Episode 527 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com 1. Sometimes I feel like the most inspirational verses in the Bible actually leave me feeling hopeless. Like 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I’m not always happy, I don’t always pray, and I often forget to be thankful. If this is God’s will for me, why do I have such a hard time living it out? 2. I heard a TV pastor talk about the bible verse, “God is no respecter of persons.” He went on to say that this meant that God does not respect people, only Jesus. Is this correct? I know God loves people, perhaps everyone, but does he respect them? 3. I know the Bible talks about Scripture being God-breathed, but who was the first person that started writing the Bible, and how has everything been compiled into one book? 4. How can I reach out, on a spiritual level, to a friend and fellow Christian who has fallen away to drugs and alcohol and has seemingly lost his love for the Lord? Resources God Has Spoken: Revelation and the Bible by J. I. Packer Offers Request our latest special offers here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone. Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core.

Episode 530 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com 1. Adriel: As you know, Nancy, writing a book is a lot of work. What did you see in the church and the lives of believers around you that made you feel that this book needed to be written? 2. I’m getting really burnt out as a parent right now. I already have a full-time job, and now I have to be a homeschool teacher to my 3 kids due to schools not opening. Finding time and space for devotions was hard enough before! Can you give me any advice to navigate this season in life? 3. When things are going well in my life, I feel like it’s clear that God is working in and through me. But sometimes I don’t feel God’s presence at all. My prayer life feels dry and it seems like no one is listening. How do I get back to that place where I feel like I am being used by God? 4. Adriel: I’m curious, Nancy, as you studied the idea of emptiness throughout Scripture, what did you learn about the nature and character of God? Resources God Does His Best Work with Empty by Nancy Guthrie Request, “God Does His Best Work With Empty” here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone. Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core.

Episode 529 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com 1. Could you explain what Jesus means in Matthew 18:18 when he says, “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”? 2. How do I position a conversation regarding someone who is an atheist or a Buddhist about Jesus, without them getting upset with me? And how do I do so effectively in such a short amount of time? 3. My wife and I haven’t been able to conceive, and we are thinking about pursuing in vitro fertilization. Is this an option for Christians? 4. I’ve heard some Christians defend the use of Creeds and Confessions in the church because they teach orthodox interpretations of Scripture. How is this any different than the Roman Catholic view that elevates Sacred Tradition to the same level as Scripture? Resources Bioethics and the Christian Life: A Guide to Making Difficult Decisions by David VanDrunen Offers Request our latest special offers here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone. Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core.

Episode 528 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com 1. I am concerned about my repentance and whether it is genuine. I have attended church all my life, but only truly understood the gospel and received Christ last year. I know I should hate sin, but there are many instances when I find myself loving the sin that I struggle with. Often, I just instinctively run to my sin, especially the ones I have been committing most of my life. Sometimes I also wonder to myself, “If I am truly born again, would I be committing so much sin?” 2. I’m reading through the books of the Chronicles and am once again struck with all the names that are recorded. Knowing that all Scripture is God-breathed and edifying, what can I can take away from these lists of names as I read them? 3. Just how important is baptism? Must it be done immediately after repentance? Do I have to be baptized in order to be saved? 4. If repentance is necessary for Christians, and repentance means to turn from sin, then does that make repentance a work that is necessary for our salvation? Resources TrueVs. False Repentance: What’s the Difference? by Adriel Sanchez Offers Request our latest special offers here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone. Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core.

Episode 527 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com 1. How do I enter into a relationship with Christ? 2. In the book of Malachi, we read that God told the Israelites to test him in regard to offerings. However, in the books of the law, He told them not to test Him. I realize that these verses are not part of the same context, but how should we reconcile them? Is there a time when I should test God? 3. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, the master tells his two faithful servants, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” I’ve always heard our salvation is through faith, like trust, but when I read these words, it almost sounds like a reward for faithfulness. Is faith the same as faithfulness? Is our faithfulness more important than our faith? How should we understand this parable? 4. Why do Christians have an Old Testament in their Bibles if we’re supposed to live according to the New Testament? 5. Recently I have been thinking about forgiveness And when it should be implemented, should we as Christians forgive people before they ask or wait until they ask for it? Sometimes people never ask for forgiveness. Resources Devoted to God: Blueprints for Sanctification by Sinclair B. Ferguson Offers Request our latest special offers here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone. Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core.

Episode 526 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com 1. What is the second death talked about in Revelation? If there is a second death, would it follow that there is a first death and a first resurrection? How can this be explained? 2. Where was Adam when Eve was being deceived? 3. If a mother committed sexual sins while her child was growing up and later repents, will those consequences still have an effect on her adult daughter now? David was forgiven, but none of his children went to heaven according to the Bible. Was it because of the consequences of his sin of murder and adultery? 4. A visiting preacher said in his sermon that if we continue committing the same sin over and over, that our salvation should be in question. This struck me as being wrong biblically, but I could not come up with a specific passage of scripture as to why. Was this person correct in telling us this? 5. When it comes to fighting addictions, what role does our willpower play in our restoration? Does it play any role? Or is the work all God’s? Resources Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave by Ed Welch Offers Request our latest special offers here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone. Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core.

Episode 525 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com 1. I have a friend who has questions about the Christian faith, and I don’t always feel like I have good answers. I get a lot from your show but don’t always know how to relay that to my friend. Do you have any advice on how to become better at sharing my faith? 2. My son is taking a Religious Studies class in College. Is it ok for Christians to study other world religions, or is that something I should warn him against? I’ve really done my best to help him be grounded in the Word of God but I’m nervous that his Professors might lead him astray. 3. I believe I am a sinner, but what if I don’t feel its wretchedness? Or the feelings of joy and happiness overflowing because of the forgiveness in Jesus Christ, like what I hear described in hymns? Resources Why Should I Believe That Jesus Rose From The Dead? by Michael Horton Offers Request our latest special offers here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone. Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core.

Episode 524 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com 1. Sometimes at church, my pastor will say things that really rub me the wrong way. How can I tell if my Pastor is preaching a false doctrine? 2. Should our children call God “Father” in the Lord’s prayer if they are not baptized? Are they part of the visible church or covenant community? 3. I believe I am a sinner, but what if I don’t feel its wretchedness? Or the feelings of joy and happiness overflowing because of the forgiveness in Jesus Christ, like what I hear described in hymns? 4. In 2 Timothy Paul writes, “If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” When Paul writes of the faithfulness of Christ, does this mean his faithfulness to forgive us even when we fail? Or his faithfulness to judge justly if we disown him? Resources Core Christianity: Finding Yourself in God’s Story by Michael Horton Offers Request our latest special offers here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone. Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core.

Episode 523 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com 1. What did Jesus mean when he told Nicodemus that he had to be born again. Nicodemus even seemed confused, and I don’t understand Jesus’ answer about the wind and Spirit. Is this just a figurative of speech to describe some profound experience in your life? 2. Are there different levels of sin? Or is all sin equal in God’s eyes? 3. Is the Bible the only authority that Christians need to obey?  4. I am struggling with knowing how to share the gospel with my unsaved family and friends because I am also seeing that my heart is hard toward situations I have been through with some of them. I truly hate this, and I don’t want to have this hardness in my heart. How can I share the gospel with them when I have such a hard heart? Resources Honest Evangelism by Rico Tice Offers Christ and Calamity by Harold Senkbeil Request our latest special offers here or call 1-833-THE-CORE (833-843-2673) to request them by phone. Want to partner with us in our work here at Core Christianity? Consider becoming a member of the Inner Core.

Episode 522 | Adriel Sanchez and Bill Maier answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: