One of the major problems with the church is that it has been obsessed with answering questions that no one is asking.
People are not showing up week in and week out wanting to know what happened to the goat in Leviticus, what the significance of the Ark of the Covenant is or with the desire to really break down the peccability/impeccability issue in regards to Jesus.
People want real, practical help with their lives. They want to know if the Bible can be trusted, if God is real ... and if so then could He help out with a busted up marriage, a child that is out of control or the fact that a job loss has created unbelievable financial stress in the home.
So, several months ago we began asking you here at NewSpring Church to submit questions about what you would really like to dive into on a Sunday. After we had the questions, we sorted them into categories, created a website and asked people to vote on what they wanted to talk about, and more than 25,000 votes were cast.
This Sunday, we begin what might be one of the most intense series we’ve ever launched at NewSpring as we take a look at what the Bible says about some of the most controversial cultural and religious issues in our day. We chose to preach these in reverse order ... so we are beginning with the sixth most popular questions and working our way down to No. 1. Here are the weeks and the subjects we will be talking about:
Week No. 1—Is Interracial Dating & Marriage Wrong? Some of my friends from other parts of the country were left scratching their heads when they found out about this one. They were very surprised by it; however, I must admit I wasn’t surprised at all. Racial tensions are strong in the southeastern part of the U.S., and we’ll dive into why those tensions exist and what the Bible says about this subject.
Week No. 2—Can I Be A Christian And Continue To Struggle With The Same Sin? Some say yes, some say no ... and we say it’s a subject we’ll explore
Week No. 3—Are We Living In The End Times? This is one of the most talked about/disputed issues in church world today, but it doesn’t have to be; Scripture makes some things very clear in regards to this issue. If Jesus returns before this weekend takes place, then you know the answer to this question was “yes.”
Week No. 4—Can You Lose Your Salvation? There are very godly, wise people on both sides of this issue and it has always caused a lot of controversy in the church. However, when we dive into the Scriptures, we see that it does not have to be that complicated.
Week No. 5—Can A Christian Smoke, Drink & Watch A Rated R Movie? This one will be fun. We might throw the subjects of cussing and Rock & Roll music in just to make it more interesting.
Week No. 6—What’s The Big Deal About Homosexuality & Gay Marriage? This was the most popular question by far! It is one of the most controversial issues in our day. The safe thing to do is avoid it, but the right thing to do is talk about it. It will be a great Sunday.
Well, there you go ... hoping that you will pray for us as we prepare for this series. Perhaps your church can explore these topics as well.
Perry Noble is the founding and senior pastor of NewSpring Church in South Carolina. The church averages 25,000 people during weekend services at multiple campuses throughout the state. Perry is a gifted communicator and teacher, convicted about speaking the truth as plainly as possible. God has given him a vision and a passion for helping people meet Jesus, and each week he shares God’s Word and its practical application in our daily lives.
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