Pastor Ryan of Palm Valley Church: In order to answer the question of why do good things happen to bad people, we first need to determine: What categorizes a person as “bad?” Who are these bad people? How bad do you have to be to fall into this category? Where is the line? The more you think about it, the tougher it is to draw it. I mean, we can sort out extreme cases pretty easily in our minds: … [Read more...]
SPIRITUAL WARFARE: WHY ARE THERE BAD PEOPLE IN THE WORLD?
June 5, 2018 by
Why are there bad people in the world, like pedophiles, rapists and serial killers? Pastor Ryan of Palm Valley Church: The answer to this question is the same as the answer to the question, “Why are there bad people in the world, like liars, thieves and adulterers?” Contrary to popular belief, the Bible does not categorize bad behavior by degree of severity. ALL bad behavior is called sin, and … [Read more...]
ATAQ: How can I be so blessed and depressed at the same time?
April 26, 2018 by
Many times I’ve heard people say that they feel so blessed in their lives and so fortunate, yet they feel depressed and they don’t know why. Some of them feel guilty about it, and others are just confused. Well, I have news for you: Gratitude and depression are NOT mutually exclusive. How can this be true? First, consider genetics: Just like our parents can pass on their eye color or skin tone or … [Read more...]
SPIRITUAL WARFARE: PEOPLE IN REMOTE AREAS
April 22, 2018 by
"What about people in remote corners of the world who don't know of Jesus? Will they go to Heaven if they don't accept Christ? If it's our job to reach them, what happens if we can't get to them in time?" Pastor Ryan of Palm Valley Church: There are several different theological topics at play here. The first is salvation and how one receives it. The second is about our role in the salvation of … [Read more...]
ATAQ: How do I find peace?
October 17, 2017 by
Take a look at everything going on in the world these days, and it’s difficult to be at peace. What it comes down to is this: Being at peace is a personal decision. It’s not necessarily a logical one, but it’s a decision nonetheless. There are several things you can do to find peace within, and I’ll talk about those in a minute. Ultimately, though, it’s a simple decision that gets you there. … [Read more...]
SPIRITUAL WARFARE: PRAYER
October 1, 2017 by
Welcome to the inaugural post of my project with Pastor Ryan Nunez of Palm Valley Church! We are excited to start with a question on prayer today. Giving credit where it's due, I want to note that Pastor Ryan will be providing the majority of the content for these posts. I present him with the questions, edit and organize the content some and then chime in occasionally in the answers … [Read more...]
NEW PROJECT: SPIRITUAL WARFARE
September 29, 2017 by
Over my nearly 20 years of practice as a psychologist, I have encountered many people who have questions about Jesus, Christianity, God and the Bible. I, too, have had many questions over the years as I've tried to grow my faith and deepen my understanding of God. I've sought counsel over the years from various people and found it tremendously helpful in combating the enemy's attempt to draw me … [Read more...]
Tempted Much?
April 7, 2017 by
It's a daily struggle for every single one of us. Temptation comes in many forms. It may be a temptation to engage in a sinful behavior or to stay stuck in dark, negative thoughts that try to pull you away from God and his purpose for your life. What do we do with this challenge? We can't let our thoughts win. We have to shoot them out as quickly as they came in. In the words of Martin Luther, … [Read more...]
You Don’t Know Better Than God
April 7, 2017 by
"When you think you know better than God, that's like taking the baton from his hand when he's already finished the race and trying to beat his time." - Family Life Radio I love this analogy! So, what things do we do that indicate--whether we realize it or not--that we know better than God? There are many, but here are a few that came to mind when I heard this today: 1. Judgment: I'll say it … [Read more...]
Life Goal #467: Suck at hating.
April 7, 2017 by
If I have ever wanted to suck at anything, it is hating other people. No matter what a person does to you, living in unforgiveness is a choice--and an exhausting one at that! Not to mention that it only hurts you. The person you choose to forgive may not know--or even care!--that they need your forgiveness. Why continue to suffer at the hands of that offender by letting them remain in control of … [Read more...]
