Questions: Recent Episodes
Right Response Ministries
Pastor Joel of Right Response Ministries answers important, theological questions that are relevant to our everyday lives. Listen in, as he answers multiple questions on a weekly basis.
Mineben256 - “Any thoughts on video games?”
Every Monday at 12PM CT Pastor Joel hops on YouTube to answer your questions live. This episode of Questions was taken from one of his Live Q&A.
To make sure you are notified when we have our next Live Q&A - subscribe to our YouTube channel and click the bell. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content like this!
Nathanael Stallings - “I struggle with doubt… I still believe in the gospel but I’ve been getting a lot of questions about things such as biblical inerrancy that I am uncertain about. Do you have any helpful words for someone struggling with doubt, particularly regarding the reliability of the Bible?”
Every Monday at 12PM CT Pastor Joel hops on YouTube to answer your questions live. This episode of Questions was taken from one of his Live Q&A. To make sure you are notified when we have our next Live Q&A - subscribe to our YouTube channel and click the bell.
Adam Duran - “Pastor Joel, please discuss your approach to family worship."
Every Monday at 12PM CT Pastor Joel hops on YouTube to answer your questions live. This episode of Questions was taken from one of his Live Q&A. To make sure you are notified when we have our next Live Q&A - subscribe to our YouTube channel and click the bell.
“If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.” 1 Corinthians 14:35 ESV
The Bible seems to indicate that women should reserve their theological questions for their husbands. If so, how far should this principle be applied?
“Could you speak to the relationship between Postmillennialism and Theonomy? I see the appropriateness of desiring to apply God’s standards in all areas of life, but do not see the Scriptures necessarily saying that the outcome of applying theonomic principles will play out in this world as the postmill position believes it will. In other words, Can I affirm Theonomy without affirming Postmillennialism?
If the death of Jesus is not a mere example of sacrificial love but actual atonement (the finished payment for sin), and if Jesus died for each and every individual, why do many people still go to eternal suffering in hell? It appears as though these individuals’ sins are being paid for “twice;” once by Jesus on the cross, and once by them in hell.
Christians must remember that Public Schools are State Schools. Therefore, “Caesar” is the head of all Public Schools. Christians have been commanded by Christ to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. So the question is this: Whose image do we see in our children? In other words, are children made in the image of Caesar, or the image of God? As Voddie Baucham famously said, “If we send our children to Caesar, we should not be surprised when they come back as Romans.”
“‘Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.’ And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ They said, ‘Caesar's.’ Then he said to them, ‘Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.’” Matthew 22:17-21 ESV
Nations that adhere to Christian principles are always blessed. Is it permissible for Christians to point out this evidence to unbelievers as an incentive for them to come to Christ? Or is this tactic just another form of “Seeker-Sensitive” evangelicalism?
Big Eva is filled with ideologues and opportunists. The ideologues eventually expose themselves, but the opportunists tend to be more sneaky. As wokeness begins to die down, Big Eva is desperately trying to find a way to pivot. How can we lovingly expose these opportunists so that Christians don’t fall for their schemes?
Ministries like yours regularly emphasize the importance of God’s Law, but how does this emphasis square with Romans 6:14?
“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
It is not merely permissible for Christians to resist tyranny, it is necessary. John Knox once said, “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.” So are there any methods of resistance that the Bible forbids?
In this episode of Questions, John Harris, AD Robles and Joel Webbon offer book recommendations for those who desire to grow in their ability of applying God’s Law to every area of life.
Can those who commit to practical obedience to Christ’s commandments expect to receive a blessing from God in this life? If so, is this blessing a guarantee? What about those who experience suffering and/or are persecuted for their faithfulness?
What is equality? Should it be held as a virtue? Should it be pursued? Where there be equality in the new heaven and the new earth? Or will hierarchy among humans continue into eternity? All of these questions are addressed in this episode of Questions.
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Pastor Joel Webbon, Jon Harris, and AD Robles answer questions submitted by a live audience during our 2022 conference called “Resisting Tyranny and Wokeness." To hear all of the Q&A ensure you subscribe to our podcast to be notified as they are released.
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“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127:3-5 ESV
“We all love the fact that children are a blast, and nobody should mind the fact that we love it. But this psalm is not about the patter of little feet around the house. This is not about your Christmas photo album. The ancient world, when they went to war, had a clearer view of what was at stake than do we. A kindergarten class is a packet of warrior seeds. A quiver holds arrows... The blessed man who has children in his youth is a man who has grown children when he is still active and in the fray. But here is the difference between faith and presumption. Children are not an 'automatic' blessing. Samuel would not have been more greatly blessed if he had five sons who took bribes instead of two sons who did (1 Samuel 8:3)... The city council of an ancient city was found in their gates. It is where their elders sat. It is where decisions were made, and where transactions were conducted. If a showdown occurred, that is where it would occur. So there are two things to note about this. The first is that a man is contending with his enemies in the gate, and his sons are there with him. His sons are present in the gates when this happens, and (this is important), they are on their father’s side. He has not brought up soldiers for the enemy. The second thing is that these are not foreign enemies, besieging the city from outside, but rather domestic adversaries, belonging to the opposition. A righteous man, together with his arrows, stands against all enemies, foreign and domestic. The issue is righteousness, not party, or tribe, or nation. And a blessed father brings his children along with him in their shared loyalty to truth and righteousness. The glue that holds such families together is [a shared allegiance to Christ]. This is fundamental. Every attempt to get families, or nations, or churches to hold together apart from Christ (Colossians 1:18) is idolatry. And according to our psalm, it is also vain.” -Doug Wilson
God is the Father, and we have no other choice but to live in the Father's world. Therefore, we are all subject to the Father's rules, whether we agree with these rules or not. And one of these rules is that God the Father has determined to work through human fathers in his world. He has appointed fathers in the home (husbands/fathers), fathers in the church (elders/pastors), and fathers in the state (civil magistrates). A godly woman is called to joyfully serve as a “helpmate.” The great lie of feminism is that it promised women that they no longer would be relegated to the role of helping to build the house of a man. But in a tragic sense of irony, women “liberated” by feminism stopped helping to build the house of one man (their husband) and became enslaved to building the house of another “The Man” (their corporate employer).
“It is not good that man be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Genesis 2:18 ESV
“The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down.” Proverbs 14:1 ESV
“Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, ‘We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel... and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.’” Ruth 4:11-12 ESV
“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain...” Psalm 127:1 ESV
Just as God works through covenants, so must we. Before beginning a work, we must count the cost and resolve to finish it. The work of sanctifying the self begins with conversion and a covenant to Christ in baptism. The work of building a home begins with marriage and a covenant to our spouse in a wedding ceremony. The work of building the church begins with church membership and a covenant to the other members of the church. And even the work of building society often begins with a trade and some form of legal contract. All lasting covenants have Christ as their foundation. However, a man cannot select his own preferred “Christ,” a “pseudo-Christ.” Rather, he must have the Christ of the Bible. In addition to having the “right” Christ, a man must have the “whole” Christ. You cannot choose for yourself certain “portions” of Christ, while discarding others that offend your sensibilities. To avoid building in vain, we must have the right Christ and the whole Christ as our one and only foundation. And if our building is to endure, we must have Christ above and Christ below. We must build “upon” Christ, with faith in his Gospel and obedience to his Law. And we must build “to” Christ, with the earnest desire for his glory and fame. In other words, to have Christ as the foundation of our building is to build in faith. And to build in faith is to build with a reliance upon Christ's grace and a desire for Christ's glory.
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“Theistic-Evolution” fall under the banner of Christian Orthodoxy? Can a person believe in evolution and still be a Christian? Or put another way, is believing in a literal 6-day creation and relatively young earth a “Gospel-issue.”
It has been often argued by Protestants that Catholicism denies the Gospel. Is this true? If so, “how” does Catholicism deny the Gospel? And due to this denial, will Catholics go to hell?
In this episode of Questions, Pastor Joel opens up a can of worms by sharing his thoughts on “head coverings” in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16.
Jordan Peterson recently made some very interesting statements about the Bible being the foundation for all truth, while being a guest on the Joe Rogan Experience. So does Jordan Peterson have a Christian view of Scripture? If so, would that actually make Jordan Peterson a Christian?
What are your thoughts on the forthcoming MetaVerse from Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook? It appears to be essentially a modern day Tower of Babel. How should Christians engage with it? Is it sinful to “leave this world” to enter into Augmented Reality?
In this episode of Questions, Pastor Joel Webbon shares his thoughts on The Daily Wire by reminding Christians of the important warning provided for all of us in Psalm 73.
Pastor Joel also provides a very clear breakdown of the religious beliefs held by each of the hosts on The Daily Wire: Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles, and Andrew Klavan.
Many Christians and Conservatives are at a total loss for how millions of people could be so naive as to religiously follow “The Science” of Dr. Fauci. But perhaps our bewilderment is owing to the fact that we continue to assume there is a NATURAL explanation for this mass hysteria. But what if the current madness of our culture can only be explained in SUPERNATURAL terms? In this episode, Pastor Joel Webbon exposes the Cult of “The Science” by applying a key “prophetic passage” from the Book of Psalms.
"Happy New Years Everyone! | There appears to be a growing divide in American Evangelicalism. Whether it be the political sphere, cultural sphere, or church sphere, the “middle ground” seems to be rapidly disappearing. Today, pastors are either bold or compromising. So how can a Christian quickly identify whether or not a specific pastor is a coward, before investing years in that local church? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content like this and subscribe to our Questions podcast!
Merry Christmas Everyone! | In this episode of Questions, Pastor Joel answers the question, what makes “seeker-sensitive” churches unbiblical.
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If you would like to make a donation and receive a free digital copy of Pastor Joel’s book on the assurance of salvation, use this link: https://rightresponseministries.com/product/one-time-gift/
Every Reformed Church seems to hold that only men should be Elders. However, these same churches seem divided on the question of whether or not women can be Deacons. So does the Bible allow for female Deacons, or not?
Recently, a Christian 501(c)(3) organization was denied tax-exempt status by the IRS because of some variation of the following: "Biblical principles tend to favor Republican candidates." This exemption has been appealed and the decision rightly reversed. However, IRS law bans "political campaign activity by charities and churches." So if we believe that churches are called to preach “the whole counsel of God,” which includes applying biblical principles to the civil/political realm, should churches then abstain from getting a 501(c)(3)?
Pastor Joel recently came under fire for some comments he made about slavery in American history. Some people made it seem like Pastor Joel actually defends the history of slavery in America because Americans “bought” slaves, instead of “kidnapping” them. So what does Pastor Joel actually think about this particular issue?
There’s no mask mandate where I live, but many businesses and facilities still have signs that say they require masks. I personally refuse to wear a mask for two reasons: 1) Masks are proven to be ineffective in stopping the spread of the virus, unless it’s an N95 mask, and 2) I believe that the mask is merely a religious symbol that is essentially the same as a Christian wearing a cross necklace. However, I keep getting called “petty” by close loved ones who are also Christian for my refusal to mask up. So is it actually petty for a Christian to refuse to wear a mask? Should I just comply in order to be peaceable, or is this a hill worth dying on?
Does a Christian have a moral obligation to move states if their current state of residency uses their tax dollars to fund demonic endeavors, such as abortion? What about lesser evils, such as “civil theft” via unfair taxation that seeks to accomplish “wealth redistribution”?
John Piper’s son, Abraham Piper, has not merely become an apostate by denying Christ, but he is actively peddling atheism to hundreds of thousands of people on TikTok. Abraham Piper has become a public figure through his blaspheming of God. Titus 1:6 requires pastors’ “children [to be] believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.” In light of biblical texts like this, should John Piper step down from public ministry?
Christians are called to be good stewards of creation, as well as loving towards their neighbors. Therefore, is it a sin for wealthy Christians to use energy sources, such as fossil fuels, knowing that it causes harm to the environment and may cause harm to our future neighbors due to climate change?
In 2 Kings 18:1-5, Hezekiah became king in Judah. During his rule, he tore down the high places erected to false gods and shattered all the idols. King Josiah did the same thing in 2 Chronicles 34:1-4. And in Acts 19:19, the people of Ephesus "who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all." This sounds a lot like "cancel culture." So is it possible for "cancel culture" to be a good thing?
It has come to my attention that Pastor Joel used to be a member in the Acts 29 Network. Why did he choose to leave? What would he say to those who currently belong to an Acts 29 Church?
Clearly, the Bible teaches that a married woman should submit to her own husband. Also, female Christians should submit to the male elders of their local church. But does the Bible require any other category of female submission to men?
Many Christians were forcibly displaced due to their pastor's decision to close their church doors in compliance with the government lockdowns. However, now that most of the country has gotten the vaccine, the vast majority of churches have opened back up. Are Christians obligated to return to their old churches? Is it wrong if a Christian determines that their pastor's compliance was a "deal-breaker"?
Joe Biden has proved to be a tyrant. As of now, polls seem to suggest that the best shot for conservatives to get Biden out of office is for Donald Trump to run in 2024. If Trump runs and wins, what outcome do you predict this will have on the Church in America?
Are Christian parents required to spank their children in order to be biblically faithful? Is it permissible for Christian parents to faithfully discipline their children by other means other than spanking?
There appears to be a growing divide in American Evangelicalism. Whether it be the political sphere, cultural sphere, or church sphere, the “middle ground” seems to be rapidly disappearing. Today, pastors are either bold or compromising. So how can Christians quickly identify whether or not a specific pastor is a coward, before investing multiple years in that local church?
Thousands of American citizens are currently stranded in Afghanistan, as well as tens of thousands of American allies. Who is to blame for this massive failure? Is it Joe Biden’s fault from pulling out so quickly? Is it Donald Trump’s fault, due to his previous deal with the Taliban? Is it the men of Afghanistan’s fault because of their unwillingness to fight? Or is it America’s fault in general, because of our obsession with imperialism?
Christianity Today has been airing a podcast called "The Rise & Fall of Mars Hill." What are your specific thoughts about this podcast? And what are your more general thoughts about what happened with Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill?
There is a lot of pressure currently for everyone to get vaccinated. Some states are even talking about vaccine passports. What should Christians think about this? Should we get the vaccine?
McLean Bible Church recently held a congregational meeting where one of the long-standing members was removed from the sanctuary by security. There has been a growing sense of division at the church surrounding issues of social justice and racial reconciliation. So who’s to blame? Is David Platt, the senior pastor of McLean Bible Church, responsible for this division?
Satan knows that we will not be secure in the love of God if we are constantly doubting our standing before God. Therefore, one of his constant aims is to accuse us before God in an attempt to drive a wedge between us and the Father (Revelation 12:10). In addition to Satan's ministry of accusation, at times even our own hearts condemn us, especially as we come into a more biblical understanding of the infinite holiness of God and the overwhelming depths of our own depravity.
Some Evangelical Christians might say that due to the heinous sins of abortion, divorce-on-demand, and sodomy, America is on the brink of receiving God’s judgment. However, according to Romans 1:24-28, America is most certainly already under God’s judgment. When a society chooses to joyfully engage in rank sexual perversion and mass murder, the people of God can be sure that this society has already been handed over to “impurity,” “degrading passions,” and “a depraved mind.” Romans 1:24-28 is clear, when a society willfully chooses to reject God's truth in exchange for the lie, as well as reject God's glory in exchange for the glory of the creature, God promises to hand them over to their sins and the horrible consequences which will inevitably follow.
Church growth leaders have gone to great lengths to conduct massive surveys in which they ask unbelievers what they would like to see in churches. Thousands of people have responded to these surveys by saying that they want church services to be simpler, shorter, more positive, and most of all, focused on them. Church marketers then go back to the drawing board with their research and re-design the church to meet the felt needs of these “religious consumers.” The result: Hundreds of thousands of people in America have started attending churches on Sunday, and hundreds of thousands of people in America have been programmed to despise the true gospel if they were to ever actually hear it.
Is it biblically faithful for Christian parents to send their children to a separate ministry on the Lord’s Day? Or should children participate in Lord’s Day worship alongside their parents?
In order to answer this question, Pastor Joel assumes that the aliens in reference are intelligent beings, comparable to mankind. And in order to answer whether or not aliens exist, Pastor Joel asks another important question, “If aliens exist, would they be fallen creatures like humanity?” This may be our most interesting episode of Questions yet!
Although true Christians should be marked by a life of holiness, we will never achieve a state of moral perfection in this life. Sinless perfection is a lie. We must beware of anyone who claims to be without sin. Very rarely will someone blatantly claim to be perfect. However, many in the American “Church” have attempted to redefine sin in such a way that they no longer possess any real sense of moral responsibility for the wrongs they have committed.
It is of the utmost importance that we remind ourselves that although we should resist the temptation of politicizing everything, everything is still being politicized by someone. Suppose we believe that policies (including what kind of bans should be enforced during a pandemic) flow downstream from morality and that morality flows downstream from theology. If this is the case, Christians must exercise careful discernment as we swim through the sea of information provided by secular sources.
Even among Christians who are convinced that the saints' weekly gathering is “essential,” many remain suspicious of the church's true necessity. This suspicion is likely due to the fact that many Christians fail to understand precisely how the church is "unique." In our day, there appears to be an alarming amount of Christians who are simply unaware of what actually occurs in the gathered assembly of the saints on the Lord's Day. They fail to see how what takes place at church is categorically distinct from what individual Christians do all week long in their private practices of piety (scripture reading, prayer, fasting, catechizing their children, etc).
Perhaps you've heard it said, “Christ, not Caesar, is head of the Church.” Almost all Christians would wholeheartedly agree. But what if I said, “Christ, not Caesar, is also head of the State?” A statement like that would make most Christians cringe. This is because the vast majority of Christians fundamentally misunderstand another important statement: “Separation of Church and State.”
The political left often points out the “contradiction” that Christians and other political conservatives are pro-life when it comes to abortion, but also in favor of capital punishment when it comes to serious crimes like murder. Is this stance actually a contradiction? Should Christians support the death penalty?
Evangelical leaders in America continually encourage Christians to love their city but not their country. So why is it considered evangelistic (or missional) for Christians to love and identify with their city but idolatrous (or even racist) for Christians to love and identify with their country?
What’s the difference between nationalism and patriotism? Are either of these stances appropriate for a Christian to take?
Several pastors have deliberately chosen to defy government regulations for their church gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision has incurred various penalties from the state, including even imprisonment for Pastor James Coates. Is this a legitimate example of persecution? Or is this merely the consequence for unjustified rebellion?
The verdict for Derek Chauvin was just recently announced. However, cultural and political leaders such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez immediately went on public record announcing that this was not true justice. So what would true (or biblical) justice look like for George Floyd?
What forms of birth control, if any, are ethically permissible for a Christian to use? And should every Christian couple aspire to have several children?
A lot of pastors in our nation have seemed to change their position on Covid-19 and how churches should respond. However, very few of these pastors have gone on public record admitting that they were previously wrong. Should these pastors publicly repent for their past errors and ignorance?
The Bible seems to clearly teach that riches in this life are often a pitfall to living a righteous life. So is it actually possible for a person to be both rich and righteous? If so, how can this be achieved?
Is there ever is a time where it’s acceptable and biblical to cut someone out of your life who is toxic and mistreats you? I know Christians are called to forgive one another and love their neighbors, but is there ever a time where it’s simply unwise to continue associating with someone who doesn’t treat you well? And what if the individual in question is a family member or friend?
It was recently discovered that Ravi Zacharias committed several counts of egregious sexual sin. Also, Pastor James Coates in Canada was recently imprisoned for continuing his church’s gatherings on Sundays. In light of these two events, many Christians seem to be making defenses for Ravi but condemning Pastor Coates, insisting that his imprisonment is not an example of genuine persecution but merely the appropriate consequence for his foolish decisions.
There’s a lot of controversy about Dr. Seuss right now. Do you think he was actually racist? If so, should his books be cancelled?
Does God reveal himself to all people? Are individuals still morally responsible for answering to God even if they never hear the good news about Jesus?
What are the clear biblical signs of receiving God's Judgment? Has America arrived at this point, or do we still have time to repent?
President Joe Biden and members of the Democratic Party continue to call for unity, but this “unity” seems very disingenuous. So what does the Bible have to say about unity? And what are the primary distinctions between Biden’s unity and God’s?
What degree of authority should the members of a congregation have in their local church? Should pastors/elders have authority over everything, or should the congregation bear some measure of authority? If so, what specific things should the members of a congregation have authority over?
Part 5 - Perseverance of the Saints. Pastor Joel, could you briefly explain each of the five points of calvinism and explain the logical and biblical significance of this particular theological system?
Part 4 - Irresistible Grace. Pastor Joel, could you briefly explain each of the five points of calvinism and explain the logical and biblical significance of this particular theological system?
Part 3 - Limited Atonement. Pastor Joel, could you briefly explain each of the five points of calvinism and explain the logical and biblical significance of this particular theological system?
Part 2 - Unconditional Election. Pastor Joel, could you briefly explain each of the five points of calvinism and explain the logical and biblical significance of this particular theological system?
Pastor Joel, could you briefly explain each of the five points of calvinism and explain the logical and biblical significance of this particular theological system?
Is there a correlation between assurance of salvation and sanctification? Does a believer's growth in sanctification produce an increase of assurance? Also, does a lack of assurance stunt a believer's ability to grow in sanctification?
In order to properly address this question, the answer has been divided into four parts. In this episode, Pastor Joel focuses his attention on the biblical duty of an adult son to his aging parents.
In order to properly address this question, the answer has been divided into four parts. In this episode, Pastor Joel focuses his attention on the biblical duty of a grandfather to his grandchildren.
What Does Biblical Masculinity Look Like In The Home (Part 2 of 4) In order to properly address this question, the answer has been divided into four parts. In this episode, Pastor Joel focuses his attention on the biblical duty of a father to his children.
In order to properly address this question, the answer has been divided into four parts. In this episode, Pastor Joel focuses his attention on the biblical duty of a husband to his wife.
What is God’s purpose for saving people? What should a new Christian focus their attention on?
Pastor Joel, I often get discouraged when my prayers seem to go unanswered by God? Is there something hindering my prayers? Should I continue in these prayers, or pray for something else?
God’s goodness sounds like wonderful news on the surface, but I’ve heard it said that the goodness of God has negative implications for humanity? Is this true? If so, can you explain this concept?
God’s goodness sounds like wonderful news on the surface, but I’ve heard it said that the goodness of God has negative implications for humanity? Is this true? If so, can you explain this concept?
What/who does Jesus save us from? Who is the primary enemy of sinful mankind? Our we first and foremost saved from Satan, sin, ourselves, or something/someone else?
I’ve heard some theologians speak of the “two wills” of God. Is this a biblical concept? If so, how can I best understand the two wills of God, especially in relation to my prayer life?
What should true Christian community look like? And what is the proper context for Christian community?
I recognize that we are not saved by our own good works, but the Bible still seems to put a massive emphasis on our obedience to God. So what is the biblical relationship between faith and obedience?
What is true discipleship? I recognize that we are not merely called to make converts, but disciples. However, the Great Commission, which clearly calls us to make disciples, seems to focus exclusively evangelism. So what does it mean to actually make disciples?
Does the Bible call Christians to exercise empathy? Certainly, Scripture commands us to show sympathy to others, but does empathy perhaps go too far?
There is a lot of debate on the role of women in the church today. In this episode, Pastor Joel attempts to answer this difficult question.
How do we resolve the tension that seems to exist between God’s sovereign election and a parent’s duty to train up their child in the way they should go? Is a child’s salvation the product of godly parenting? If not, does our parenting actually matter?
What does it mean for someone to be a “servant-leader?” Should Christians use this term? If so, what is the biblical support for “servant-leadership?”
Should Christians always submit to those in positions of civil authority? If not, what is the biblical criteria for Christians rebelling against the civil magistrate?
Pastor Joel, I understand, that according to Scripture, churches should be viewed as essential. However, does the Bible teach that churches are unique? In other words, is there something particular that occurs in the context of locally gathered churches that does not occur in Christian's private practices of piety?
There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding the subject of apostles. So do apostles still exist today as they did in Scripture? In this episode, Pastor Joel seeks to explain what an apostle is, and whether or not they still exist in the church today?
Surely, black lives matter because the Scripture clearly teaches that all lives matter. So how can Christians (especially white Christians) love and esteem black lives in a biblically faithful way?
Biblical Justice has four key components. It is truthful, impartial, proportional, and direct. So what does it mean for justice to be “direct?”
Biblical Justice has four key components. It is truthful, impartial, proportional, and direct. So what does it mean for justice to be “proportional?”
Biblical Justice has four key components. It is truthful, impartial, proportional, direct. So what does it mean for justice to be “impartial?”
Biblical Justice has four key components. It is truthful, impartial, proportional, and direct. So what does it mean for justice to be “truthful?”
There seem to be a lot of assertions being made regarding systematic oppression toward African Americans. Is there any validity to these assertions? If so, where is race-based, systematic oppression most prevalent in our nation?
According to Scripture, what does justice look like for George Floyd? Was Derek Chauvin justly charged? In this video, Pastor Joel addresses these questions and more.
In 1 Timothy 4:10, Paul says that God is "the savior of all people, especially those who believe." On the surface, this verse seems to be promoting some form of universalism. So how can we interpret this verse faithfully?
In what way is the Old Testament Law still relevant for Christians today? In this episode, Pastor Joel explains the 3 Divisions of the Law, as well as the 3 Uses of the Law for New Testament Christians.
Is there any form of Christian meditation? Is there any biblical basis for Christians practicing meditation?
When facing criticism, how can I discern if the criticism is valid or biased based on my youth? If I am being unfairly criticized due to my age, how should I properly respond?
The Bible says to "mourn with those who mourn." However, is there a certain criteria that must be met before Christians join others in mourning?
Is there a difference between the "sentiment" of Black Lives Matter and the official "movement" of Black Lives Matter? Can Christians support this movement? If not, can Christians support the sentiment without supporting the movement?
Should our goal be to get people to "love" Jesus? Or, should we simply attempt to get people to "know" Jesus? How can Christians love unbelievers without compromise?
When we offer criticism we express that something is lacking and requires our contribution. However, when we offer encouragement we acknowledge that success is present apart from our contribution. This often requires a great deal more humility.
Are there certain words that Christians should never use? Or, is our speech merely evaluated by its effects and our motives? In other words, what is wholesome speech according to the Bible?
Our culture seems to have an endless amount of definitions for love. But how does the Bible define love?
Although the Bible seems to say a fair amount in regards to marriage, it seems to say little to nothing about dating/courtship. Therefore, I have a pretty good idea about "how" to cultivate and sustain a healthy biblical marriage, but what biblical texts can I look to in order to identify "who" to marry?
Are the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 gender neutral? What I mean, should both male and female Christians embody all of the fruit of the Spirit listed in this text?
I recognize that gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit that every Christian should possess. However, how do I reconcile gentleness with Jesus who fashioned a whip to drive the money changers out of the temple?
I know Scripture says “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” So how should Christians view money?
How can I effectively fight against idolatry in my heart? All idolatry is rooted in some form of unbelief. In this episode Pastor Joel provides a biblical strategy for getting at the root of unbelief.
Pastor Joel, you are known for being an intense preacher. How would you respond to someone who says that it is the kindness of the Lord that leads us to repentance?
Pastor Joel, I have often heard people say, “Only God can judge me.” So my question is, is it always a sin for Christians to judge others?
Many of us personally know many unbelievers who seem to be good people. So how can we affirm the Doctrine of Total Depravity?
Many affirm the importance of passion and love for God, but neglect the importance of theology. What does the bible have to say about this?