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Q. “What are the top five most influential books that have shaped your faith and ministry?”
A. The five most influential books that have shaped my faith and ministry are listed below. I limited the list to non-fiction works. But my faith and ministry has also been shaped by several pieces of quality fiction. I cannot resist naming a few of those as well: J....
read moreQ. “What is the most loving way for Christians to address someone identifying as transgender?”
Let me approach answering this question from two angles. Angle #1 concerns my approach to entering a relationship with someone openly identifying as transgender. Upon introduction, I am comfortable using whatever name or pronouns the person gives me. My comfort level springs from two primary sources: 1) the gospel of reconciliation and 2) the name-changing grace of God.
read moreQ. What is The Hallows Church’s stance on baptism as it relates to salvation?
A. We love celebrating baptism in The Hallows Church! Each time we do so, we declare that salvation comes by grace through faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. In college, I learned that verbs have voices. Usually, a verb’s voice is either active or...
read moreQ. “How can a dating couple honor God in their relationship?”
A. Dating provides a wonderful--albeit, at times, challenging--opportunity for two disciples to honor God in their relationship. Although there are many ways a couple might do so, let me offer three specific ways for your consideration. One, date on purpose with...
read moreQ. “Is cussing or swearing a sin? How do I respond to a Christian who doesn’t see a problem with it?”
A. The gospel of God’s self-giving love draws us out of our selves so we may give ourselves in love to others. As followers of Jesus, we assume an other-oriented posture. Although we do not live to please people, we do live to love them. One of the more practical and powerful ways we show love to others is through our use of words.
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