Q: I’m constantly pushed to attend a home Bible study but am resistant because I’ve attended many and they are simply a waste of time. The Bible is never opened; rather, books by famous authors are discussed. I do desire to learn the Bible but just reading it on my own seems futile. Is there…
Q: It is disturbing to watch the plummeting of the culture as it rages one against the other, defying tradition, religion, and basic manners. Is it just me, or do people seem much more self-indulgent than ever before? Has society invented this strange environment or is “me-centered” self-inf…
Rock Springs Church opens new sports complex
The title of the book intrigued me:”Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti”. A bit reductionistic in its content, the title still perfectly described numerous conversations I’ve had with my spouse. I am pretty certain that I could teach a graduate level course on compartmentalizing e…
Q: My wife and I are in a quandary about whether we should retire or keep working. So many of our friends retired early and ended up sitting in doctor’s offices with one health problem after another. Others have retired and enjoyed life more than ever because they had less responsibility. Is…
A group of Liberty University students traveled to Griffin this week to team up with Samaritan’s Purse in their tornado relief efforts. Students are clearing debris, tarping roofs, attempting to salvage any surviving personal belongings and encouraging affected families.
On Monday night, an 11-year-old girl in our community was killed in her sleep by a stray bullet that came through her window. In response, I call our community to prayer — to lament and confession. I offer the following responsive prayer written by Osheta Moore to guide us:
Q: We have more psychiatrists and behavioral specialists available to people than ever before in the history of the world. Yet the emotional roller coaster is out of control. Every friend I have is under the care of these doctors and taking medications they prescribe for depression. What is …
Q: I’ve been in church for many years but there are phrases I hear but never fully understand. What do pastors mean when they preach that our sin is under grace so there’s nothing to worry about? — G.G.
Q: What is the conscience and does it have anything to do with our relationship with God, or is the conscience simply a natural part of the human experience? — G.C.
GRIFFIN — The audience laughed, they cried and they learned as Coach Bill Curry spoke to a packed house at First United Methodist Church on Wednesday.
Q: It is concerning to hear all the murmur that science is the answer to all of man’s problems. Now I am hearing that if something in the Bible cannot be supported by science, it reveals that part of the Bible is not true. There are actually intelligent people who believe this. Are they delu…
GRIFFIN — The Griffin-Spalding Ministerial Alliance held a prayer rally Sunday to thank those who volunteered in the cleanup efforts following the Jan. 12 tornadoes that hit the Griffin-Spalding community.
Q: I grew up in a Christian home and my parents were wonderful believers. They raised me in church and taught me the basics of Christianity, but I am unsure that I’ve been born again. Is this the same as being converted, and do the converted possess righteousness? My parents both recently di…
Traditionally, the season of Lent is a time of reflection, confession and repentance. It is a time to contemplate the idea of conversion and ask ourselves: What needs to be pruned in me in order to make room for the new growth that God desires to bring in my life? Sadly, these concepts of co…
ASBURY, KY — A good, old-fashioned spiritual revival at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, came to an end Feb. 23, after a little over two weeks of non-stop prayer and worship in the college’s chapel.
Q: My daughter’s teacher told her she is suffering from a guilt complex. When my daughter denied this, she boldly asked the teacher if this was really her own problem. I was stunned at my daughter’s boldness, and amazingly, the teacher broke down and sobbed, sharing with her a sense of guilt…
Q: I often hear Christians say that their weapon is the Bible. Is that really a good thing to say about God’s Word, that it is a weapon? Doesn’t the word weapon indicate something bad? — T.S.
Q: Is prayer a necessary part of living the Christian life, or something that certain people are gifted in doing? — P.L.
Q: When Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth died recently, I listened to a speech she gave where she mentioned God’s righteousness. This surprised me. It’s not a word that is popular and is very misunderstood. Does it still have relevance today, and are Christians expected to be righteous? – R.O.
A: Jesus is the righteousness of God. The Bible teaches that when we look into God’s Word, we see what true righteousness is. The Ten Commandments describe the life that pleases God. If we are separated from God by sin, the law exposes our sin and shows us our true spiritual condition. Such a mirror does not reveal a very attractive image!
Sin had to be paid for, so in the beginning God instituted the sacrificial system by which we finally could be brought into a right relationship with God. In Old Testament times, those who had sinned brought sacrifices of animals and offered them to God. This foreshadowed the Great Sacrifice yet to come. What is the significance? It is an atonement for man in regard to his sin. In place of a broken relationship between God and the sinner, atonement results and the sinner is forgiven by God.
The sacrifices were visual aids to show sinners that there was hope because the punishment for sin could be transferred to another. This symbolically demonstrated that God could forgive them in the light of what He would one day do at the cross. Jesus, “after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).
When Jesus preached His Sermon on the Mount, he said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). Salvation in Christ Jesus provides a new self, created in righteousness and holiness.
“So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross / Till my trophies at last I lay down / I will cling to the old rugged cross / And exchange it some day for a crown.”
Q: I read a lot about blending various faiths from around the world and many support a one-world religion. Years ago, this was frightening to some, but now people from all faiths are coming on board as “people of faith.” We’re told that we should concentrate only on the common ground of our …
Q: With the state of the world and the decline in society, I’m ready for this life to be over and wish Heaven would come down and take me away. I’m told this is selfish and unchristian. What can be bad about wanting to go to Heaven? — H.B.
CHICAGO (AP) — At age 103, Sister Jean awakes daily at 5 a.m. She sits up quickly to avoid going to sleep again — "I’ve got too much to do,” she says. After prayers for the day ahead, she reads the Gospel on her tablet.
‘Words from the Rubble’
Q: I didn’t grow up in a Christian home where prayer was taught, but I longed for it when I would visit my friends who experienced this. I’m now married to a Christian man and we have three kids. I want to give them this example but don’t want to cram religion down their throats and turn the…
In the news this week, the Southern Baptist Convention decided to oust Saddleback Church, one of the largest churches in the denomination.
Q: A college course recently required students to read a book about the drama of celebrity, and while it was cele- brated, the book also exposed the deception of celebrities being other than what they claim. It’s been said that people cannot make themselves celebrities; their worshipers do t…
Q: What does God place the greatest value on, people or angels? — P.A.
Q: My school is teaching something called the redistribution of wealth, which will enable everyone to be equal. They say that this is what our Consti-
Q: I am navigating my place in a public school system that is denying me the right to teach truth.
“You may write me down in history / With your bitter, twisted lies, / You may trod me in the very dirt / But still, like dust, I’ll rise.”
GRIFFIN — Retired college football coach and NFL player Bill Curry will be speaking at Griffin First United Methodist Church on March 8.
Q: It’s surprising to see young people fighting for social action and at the same time completely steeped in the pursuit of self-pleasure. It doesn’t seem that these two lifestyles can work together. — S.A.
Q: There are a lot of articles written these days about how the church has forsaken Christ and become worldly. Is this possible and if so, does the Bible speak to this happening? — W.C.
First Presbyterian Church of Griffin will hold its annual “Kirkin’ o’ the Tartans”, an ancient Scottish ceremony, during Sunday’s 11 a.m. service.
Q: My wife and I are of another generation but have a heart for young people who have little guidance and direction. We’re so discouraged to see the rise in suicide and are stunned to see the rising unbelief in God. The younger generations have great faith in the art of communication technol…
Q: I’m going to become a mother for the first time. I’m excited and afraid all at the same time. I want to be sure that I instill in my child the most important aspects of life. I want to believe God will help me do this. — Y.M.
Bezalel and Oholiab are two of my favorite Bible characters. Who? While they performed an extremely important task for the people of Israel, they don’t get much air time in the text.
Q: My friend runs a home for unwed mothers. She wants me to help her but forbids me to share my faith in Jesus Christ as the One who forgives sin. She believes that living out the Gospel is accepting each mother who does not abort her baby and this brings salvation in God’s eyes.
Q: My husband and I divorced when our children were small. Now they’re young teenagers and my husband and I have decided to give our marriage another try. We both were saved recently and are learning things we didn’t know years ago. We’re anxious to make corrections and redo this right. How …
Q: I am a life coach and enjoy my job because I can help people be better than what they think they can be. Are there certain points a Christian counselor can use in helping rebellious people who have opinions that are self-destructive? — L.C.
Q: My teenagers think their mother is quite old-fashioned because of my warnings about pornography. The culture has done a very bad thing by teaching young people that there is nothing wrong with obsessing about sensual images, cleverly changing the meaning of words to take the sting away. — P.P.
Q: It seems people are comfortable talking about religion as long as it doesn’t include the saving grace of Jesus Christ. It seems religion has been rebranded. — R.R.
Since the storms of Jan. 12, members of our community have shared their experiences coping with the tragedy and its aftermath. For some, it was a trauma that they have been reliving repeatedly. They may still experience the sounds and sites whenever they close their eyes. They struggle with …
Q: I am a social worker and a Christian. While I have to follow certain regulations in dealing with people, I want to help them know who can truly help them in their deep moments of depression, which is an epidemic. The world turns to drugs; I pray they will turn to Jesus. — S.W.
Q: I’ve never understood the concept of walking with God. I grew up in church, but it doesn’t make sense to me to walk with someone who is not on Earth. — R.D.
Q: I doubt that COVID-19 will ever go away. It seems it will resurface in various forms. Could this be part of the prediction years ago about chemical warfare? — C.D.
Below: Members of Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church provided 40 families with pizza on Wednesday at Moore Elementary School. The church also supplied those in need with fresh groceries and non-perishable items.
One of the more heartbreaking and touching experiences I had over the past week was a conversation between two neighbors.
Q: What does it mean that Jesus took our place on the cross? — A.S.
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