Go Ahead. Ask Anything.

The “top 10 questions” have been explored. Now, Pastor Jim Lyon discusses some of the other questions from the “top twenty” on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. Here’s a look at the complete “top twenty” questions:

1.    What does the Bible says about homosexuality and lesbianism? Should homosexuals attend church and are they Christians?

2.    How can the average Christian tell the difference between passages in the Bible that should be interpreted literally (“thou shalt not kill”) and those that are metaphorical (“if your right eye offends you, cut it out”) and those that are contextual (“women should have long, straight hair”)? What do we do when Bible passages that have been thought to be literal for several years may in fact be contextual or metaphorical?

3.    What are the similarities and differences between Christians and Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, Jews, etc.?

4.    Can you lose your salvation—is it possible to be saved once and then lose it?

5.    Some people say they are able to hear the actual voice of God speaking to them. Is this possible? Also, if you are praying for an answer, how do you know if it is the Lord and not something that you are subconsciously making up? And, can Satan answer and give you the wrong answer?

6.    If God knows what I am going to do before I do it, how can I have free will? Isn’t my life pre-ordained?

7.    What happens when we die in Christ? Where do we go? Do we go immediately to Heaven or do we wait “in the ground” until Jesus returns?

8.    Given the damage that Satan causes through the use of sexual temptation, why is the church so reluctant to preach about strategies to avoid lust, premarital sex, and internet pornography?

9.    Does God decide who get hurt, who lives a good life, who is homeless, who dies of sickness?

10.    How should Christians respond to the problem of illegal immigration?

11.    Where do the dinosaurs fit into the Bible?

12.    How do you find your passion/purpose in life?

13.    What does it mean for me, as a husband, to be the spiritual leader in my household? What does being the spiritual leader at home look like?

14.    What does the Bible say about women in church leadership?

15.    What is our church doing to promote racial reconciliation on the local level? How can we promote a reconciliatory climate through all layers of our church body to help unify our community? What is our church doing to promote racial reconciliation on the local level? How can we promote a reconciliatory climate through all layers of our church body to help unify our community?

16.    Why didn’t God take care of Satan back in the beginning, when he tried to overthrow God and was cast out of heaven? Why didn’t God put Satan and his followers into hell then?

17.    Who decides what scripture passages make it into the Bible and why? Are we comfortable with the 66 books we have now even though several texts were removed (like The Shepard of Hermas and Clement) while others have been included (Paul’s epistles and 2 Peter)? What about the Apocrypha?

18.    What is a Christian response to the war in Iraq, or just war in general? What is Madison Park doing about it?

19.    Why are the Jews God’s chosen people, and then they do not believe in Jesus at the Messiah?

20.    What is the difference in the soul and the spirit?