hell

A 13-Year-Old Asked Me A Better Question Than Any 20-Year-Old Has

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The Context I was working a youth retreat this weekend and I was one of the leaders for 7th grade men. I say men, and not boys, because these men acted more like men than many Millennial boys I know. I believe in credit where it is due, and these men deserve credit. One in particular asked a question that should be asked by far more Christians. When discussing the gospel, the fact that people are saved from eternal torment in hell by believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, we were making the point of what … [Read more]

The Day the Music Died

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“As is consistently recognized in civil rights cases, the desire to accommodate others’ discomfort cannot justify a policy that singles out and disadvantages a particular class of students.”[1] A chilling quote from the letter sent from the Justice Department to all the school districts in the United States. It is the letter that represents a monumental day in my mind: the day the music died. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, “The Obama administration [has issued] a sweeping directive telling every public school district in the country to allow transgender students to use the bathrooms that match their gender … [Read more]

Christians Don’t End Up in Heaven

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  I said off-hand in a different blog post that Christians weren’t going to heaven, and I got some lip about it. But before I start explaining myself, let me narrow the audience for you. This post is directed at Christians. The “yous” in this post are “readers who have believed the gospel that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ of God, and by believing, have life in His name.” Okay, lets get back to the point. Christians don’t end up in heaven. “Of course we’re going to heaven!” you say. “That’s the gospel, Stephen! We’re going to go to … [Read more]

A Christian response to ISIS

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The question I received prompting this post: “I would be curious to hear what your thoughts are on how we should respond to ISIS? I’m fully aware of what an American response looks like… But what should a Christian response look like – how should our faith dictate our response, especially with what just happened in Brussels (although there is a long list of atrocities that have been committed).”   I’ve been asked to write a post about how Christians should respond to ISIS. To be honest, this prospect terrifies me. It terrifies me because I fear that I might … [Read more]

Do Babies Go to Hell?

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If you believe the true gospel, you have to have had this thought. Before we get going on this, please know that if this question is personal for you, you may be offended by my “callous” or “heartless” approach. Know that I feel deeply for you and weep with you. It’s personal for me to. But in this post, I am trying to give the most clear and logical answer that I can from the biblical text, and that may mean saying things that you don’t want to hear. Here’s the Dilemma Everyone is born sinful. All have sinned and … [Read more]