06.28
Q: There seems to be a new church in every school around here. They all seem similar. How will they all make it? Are they just taking our members?
We don’t have too many churches in our area. Frankly, we’re losing ground with the growing population. Remember, most churches will have about 200-300 people attending IN THEIR HAY-DAY. My neighborhood has more people in it than that. So I ask myself, ‘Do we have a church for every three neighborhoods in the area (assuming 30% of the population will become believers and go to church)?’ The answer is, No. Frankly, I don’t think we grasp how many unchurched people live in our area.
Also, if some of our members feel called by God to help a church start, PTL! If you’ve ever been a part of a church plant, you know how hard it is to get going. And if our church members aren’t called by God, but are leaving because of sour grapes in their mouths, well… they probably need a fresh start and they may find it there.
Q: What are your thoughts on the Gifts of the Spirit?
Lots of thoughts… I love them. Enjoy them. Believe everyone has a couple of gifts, but there’s not one gift that we all have. I think all the gifts listed in the Bible are active today, but WCC doesn’t practice ‘tongues’ in our church service. If you don’t know your gifts, contact Kim Harris and find out more: kim@westcobbchurch.com
Q: How do people saved through general revelation gain assurance of their salvation?
Not sure that they do, but to find out if they do, you need to ask someone who’s never been exposed to the Bible and see how God does it.
Q: What do you do when you see God move around you but can’t feel Him yourself?
Join what you see Him doing. God wants to use you. Look for where He’s already moving and get involved with it. Feelings come and go, but God remains the same (PTL!).
Q: I find myself at a loss for words when describing WCC other than “home.” What do I tell people about our church and what it’s like?
I usually ask people, ‘when you think of church, what comes to your mind?’ If they describe a dysfunctional church, I then say, “WCC is the opposite of that. It’s hard to believe until you try it.” And btw… I like the term ‘home’. 
Q: Will people who die prior to Jesus coming back go to the new earth? Revelation seems like it will only be those raptured?
Yes. All Followers of Jesus Christ will be on the New Earth.
Q: If God has a plan for us but we don’t know what it is, how are we supposed to be his witnesses if we we don’t even have a clue where to start?
Start with prayer and ask for discernment. God has already put people in your life that He wants you to reach out to. After you pray for discernment, look around and stop ruling out the people who rub you the wrong way. Also, look for people who aren’t even on your radar right now. You’ll find your purpose as you reach out to people.
Q: What is a way to answer people who say that music with a beat is evil?
Simple… Ask them where it says that in the Bible.
Also as an fyi, ‘A Mighty Fortress Is Our God’ was written to a popular bar tune of the day and most 20th century hymns would be considered Satanic to people in the Early Church (because of the 7th chords in the them).
Q: Are barefoot running shoes really that comfortable?
Absolutely! They also make you look like a geek, but the results are incredible!
Q: What is wrong with gay marriage?
It is not God’s original plan. When we run from God and/or experience the hurts of life, it damages our soul, including the part that is our sexual identity. Because our sexual identity forms VERY early in life, when it’s damaged, people have a hard time recovering from that hurt. I am sympathetic toward people who struggle with the gay lifestyle and I had several friends in college who were gay. (I was a music major.) My heart goes out to them. There is so much hurt and anger in their lives. I hate it for them. I also don’t believe that they can ‘change’ overnight. That approach is too simplistic. In fact, I have a friend who struggled with the gay lifestyle for years and he spoke at our church several years ago. I may bring him back to talk again. And while they can’t ‘change’ overnight, they can repent of their sinful heart, trust Jesus’ love for them, and be open to the healing that Jesus can provide.
If this doesn’t answer your question, email me. I’d love to talk more…
Q: When scripture appears to be clear that believers will go through persecution why does it appear to be absent from the church in America?
LOL First, if you’re talking about the tribulation, I should say… It’s clear to ME that we will go through the tribulation. But there are many wonderful believers who disagree with me. (In fact, some of them go to our church and wanted equal time at the mic yesterday.) Frankly, this is one time when I hope that they’re right and I’m wrong.
If you’re talking about persecution in general, it’s simple. We don’t like to be persecuted, so we like it when people tell us what “our itching ears want to hear.”
Q: Why do some churches use wine and others use grape juice?
Some use wine because Jesus used wine. We use grape juice because we have recovering alcoholics who attend our services and we want them to be able to participate in communion.
Q: Can you address the importance of obeying your parents in God’s eyes?
Children should obey their parents or move out. It’s that simple. If you’re living with your parents and in a difficult situation, email me.
Q: Why does the Catholic church place so much importance on the veneration of Mary?
It all stems from the single biggest difference between the Catholic Church and our church… their view of what is authoritative truth. The Catholic Church believes that the Church leaders can issue edits that are equal in authority with the Bible. We do not believe that any edit of a church or group of churches is equal with the Bible. In an effort to avoid man’s influence into God’s Word, we believe the Canon of Scripture (i.e. the Bible) ‘closed’ at the end of the first century. All of our differences stem from this single issue.
Q: Do u believe people die and their spirit stays here on earth? If they do stay here why?
No. When we die, the spirits of believers go to be with God in a place that Jesus called, “Paradise”. The spirits of unbelievers go to a place that the Bible calls, “Hades”. When Jesus returns, He will reunite our spirits with our re-created bodies. I don’t know where Paradise and Hades are located, but it’s not here.
Q: Does the church believe in the death penalty?
The church takes no position on this issue. Frankly, you can argue either way with good biblical support. Personally, I do not support the death penalty, but MANY godly, loving people in our church do.
Why don’t I support the death penalty? Well, in my OPINION…
1. It’s not effective. The Bible says that punishment should be carried out quickly to be effective (Ecclesiastes). That doesn’t happen with our death penalty.
2. It’s not fair. Our judicial system is biased toward people with money. My heart grieves over people who have been exonerated with DNA evidence after years of incarceration. I know this group of innocent people represents a SMALL minority of those convicted, but if I were one of those wrongfully convicted, I’d want someone to care.
3. It’s too expensive. Our process has become waaaay too expensive. It’s cheaper to incarcerate someone for life.
BTW…. I do think our judicial system is a good system and I support it. It has terrific men and women who work hard to make the system as fair as possible and I really appreciate their efforts. But we are flawed humans, so our system is going to struggle with fairness… for convicts, as well victims. And remember… I’m a softy who ‘errs on the side of grace.’
We had MANY OTHER questions, but I’m tired, so I’m going to stop with this one. Thanks to everyone who participated in this series! We’ll do it again next year.
- Ken
