20 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 82)

Aug 12, 2022

Dive into a lively Q&A covering intriguing topics like the biblical view on retirement savings, the significance of communion elements, and the nature of Christ's presence in believers. Explore the concept of God-given rights through a biblical lens and discuss the sensitive art of evangelism. Discover how forgiveness and divine calling shape faith, along with the important distinction between testing by God and human temptation. This mix of personal anecdotes and theological insights promises to enrich your understanding!

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Intro

00:00 • 4min

The Rich Fool: Wealth, Generosity, and Retirement Preparedness

03:51 • 10min

Exploring Faith, Wine, and Community

14:08 • 13min

Exploring God-Given Rights in the Biblical Context

26:42 • 7min

Navigating Guilt and Sensitivity in Evangelism

33:13 • 33min

Faith, Forgiveness, and Divine Calling

01:05:59 • 24min

Understanding Testing and Temptation

01:30:25 • 11min

My goal is to help you on the road to thinking biblically about everything.

LINKS I MENTIONED:

Help for Jehovah's Witnesses playlist
Penal Substitution Series
What the Bible teaches about Alcohol
Here's the link for my next video in the Women in Ministry series. This is part 9 and we will be covering the claim that many egalitarians make that there is no authority imbalance in marriage and the idea of "wives submit" has been misunderstood throughout time; it should really be understood, they say, as "mutual submission." This issue is massively important since it impacts every Christian marriage!

https://BibleThinker.org

0:00 - Intro

0:30 {Are Retirement Savings Sinful?} Based off of the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21) and the story in Matthew 19:21, do you think it is sinful to save up for retirement?
14:59 {Communion Elements/Did Jesus Drink Wine?} My family and I attend a church that is in fellowship with an organization that uses water during communion instead of wine or grape juice. They attempt to use John 19:34 to justify this, and they also believe Jesus never consumed wine. Is this biblical?
21:10 {Does Jesus Live in Us?} Would it be accurate after reading 1 Corinthians 6:19 & 2 Corinthians 13:5 to state that both the Holy Spirit and Jesus live in the believer?
26:40 {Are “God-Given Rights” Biblical?} Does the Bible say anything about "God Given Rights,” at least the way many Americans use the phrase?
33:20 {When & How to Evangelize} I want everyone to be saved & I feel guilty if I don't share the Gospel with every person I see. How do I know when I should share the Gospel & how do I start the conversation?
38:08 {Is the Curse of the Ground Still Active?} In what way did Noah bring relief from the curse of the ground (Genesis 5:28-29)? Am I mistaken in thinking the curse still seems active today (Genesis 3:17-19; 8:21)?
43:47 {What is a False Teacher?} What do you think is the biblical definition of a false teacher? People's interpretations of this vary widely. I’d just like to have a fresh pair of eyes on it.
47:58 {About Fantasy Entertainment} What is your stance on fantasy entertainment which utilizes pagan/made up religions such as GoT, Lotr, Zelda, Hercules, or Valheim? Isn’t it promoting Idolatry?
52:05 {Safeguarding Ourselves While Witnessing} I have felt God call me to minister to the JWs, and He has opened doors for me to do so. What should I do to make sure my faith is not endangered when I am doing ministry? I meet with them tonight.
56:21 {How does Our Will Intertwine with God’s?} In Genesis 20:4-6, Abimelech seems to think he didn’t touch Sarah out of his own will, but God says HE didn’t allow it. Any insight on the intersection between our will and God’s hand making stuff happen?
1:01:29 {How did Jesus Pay in Advance for our Sin?} I'm not sure about penal substitution. How can it be that my sins, which were not yet committed at the time of the crucifixion, could have been imputed to Christ on the cross?
1:06:43 {Discerning God’s Calling from Our Feelings?} How can I tell the difference between when God is truly calling me to something or if I am just searching for signs?
1:11:44 {Is Being Baptized in a Special Location More “Spiritual”?} Is it wrong to think being baptized in the Jordan River could be special?
1:14:23 {What does it Look Like to “Renounce All” for God?} How should we live out Luke 14:33?
1:20:26 {Should False Teachers be Shown Less Grace?} I've been told that when witnessing to groups such as the LDS (Mormons), a rebuke is better than a conversation because of Acts 13:8-10. Should false teachers be shown less grace than non-believers?
1:23:56 {Will Sin Send Some Believers to Hell?} Is Matthew 5:30 referring to believers? How do we reconcile this with "There is no condemnation in Christ"?
1:25:18 {Are the Ceremonial Laws Gone?} Where do we see in Scripture that the old ceremonial laws are gone?
1:26:50 {How Important are Legal Marriage Papers?} Help, Mike. I need a Bible verse to help a Christian couple who are cohabitating and have 4 kids, but don’t want to marry. They say faithfulness is more important than marriage papers.
1:29:07 {Should we Pray for those who Pass Away?} I just lost a friend to an overdose. I don't think she was a believer. Should I pray for her mercy or is there no point after death?
1:30:56 {Does God Tempt?} God tests/tempts Israel and Abraham. But James says God doesn't test/tempt. How can we make sense of this?
1:33:45 {Health/Prayer Update} Pastor Mike, can you give us an update on your personal health and sleep troubles?