Episode 343 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. How should our understanding of the culture in which the Bible was written influence the way we interpret the Bible? Or should we not worry about that and focus only on the Bible is actually saying? 2. In the book of Matthew it says, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.” So why did Mary and Joseph decide to name him Jesus instead?” 3. If Jesus is God, why does the Bible refer to Jesus as the “Son of God”? 4. What advice do you have for seeking God? 5. How do you find the motivation to pray when you just don’t feel up to it? 6. What does it mean in Romans where it says, “do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies”?

Episode 342 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. If Christ wasn’t born on December 25, why do Christians celebrate Christmas? Jesus never told us to celebrate Christmas. Since these are things that are lies, are Christians promoting lies? 2. I know Christmas is extremely commercialized and focuses more on getting gifts over the birth of Christ. My husband and I are very intentional about keeping Christ in Christmas when we celebrate with our kids. But I’m just wondering, am I sending mixed signals if I take my kids to see Santa? 3. What does it mean in 2 Corinthians when it says, “we used to regard Christ according to the flesh”? Is it saying that we shouldn’t be thinking about the human nature of Jesus after his resurrection?  4. How does the Gospel apply to someone who has been a victim of domestic violence?  5. How do we deal with sinful immaturity in the Church?

Episode 341 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. My mom was raised Catholic but became a Christian but still prays to the saints. I would like to know what you think about that. 2. Who were the three wisemen that came to see baby Jesus? 3. Can Christians become holy by simply only focusing on the Gospel, or is there more to it than that? 4. What advise do you have for being faithful to Jesus in the normal everyday things? 5. How do we deal with people who preach the Gospel but are still confused about important core doctrines of the faith?

Episode 340 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. I have a question about the creation story. When we look at Colossians 1:16 it says, “for in him all things were created,” referring to Jesus the Son. How do we as Christian come to understand that because when we look at the Genesis story its understood that it’s the Father who is doing the creating? How do we make sense of that? Is it Jesus who is actually doing the creating or the Father? 2. In Isaiah 6:9 does it refer to Jesus when it says, ‘Everlasting Father.’ How is it that Jesus is spoken of as a father when he didn’t have any children and he is normally portrayed as the Son of God and not the Father? 3. What does it mean to be “justified by faith”? 4. What does Isaiah Chapter 55 Verse 11 mean? 5. What does it mean when the bible talks about mankind, “judging Angels”?

Episode 339 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. My question is concerning Mary. When Jesus was hanging on the cross was Mary was a virgin forever? Why did Jesus not give Mary to a brother of his if Mary had sons and daughters? 2. I’m confused about the prophesy of Hosea quoted in Matthew 2:15 where it says, “out of Egypt I called my Son.” Can you explain it? 3. Do you think Christian youth events like a “lock in” are useful for helping our kids feel connected to the church? 4. In the book of Philippines, Paul tells us to “work out our faith with fear and trembling”. What does that mean? 5. Will I always struggle with my prayer life? Do you have any words of encouragement for me?

Episode 338 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. What is a soul mate and what’s wrong with that idea? 2. Talk to a marriage counselor and they will tell you that worse than anger or guilt is marriage is weariness. That’s when a relationship is really on the rocks, when you’re too tired to fight, or no longer see the point of another attempt at rapprochement. 3. I know that it’s important to continue dating your spouse, but our children have been getting into lots of trouble at school and my husband and I can’t find the time because we are constantly worried about leaving them without supervision? 4. This is something you wrote that to many in our audience may sound strange at first: “Real love is not something we decide on. Nor is it something we earn. Love is more than something we fall into; it’s something we fail into. What sounds like the more tragic view of life is actually a starting point for compassion, forgiveness, and joy.” What do you mean by failing into love? 5. You write that the parenting section of a bookstore resembles the religious section. How so?

Episode 337 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. I have a question about 1 Corinthians 5:9. Paul says he wrote to the Corinthians an earlier letter, before the letter of 1 Corinthians. There are other places in Paul’s letters where he seems to allude to other correspondence that has now been lost to time. My question is this: if this correspondence was ever discovered somewhere, and if it could be proven to be from the pen of Paul (assuming such were possible), would we be compelled to add these letters to our Bibles? My question is really about a larger question, I suppose: do we believe something is Scripture merely because an apostle wrote it, or do we believe it can be trusted as Scripture because God has also preserved it for the church to read? 2. I tend to struggle with how people could be 900 years old or Goliath actually 10 feet tall. I don’t know if it’s a translation thing, but I struggle to believe some of it. 3. How do we know which Bible translation is the right one? 4. What did Jesus mean when he said, “you judge according to the flesh, I judge no one”?5. I’ve recently moved to a new city and am having a really hard time finding a new church. How do I know if I’m being too picky? 5. What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?

Episode 336 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. Hello Dr. Horton and Pastor Adriel, my question is: before God called Abram out of Ur of the Chaldeans, was he a pagan? 2. What are the signs of an unhealthy Church? 3. Are the positions of James and Paul on “works” in contradiction with each other? 4. The Prophets seem to always talk about God’s judgement. How does this fit with the character of God as loving? 5. I’ve recently moved to a new city and am having a really hard time finding a new church. How do I know if I’m being too picky? 6. How do I get out of my current spiritual drought?

Episode 335 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. I have heard you make the point that churches that are too concerned with being relevant to the culture can lose focus on what matters, salvation and heaven. But at the same time, you have said that this world matters to God and that loving our neighbors is also important. Can you speak to how to balance relevance and focusing on heaven? 2. I have gotten three different confirmations to move from Texas to Colorado. And I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt. I quit my job and moved, things are great now, but when I did move, my wife left me and went back to Texas. What am I supposed to do?  3. The church seems so confused by false teaching today. I have been listening to the show for a while and you guys often do a good job of being hopeful. I would love to know more about that and hear about what you see in the church that gives you hope. 4. How do you understand Revelation 7:13 and 14? What do the robes mean?

Episode 334 | Dr. Michael Horton and Adriel Sanchez answer caller questions. Show Notes CoreChristianity.com Key questions answered in today’s show: 1. What is your stance on lordship salvation? 2. I have a friend whose grandfather is dying. He’s not a Christian, and every time we speak with him about Christ and the afterlife, he says he’s too logical to believe things like that. We have been praying that the Holy Spirit would work in his life and know that salvation does not come through anything we say or do. But what other things can we use to work with someone who seems to have a heart that is hardened toward God? 3. 1 Peter talks about us being, “guarded through faith for salvation ready to be revealed at the last time”. Does this mean that we aren’t actually saved yet? 4. Is James Chapter 5 requiring me to confess my sins to other believers? 5. Do you have any advice for someone who is trying to get serious about their faith? 6. Is Isaiah 43:10 teaching that all Christians should evangelize?