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Worship

In Bible Study, Blog, Exodus on
August 12, 2024

No Other Gods

If you spent any significant amount of time in Sunday School growing up or you’ve watched the classic DreamWorks animated film, The Prince of Egypt, you are probably familiar with the biblical story of the Ten Plagues. But if it’s been a while since you’ve brushed up on your early biblical history, let me refresh you:

After Joseph, son of Jacob (Israel), rose to power following his enslavement and false imprisonment and became the second-in-command in Egypt, his entire family moved to Egypt to escape the famine ravaging the land (Genesis 45:16-28). The family settled into their appointed portion of Egyptian land, and they stayed there for many generations. Over the centuries, the number of Israelites residing in Egyptian territory grew and grew, and the Pharaoh who came to power felt threatened by them and their strength as a people (Genesis 1:8-10). So, he oppressed Israel and enslaved them, even going so far as to command their infant sons to be cast into the Nile River (Exodus 1:13-14, 22).

Israel cried out for help, and God heard them, remembering the covenant He had made with their ancestor, Abraham (Exodus 2:23-24). And He sent a man named Moses to speak to Pharoah and plead for Israel’s release from their slavery (Exodus 3:1-10). Pharoah, of course, refused, and thus began the Ten Plagues (Exodus 5:1-2). God unleashed ten horrifying plagues upon the land of Egypt—from the Nile River turning to blood and the nation being infested with frogs and flies to the people being covered in boils and the land being submerged into complete darkness. After every plague, Moses would demand Pharoah free the Israelites, and he continued to refuse until the very last plague—the death of every firstborn. Then, Pharoah finally relented and let Israel escape into the wilderness.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard this story and thought the Ten Plagues were just ten random punishments doled out onto Egypt for their abuse of the Israelites. But if we take a closer look at the cultural context, we’ll discover that these ten plagues were not random at all and that God had a bigger purpose in mind than just disciplining the Egyptians.

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In Blog, Book Reviews, Church on
July 14, 2024

A Short Guide to Church

It’s becoming increasingly common for Christians to skip church on Sundays. There are numerous reasons for this. Some are traveling on Sunday mornings, whether that be for work, for pleasure, or for their children’s sports tournaments. Others have such busy lives that they just want to sleep in and rest on their one day off from other responsibilities. Some have been hurt by a church in the past and don’t want to find a new church to attend, lest they be hurt again. And still others don’t see a need at all to go to Sunday worship services (after all, the Church isn’t a building, right?).

According to Ligonier’s The State of Theology survey in 2022, forty-four percent of professing Evangelicals do not believe that every Christian is obligated to join a local church, and fifty-six percent believe that worshipping alone or with one’s family is a valid replacement for regular church attendance.[1] This means that about half of self-proclaimed Evangelical believers today do not believe it’s necessary for Christians to attend church regularly or become a member of a local church. This fact is both alarming and problematic, and it’s one reason why Dean Inserra wrote his newest book, A Short Guide to Church.

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In Bible Study, Blog, John on
May 13, 2024

A Tale of Two Sinners

Over the past few years, the deconstruction movement has been on the rise, and it’s driving people out of churches in droves. Deconstruction is essentially the practice of deconstructing or picking apart one’s beliefs until there’s nothing left to have faith in. Instead of sifting through their doctrines to determine what is biblical and what is not, deconstructionists tend to throw the baby out with the bathwater when they realize their church is teaching poor theology or simply teaching something they don’t personally agree with. They abandon the true faith and pursue an unbiblical form of Christianity (most often known as Progressive Christianity), follow another religious or spiritual practice, or choose to claim no religion at all. The number of churchgoers who are leaving the church because they cannot identify or affirm biblical Christianity is truly heartbreaking, and it’s a serious issue that churches all across the country ought to be addressing.

One thing that has baffled me about the deconstruction movement is how two people can grow up in the same family or grow up in the same church and end up with wildly different beliefs about Christianity. There is a very popular, well-known theologian in America who has pastored and authored books for decades. He has a son who has followed in his footsteps, becoming both a pastor and an author. But he has another son who has completely turned his back on Christianity and has even gained fame on TikTok for sharing his deconstructionist views.

When I reflect on this situation, I often think, “How could two boys who grew up in the same Christian home, who attended the same church grow into men who have two starkly different views on God and the Bible?” But there is a narrative in the Gospels that may shine some light on this and reveal that this contradiction of beliefs is not a new phenomenon amongst those who have sat under Christian teachings.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Exodus on
September 5, 2022

Image of Idolatry

Every time I read through Exodus, Numbers, or Deuteronomy, I can’t help but think, “How can Israel be so forgetful?” God had performed miracle after miracle, wonder after wonder. He had answered their prayers, provided for their needs, and proven that He was nothing but faithful to His people. Yet, Israel still grumbled, and complained, and longed to return to their bondage—again, and again, and again.

But whenever I think these thoughts, I’m reminded that we are no different than Israel. God has performed miracle after miracle, wonder after wonder in our lives. He has answered our prayers, provided for our needs, and proven Himself faithful to us. Yet, we still grumble, and complain, and long to return to the bondage of our old, sinful ways. There is one Old Testament story in particular that highlights our similarities to Israel well, and it has to do with the creation of a golden calf.

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In Blog, Church, Theology on
August 14, 2022

One Another

Church attendance in America is steadily declining. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, only thirty-six percent of professing Christians attend a local church at least once a week. Only forty-six percent attend at least once a month. This means that over half of those who claim to be Christian in this country never attend church or only attend a few times a year—probably on Christmas, Easter, and other special occasions.[1]

There are many reasons why someone may have stopped attending church over the past few years. Perhaps after the COVID-19 pandemic, they didn’t see a need to return to an in-person gathering when they can just watch the services online.  Maybe they’ve fallen prey to the deconstruction movement and are rethinking what they believe about God and the Bible. Or it’s possible that the rise of sexual abuse allegations against pastors and other church leaders have convinced them that the church is a broken system that can’t be repaired.

However, the truth is that Christians need the Church. God created human beings for community, and we’re not meant to do life alone (Genesis 2:18). Christians are commanded to gather with a local body of believers because we need the help and encouragement they can provide as we continue in our faith journey (Hebrews 10:24-25). The Church is our community, and as our community, we have a role to play in it. As the Church, we are to welcome one another, grow one another, and serve one another.

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