that God could not possibly have a good reason for allowing evil--which is impossible--then his argument falls apart.””

I will only point to one example, which I think is the most persuasive of the bunch, is why God would allow evil to occur. Let’s look at the life of His son Jesus Christ. Did God allow Jesus to suffer? Did Jesus’ human nature mature and grow through trials? Hebrews 2:10 tells us that Jesus was made “perfect through suffering.” We also know that Jesus faced the daily pressures and temptations of living in this fallen world, while still not succumbing to sin. Kruger ends with this thought which should resonate with anyone who is trying to explain why God would allow suffering for an ultimate purpose or good, even through a terrible event. Kruger wrote, “If God can take the greatest evil in the world (the death of his Son) and use it for good, could he not also do that for all the other evils in the world?”

For me, I trust that no matter what I am going through there is a purpose to it. God is in control and has a perfect plan that he is working out. We are not promised a smooth path, but we are promised that he will never leave us or forsake us, he loves us that much!

In Christ,

Billy

The Concept of Hell Seems Barbaric and Cruel--Wouldn’t a Loving God Save Everyone?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter six of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

The Concept of Hell Seems Barbaric and Cruel--Wouldn’t a Loving God Save Everyone?

It is never long in the Christian faith journey when one of your friends or family members will come up to you and ask, “What sort of a God would create such a place as Hell?” or “Why would He send people there since He is supposedly a God of love?” No matter how many times we can speak about the love of God and that he desires all men to turn, repent, and be saved. The thing that some people throw back at Christians who are faithful to the Bible, is why would you worship or praise a God who created Hell?

Michael Kruger includes some great quotes in this chapter from theologians, skeptics, and pastors alike. One of the fundamental issues with Hell for Christians is their belief about who God is and what he is like. If God is love and loving can he also be just? If he is merciful and kind can he also hate sin? Kruger cites Timothy Keller saying, “If your god never disagrees with you, you might just be worshiping an idealized version of yourself.” Implying that we often create a God that we can be comfortable talking about with others, one that can be molded and shaped to our liking. If we could completely understand God and all of his motivations and plans, wouldn’t that just make us God? 

Kruger goes on to suggest that there are two things that we must do to change our way we think about Hell. One is coming face to face with our Holy and perfect God. Kruger cites great passages like Isaiah 6:1-4 where Isaiah is shown just how awesome, in the real sense of the word, God is, and how unholy he truly is. 

Next, Kruger goes on to state that we must come to grips with who we are, sinners. Kruger writes, “We need to realize that we are much bigger sinners than we could ever imagine...When we compare ourselves to his perfect righteousness, then we begin to understand how far short we fall.” It is not that we are kind of sinners or fall into temptation once and a while, but that we are constantly falling short. 

Now the belief in Hell doesn’t seem so far off if we have a Holy and perfect God who by his very nature must judge sin and in turn sinners. Miroslav Volf, quoted by Kruger, wrote, “If God were not angry at injustice and deception and did not make a final end to violence--that God would not be worthy of worship.” We serve a God who is worthy to worship because he will put an end to all the evil in the world. He will make all things new, Revelation 21:5, all evil will have to stand and be judged before our Holy and perfect God. It would be most unfair and unjust if God never required a day of reckoning for evil and all the injustices that take place in our world. 

Imagine having a worldview that said all of this was just random, people making poor choices, you just happened to be in the wrong place, or that it is all meaningless after you die? What kind of hope would that bring? What kind of joy could you find in the midst of suffering if this is all there is without any true justice?

This fact would be discouraging and awful if it weren’t for the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. But that part is also true, that we have a God who sent his one and only son to live perfectly, die for our sins, rise from the dead, and through him we can have eternal life. That is the God we serve, who through his great mercy and love, even when we were still sinners, made us alive with Christ! (Ephesians 2:4-5)

In Christ, 

Billy

I Have Gay Friends Who Are Kind, Wonderful, and Happy--Are We Sure That Homosexuality Is Really Wrong?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter five of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

I Have Gay Friends Who Are Kind, Wonderful, and Happy--Are We Sure That Homosexuality Is Really Wrong?

One of the challenging topics on college campuses today, quite frankly in life, is the question of homosexuality. Michael Kruger presents the question in a way that focuses not on the emotional side of the equation but what the Bible and logic tells us is happening. One of the challenges is the fact that many people who are in a homosexual lifestyle or identify as LGBTQIA+ is that they are generally nice people. 

Kruger mentions how many people have left their Christian convictions and worldview simply because they have met the most amazing and wonderful person who lives that lifestyle, and “If it’s such a bad thing, they reason, then how could such wonderful people be doing it?” One thing to keep in mind is that all people are made in the image of God and are capable of both good and evil. However, we should not base our entire worldview on the perceived good that we see people exhibit in their lives. Also, on the flip side we cannot condemn those who seem on the outside to only be evil. 

One of the arguments that Kruger addresses is that “people should be able to be with whomever they love.” But does this question and logic follow through? Can we take this logic to its ultimate conclusion? I am sure that you can come up with many combinations that would not be acceptable to people if you dreamed them up. You could use this logic as a way to rationalize any type of sexual behavior that you wanted, and I would argue that people outside of the Christian faith would even see many of them as wrong. But, if you take the logic that we can love whomever we want, then you have to accept what could be the choices of other people who do not share your morals. 

Finally, Kruger addresses those who have attempted to make Christianity and homosexuality compatible. I would argue along the same lines as Kruger that the Bible and the church for 2,000 years has unanimously agreed that the Bible does not teach a union outside of one male and one female. It give specific information about what a marriage covenant is meant to be, that homosexual acts are condemned in both the Old and New Testament, and that judgement falls on people who practice these things. But, and I think this is equally important, in 1 Corinthians 6:11 Paul offers hope to all people caught in any kind of sin, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” There is hope for all sinners to come to Christ, humble themselves, call on Him as Lord of their life and repent. I would encourage all of us to do that and share that good news with everyone. 

I hope you are enjoying the book and have gained some insight into the challenges facing Christians on college campuses. Feel free to reach out with any questions or thoughts. 

In Christ, 

Billy

My Christian Morals Are Viewed as Hateful and Intolerant--Shouldn’t I Be More Loving and Accepting?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter four of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

My Christian Morals Are Viewed as Hateful and Intolerant--Shouldn’t I Be More Loving and Accepting?

Colleges have, at least in the recent decades, not been known as places of high moral character. Not only has the idea of a sexual “hookup” culture been prevalent. But the very way that sexuality is understood has changed. Kruger states, “part is the shift in people’s attitude toward their sexual activity. No longer is sex just something people do, it is viewed as core to who they are.” The identity that many people have taken on is directly linked to their sexual activity or preferences and are “now inextricably intertwined.” Part of the challenge of a Christian on campus is how you will navigate and express your biblical worldview in the face of an accepting campus culture. 

You may feel that your stance, a biblical one, is unloving or even hateful to those that identify in other ways. You may even find yourself doubting whether what the Bible says about sexuality and morality is even correct. Kruger poses two helpful questions, “Is biblical morality really hateful and unloving? And how does one determine what is moral or immoral in the first place?”

Throughout this chapter there are plenty of statements that you can use to think through how morality is determined. For a Christian it comes down to where morality comes from in the first place. One way is that “morals are the product of evolution, then that means they can change over time.” If there is an ever changing standard of right and wrong then over time those things can change. For instance, today it could be seen as evil to steal, however, in the future stealing could be viewed as morally acceptable as long as you don’t get caught or it benefits a greater number of people. However, for the Christian, “the source for moral absolutes has to be an absolutely good, transcendent, personal being...that the only coherent foundation for moral absolutes is God himself.” It is a standard that is outside ourselves. 

So, no matter the topic or concern that is brought up on your campus, it is important to realize that the reason we know anything to be morally right or wrong is because of our perfect creator. A great place to be reminded of some of these ethics is in Matthew chapters 5 through 7 the Sermon on the Mount. 

I hope you are enjoying the book and have gained some insight into the challenges facing Christians on college campuses. Feel free to reach out with any questions or thoughts. 

In Christ, 

Billy

There Are a Lot of Different Views Here--How Can We Say That Christianity Is the Only Right Religion?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter three of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

There Are a Lot of Different Views Here--How Can We Say That Christianity Is the Only Right Religion?

The exclusive nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ and Him being the only way to right relationship with God, has to be one of the most controversial ideas in our world today. Kruger starts this chapter off with a quote from G. K. Chesterton, “Right is right, even if nobody does it. Wrong is wrong even if everybody is wrong about it.” The truth in a fact does not change whether 1 person or 1 billion people believe the truth. It is the truth based on its accuracy and validity. 

College can be a wonderful experience where you are challenged with people from all walks of life and backgrounds. It may sound arrogant to claim that Christianity is the only way. However, it is not based on our own enlightened understanding. Kruger writes, “Our knowledge doesn’t come from our efforts to figure out God but rather is the result of God graciously revealing himself to us. For Christianity, religion is not about humans finding God but about God showing himself to humans.” God has chosen to reveal himself in the Bible, but also in the God-Man Jesus Christ. It is incredible to realize that God, through Christ, humbled himself to come to this world and reveal himself most intimately. Jesus himself said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Can we take Jesus at his word? Can we just proclaim what it is that Jesus has said about himself? It takes a lot of the pressure off of us, since Jesus is the one who said it. 

There is a statement going around recently that goes like this, “Christianity might be your truth, but that doesn’t mean it is my truth.” Have you ever heard anyone claim that before? I am sure that you have in one way or another. This is the idea of RELATIVISM. Where truth does not have a historically reliable, objective sense to it. Instead, it can be molded and shaped by the person you are, your background, your experiences, etc. However, as Kruger points out, “Relativism ends up being self-contradictory. The statement ‘There is no objective truth’ is itself an objective truth claim.” 

So, if you were talking to a friend and they stated that there is no such thing as truth, Frank Turek, a popular Christian apologist, likes to answer people who say there is no such thing as truth; “IS THAT TRUE?” Essentially the argument is self defeating, as it fails to meet the criteria of its own standard. 

I will continue through the book over the summer months, however, I would encourage you to pick up the book and maybe read through parts of it with your family, whether they are headed off to college or not. 

In Christ, 

Billy

My Professors Are Really Smart--Isn’t It More Likely That They’re Right and I’m Wrong?

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter two of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

My Professors Are Really Smart--Isn’t It More Likely That They’re Right and I’m Wrong?

It can be quite intimidating on a college campus. The professors there have been trained, educated, studied, researched, and written their findings for years. How as a young man or woman entering this space can you take confidence in what you know, when you are going to be challenged at every turn?

You may be thinking that if you can just collect enough of the right facts or research that you will be able to prove your point. That if you can just present what you believe in a logical and coherent way everyone will trust and believe you. However, we know that this is not the case when it comes to many of the truths that we believe.

Michael Kruger presents the findings of Thomas Kuhn, who wrote The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, that “people (including your professors) are not neutral. They have a worldview, a paradigm, that shapes everything they see.” Basically, our foundational beliefs and commitments will shape how we look at the details of the things we learn and experience. No one comes to a fact or discovery on neutral ground. When I wake up in the morning, according to my Christian worldview, I appreciate the gift of life knowing that God is the one who has given me another day to live for his glory. If I had a different worldview I could possibly believe that the reason I am alive is due to chemical processes occurring in my body that cause me to get up. It all starts with our fundamental beliefs. 

Another key point by Kruger, just because you may be at a university that is decidedly dominated by a non-Christian worldview, does not mean that you are alone. Many people throughout time have believed what you believe. While it is true that many universities today are dominated by this type of worldview, opposed to Christianity, it does not make their worldview correct. 

Kruger ends with this encouraging thought, “intellectual isolation can make us think that everyone else must be right, especially our professors. But truth is not determined by majority vote.” It may be that you are the minority position on many of the truth claims at your university. However, we have an unchanging standard upon which we must measure all claims of truth, God and his revealed Word. So as Joshua said, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

I will continue through the book over the summer months, however, I would encourage you to pick up the book and maybe read through parts of it with your family, whether they are headed off to college or not. 

In Christ, 

Billy

Being a Christian at a Secular University

Comments from Pastor Billy about chapter one of his summer book recommendation - a great read for high school graduates and their parents!

---

I’m Worried about Being a Christian at a Secular University--How Will I Survive?

Michael Kruger starts off the book with an honest look into how the most daunting questions can cause young men and women (even us older ones) to doubt if they don’t have the answers to those questions. He uses the example of losing an exchange with another student or professor and feeling embarrassed that you don’t have all the right answers. 

His response, “you need to give yourself a break. Most eighteen-year-old Christians are not fully equipped to answer the barrage of complex (and aggressive) questions coming their way, nor is it reasonable to expect them to be.”

How refreshing is that! You don’t have to have all the answers figured out in your head. So you don’t know how to defend the inner workings of the trinity or the exact hour by hour account of creation. At least not right in the second by second exchange with a classmate or professor. You can go and read the Bible, do some research, and think through the parts of the question you were not 1000% sure about. 

Kruger writes about how this opposition to your faith can actually sharpen you, on page 34, “Let all these questions drive you to pursue the answers. Be a reader. Be a studier. Be someone who dives into the deep issues of faith...You can become a resource for others.” 

Meaning, those questions that cause you to think, question, or doubt, can be the very questions that draw you closer to Jesus Christ and deeper in your faith. Then, you can go and share that information with other believers so that all of you are stronger. As we recently talked about in a Staff Meeting about Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, we are all much stronger when we are united together supporting one another in Christ. 

Finally, the first chapter ends with Kruger giving two sound pieces of advice for going off to college or university. 

1. Finding a good local church

2. Finding a good campus ministry to plug into

Both of these will keep you in the company of believers who you can pray, learn, and talk with about your struggles.

I will be going through the book over the summer months, however, I would encourage you to pick up the book and maybe read through parts of it with your family, whether they are headed off to college or not. 

In Christ, 

Billy

Pastor Billy's Book Recommendation for Summer

Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College

For many young adults, the college years are an exciting period of self discovery full of new relationships, new independence, and new experiences. Yet college can also be a time of personal testing and intense questioning— especially for Christian students confronted with various challenges to Christianity and the Bible for the first time.

Drawing on years of experience as a biblical scholar, Michael Kruger addresses common objections to the Christian faith—the exclusivity of Christianity, Christian intolerance, homosexuality, hell, the problem of evil, science, miracles, and the reliability of the Bible.

If you’re a student dealing with doubt or wrestling with objections to Christianity from fellow students and professors alike, this book will equip you to engage secular challenges with intellectual honesty, compassion, and confidence—and ultimately graduate college with your faith intact.

“I can’t imagine a college student—skeptic, doubter, Christian, struggler—who wouldn’t benefit from this book.” —Kevin DeYoung

Family Bible Time (Worship)

Some tips from Pastor Billy…

The Bible clearly presents parents as the leaders of their children’s spiritual lives, until they come to ownership of their faith, and a real personal relationship with Jesus Christ. One of the ways that parents can continue to have spiritual conversations and know that their children are learning the word is by having family worship time. Now that might seem intimidating and something that no one has time for in their busy lives. However, it can be as simple, but just as impactful, as taking 10 minutes out of your day to Read, Pray, and Sing. Keep reading below for more resources, information, books, and encouragement.

Where?

At the kitchen table, living room, in the car or anywhere else your family can have time together.

Time of day? 

I prefer to have family worship time in the morning to start the day, as each member can be thinking about the word throughout the day. I know of some families that do a morning time and an evening time before bed. Also, keep it consistent, everyday, not skipping here and there.

How long? 

I would say that depending on the age of the kids it should be between 5-10 minutes. I know that with younger children it can be next to impossible to have it be longer, but each family also knows their kids and what works best for them. The goal is to make this time enjoyable for everyone, so make sure that it is kept brief.

What do you do?

READ

Have a plan

Older Kids

• New Testament/Old Testament/Specific Book of the Bible

• Encourage outside Bible reading and plans (Bible App?)

• Memorizing Scripture?

Younger kids

• Focus on characters

• Gospel accounts

• Life of Paul

Have each member of the family read (part or all verses)

Ask questions of the text

Have a discussion (topic, worldview, difficulty, etc.)

• Pose questions of the text

• Get the kids to think

• Be willing to say you don’t know and will need to seek more help

PRAY

Each member of your family prays (adult, kids, adult close)

Keep it short and simple

Keep a prayer list (answered and continuing)

Focus on the truths you just read in the Bible and ask God to help make them real in your life

SING

Psalms, Hymns, Current Christian Artists (discretion as always)

Can be during this time or just made a priority in time together

Get kids to see the powerful truths of scripture expressed through song

---

Videos and Articles

Dr. Donald Whitney (Southern Seminary)

---

Recommended Books

Leading and nurturing your family as you seek to glorify God and encourage spiritual growth in your home is both God's command and your privilege. One of the best and most effective ways to do this is through intentional, worshipful, daily family devotions where the truths of God's life-changing Word are openly discussed chapter by chapter.

Gathering together for worship is an indispensable part of your family’s spiritual life. It is a means for God to reveal himself to you and your loved ones in a powerful way.

This practical guide by Donald S. Whitney will prove invaluable to families—with or without children in the home—as they practice God-glorifying, Christ-exalting worship through Bible reading, prayer, and singing. Includes a discussion guide in the back for small groups.