How we answer these questions can have a profound impact on the future spirituality (or lack of spirituality) of those impressionable children.

We have two choices when kids ask these questions:

1. We can attempt to explain as best we can these mysteries, doing some real research and soul searching ourselves so we can thoughtfully respond. We can take these children seriously as honest seekers who just want honest answers. We can expose them to a greater understanding of the fullness and complexity of God by digging deeper into the Bible with them.
2. We can tell them to stop asking questions and to just take it on faith…just believe. We could scold them as class disruptors. We could ridicule them and make them feel silly or stupid for asking questions. We could even punish them for having the audacity to question the teacher or to question God or the Bible.

Now, I hope you are equally shocked by even the possibility of responding the 2nd way as I am. You may even be saying, “Does that really happen? Are you serious?” I am.

I’ve encountered MANY atheists, agnostics, or non-believers who started out as children of Christians…going to Sunday School, Catholic school, or a private Christian school of some sort. They had questions…lots of them. How questions were answered, in many ways, determined their lack of belief.

There are people who can hear a simple truth and believe it without needing to dig much deeper. Jesus referred to this as the faith of a child in Mark 10:15.

Mark 10:13-15 (NIV)
¹³ People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.
¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
¹⁵ I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Then there are people, much like me, who require more intellectual responses. We don’t just WANT to understand…we NEED to understand.

So, how do you deal with intellectually leaning children…especially when they are young, confused, questioning…and yet still open?

Again, two choices. I  urge you to choose #1. Treat them like true seekers that are important enough for us to give a reasoned response….regardless of their age. If you don’t know the answer, tell them so. Work WITH them to find the answers.

Here is what happens when you rebuke a child with questions:

Here is a quote from author Stephanie D. Norris about her book called “Crisis of Religion” . “I could distinctly remember that as a little child (1st or 2nd grade), I instigated some probing questions into a couple Biblical issues that hoisted conflicting contradictions in my head. Instead of my Sunday school teacher answering my questions, and addressing my deep concerns, he conversely scolded me, hauling my rational queries over the coal. He then admonished me to desist from asking such probing questions anymore, but to just believe and accept whatever the church told me.”

Here is another quote from a conversation I had with another Atheist: “When I was 12, the nun who was my teacher grabbed me and shook me while telling me I would go to hell if I didn’t stop making trouble by asking questions in catechism class.”

The result is skepticism and disbelief…not faith. The result, more often than not, is a lost soul.

Here is the bottom line: We don’t need to fear questions. We don’t need to be ashamed or embarrassed when we don’t know the answer. There ARE answers for many of these questions…you must find the answers.

• We MUST NOT reject the person asking the questions (regardless of age).
• We MUST NOT ask these types of students to believe on faith…when they need more.
• We MUST NOT tell them to be quiet and just behave.

These children require special attention…yes MORE than you may have bargained for. It might require you finding answers yourself to questions you’ve never thought to ask. It might require a greater sacrifice of your time to invest in the lives of these special children (who God loves) to truly Disciple them…and teach them.

Being a teacher of children is serious business. How you respond to difficult questions can lead to a lost soul, or to an eternal blessing for generations to come. It’s your choice. Choose wisely.

Where to find answers? Google “Christian or Bible answers” and you will find many sources. Here is one source I found: http://www.rbc.org/bible-study/answers-to-tough-questions/home.aspx

Lastly, I invite you to share your stories with me. If you have a positive story about an inquisitive student who’s faith was strengthened after a teacher took the time to disciple them through their questions, please share it with me. If you have a story where questions were rebuked with negative consequences, I’d like to hear those as well. Email me at: brad@deeperbiblestudies.com.

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What makes difficult people tick? Do they find it hard to get along with everyone…or just select individuals?

This is an area where I admit openly…I don’t have a clue. Am “I” the one that’s actually difficult to get along with? Jesus, please help me to discern the truth!

Although I don’t have a reliable compass for navigating through such tough relationships, God does.

A few verses come to mind.

Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV)
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

The message? Forgive and keep on forgiving! Good advice.

Matthew 5:22-24 (NIV)
22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment…
23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

The message? Don’t become angry, even with those who seem to be looking for a fight. Don’t harbor a grudge and bitter feeling that will only prove to eat you from the inside. Such grudges are used by the Devil to separate us from God. Instead, sincerely seek reconciliation. If they aren’t open to reconciliation…put it behind you and do your best to live with love in your heart for them.

Here is another lesson worth following. When you get angry with someone, instead of gossiping about it with others (which only tends to make the problem larger than life), dig into God’s word. Allow God to speak to your heart and advise you on the matter. God’s council is infinitely wise and true.

So, what has been your experience in dealing with difficult people? What works? What doesn’t? From someone who desperately needs help in this area…what advise do you have?

For those of you who’ve never heard of “Tracts” or never seen one, it’s a small pamphlet that talks about Jesus and why we should confess our sins and accept His free gift of salvation and eternal life. Sounds harmless…and I think some are.

In this case, the tract was “over the top”. It was Scare tactics 101 – basically “you are a SINNER! and you WILL burn in a torturous and fiery eternal hell unless you repent right now!” It only gets worse from there.

After I read the Tract, I was seized by the question “Is this Good or Bad for Christianity’s reputation?” And, “Isn’t there a better way?”

Since stumbling upon that tract, I’ve discussed it on Facebook, chatted with friends, and tweeted about it. What I’ve heard is that YES…it does occasionally save people…no doubt about it.

However, the overwhelming majority of people I’ve talked to are repelled by such Tracts. As I’ve discussed such things with non-believers, it’s Tracts such as these that give Christianity a bad name, and a bad stereotype. It positions US as if we are in the judgment seat.

Instead of coming across as loving, we come across as judgmental…even hateful. Instead of showing God for the loving God that He his, we position Him as exclusively wrathful and angry. Non-believers are repulsed by such attempts to “save their soul”.

My opinion is these Tracts do more harm than good. Remember, it’s not about our “intent”. Non-believers are turned OFF by these…not turned ON. So much better is to relate to people in your circles of influence in a personal and real way…and show the Love of Christ.

But hey, we want to hear what you think!

• Comment about this below
• Send this to your friends and ask them what THEY think?
• Talk about this in your church community groups, life groups, small groups etc…

It’s a great way of saying, “I don’t know what I should do in this situation…but no matter, I should do what Jesus would do…so WWJD.”

So, we see a car stranded. Or we see a person in need. Or we have a conflict with a friend or family member. And we ask WWJD.

It’s great advice. Jesus is our role model…and it IS HE that we should emulate.

How many of us acknowledge what Jesus would do…but then don’t do it? It’s a BIG reason why non-Christians look at Christians and label us hypocrites.

We must not SAY one thing (talk the talk) and then NOT do it (not walking the walk).

So, I propose a NEW catch phrase: WIDWJWD – “Will I Do What Jesus Would Do?”

1 John 3:18 says “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

To be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, we must take action. Until we do this consistently, outsiders will continue to look at us as all talk, and no action.

So in the coming weeks, start asking yourself: WIDWJWD! And let me know how it works out.

To learn more about how you can LIVE your faith and walk the walk, visit this site.

One thing I keep seeing is situations where the person (the non-believer) finally tells their parents or friends…and BAM…rejection. Parents and friends stop talking to them (presumably because they are so hurt)..they are shunned.

It leaves me scratching my head in disbelief. I know it happens, but WHY?

God calls us to love each other. God calls us to take care of one another.

How do you think non-believers feel when us Christians, who are supposed to show unconditional love, about face and walk away from the relationship?

From reading the comments, it’s clear that it’s incredibly damaging…not just to the person who’s at a very vulnerable time (spiritual low you might say)…but also damaging to Christianity.

Our reputation should be one of loving people THROUGH a hard time in their life…not walking away. People should know us as the people who didn’t judge, didn’t condemn, didn’t shun.

So, I’ll ask the pink elephant in the room question here: Is there anyone in your family that you have severed relations with because they fell away from the church? Ask yourself…is that what God wants, or is this just my imperfect human way of dealing with difficult situations?

Reach out in love and rebuild the relationship. Don’t try to drag them to church, don’t have your pastor chat with them, don’t try to fix them…just love them and spend time with them. Show them God’s unconditional love and mercy by how you treat them.

Who knows…LIVING the Christian faith may be just the witness they need to someday return to the faith.

To learn more about how you can help reverse negative Christian stereotypes, visit http://www.changingthefaceofchristianity.com. When you get there, JOIN the cause.

Because Josh’s song affects me so much, I thought I’d share some of the lyrics and WHY they are so meaningful to me.

“Can you hear me when I’m calling out your name? I guess sometimes I get the feeling, that I’m all alone, that I’m doing this whole thing on my own…but then,

…you were right there when I need you the most, in the darkness when my hope is lost. I know, I know, that you hear me when I call.”

…and you tell me everything is gonna be OK, you’re right there, you’re right there, you’re right here…always!”

I think this song is so profound because I think of all the years I ran away from God…but He was right there ALWAYS. I had spent so much time running and denying Him that I was in darkness and couldn’t see. When I finally decided to seek Him it’s like the light switch was turned on and there He was…waiting for me.

God is like a loving Father who must be patient as he sees his child rejecting his help and trying to do it “all on my own”. He waits for us to swallow our pride and humbly ask for help. And then, instead of criticizing our pride or stubbornness, he embraces us in unconditional love.

Just like in Josh’s song, when I finally called out to God…He heard me and He forgave me. And now I have Him to walk with and talk with ALWAYS.

Do you ever feel like you are all alone, struggling to get through life all by yourself? Remember, God IS always there. He wants you to love Him just as much as He loves you. But because of His gift of Free Will, it’s a choice you have to make.

Even if you are a life-long Christian, I encourage you to seek Him with ALL of your heart…daily. When you feel like all hope is lost because of growing debt, a job loss, marital problems, or just life’s pressures…turn to God and He will be there.

If you’ve never heard Josh’s music, visit his page on myspace.

Thanks Josh for using your God given talents to bring Joy to my heart. God Bless.

God commands us to love one another (1 John 3:23). Love can be communicated in many different ways… by listening, by helping, through words of encouragement and hope, and through acts of selfless service. But love always starts with ”hello”. When you first meet someone, do you give them undivided attention, or are you looking for the next person to meet?

I can count on one hand the times in my life when I have witnessed someone giving consistent focused attention to a group of new people; treating each person as uniquely important. How about you?

We meet new people at the grocery store, at the pharmacy, standing in line for tickets to a show, waiting for a table at a restaurant, at a power-lunch or networking event, and even at church. How do you make people feel when you first meet them? My suggestion is to first make them feel important to you with your eyes. There are other suggestions, but this is a good first step.

In my church, there is a small time set aside at the beginning of service to ”go shake some hands”. This is where I have most often felt invisible to those new people I’m meeting. For some visualization, imagine you are in a dense fog and all you see coming at you is a hand. So, you start to extend your hand to meet theirs. Now, if you are like me, the next thing you do is look up and see whose hand it is.

This is the moment of truth. Will the person be looking at you as they shake your hand, or will they be looking left, right, or past you for the next hand? The goal is not to ‘’shake as many hands in the next 30 seconds as possible” and the winner gets a prize. It’s about connecting briefly with another human being.

I’m calling you to be the type of person who looks the other person in the eye. When they look up, they should see you looking at them and only them. While you say hello, continue to look at them. In that brief moment, make them feel important with your eyes.

Jesus Christ was quoted as saying ”If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20) The practical application today is this: How can you love others if you aren’t even willing to give them your brief undivided attention? If it’s tough to do this in church with fellow believers, how are you possibly going to make non-believers feel important when you meet them?

When it comes to evangelism and connecting with non-believers, I won’t suggest I have it all figured out. But I do know this: true evangelism starts with a loving relationship where the other person feels as important to you as they are to our heavenly Father. The first and possibly only chance you will get to develop such a relationship depends on your eyes. Where are they focused?

My plea is that you let the whole world turn into a thick fog where the only thing you see is the other person’s eyes. In that moment, choose to love them as our Father has commanded, through focused attention. Who knows? The next time you meet them they might actually remember your name and you might remember theirs.

• The illusion of getting ahead
• The sense of being important or known as “highly productive”
• The feeling of being in control of your future

If you actually got “ahead”, would you pause and rest a little…or just keep pressing forward to get even more “ahead”? Most of the people I know that are running around busy all the time, trying to be in control, actually appear the most out of control. Instead of having a balanced life, one thing usually dominates their life and everything else suffers.
It’s time to start living a new, joyful life. But first, let’s talk about what busyness really costs you.

• Busyness robs you of a deep connection and relationship with God. If you are too busy for your spouse, your kids, your extended family and friends, where will God end up on your priority list? How can you be sensitive to God’s voice if you are always on the go?
• Busyness robs you of quality time with friends and family. Busyness usually revolves around jobs, projects, tasks, or activities…not around the important people in your life. (Read Luke 10:38-42)
• Busyness robs you of time for reading the Bible and quiet times of contemplation and prayer. Even if you do make time for such things, you likely feel rushed to get through them…which diminishes the value and purpose behind them.

So, to achieve a close relationship with God, your family, and important friends, start living a new life. Here are three timeless principles for eliminating busyness in your life:

• Establish your priorities
• Learn to say NO!
• Lower the bar

Remember, what’s at stake here is your joy, and a deeper connection with God, and the important people in your life. Establish your priorities, learn to say No!, and lower the bar. Give this a try for 30 days and let me know what a difference it makes in your life. It’s guaranteed!

We all here these comments from time to time. The question is “Do you believe it?“  Are people just wishful thinkers, or is God really so intimately involved in our daily lives that he orchestrate events on our behalf?

In John Ortberg’s book “The Life You Always Wanted”, he posed a similar question that resonated with me: Why are people ok about praying TO God for everything…but seem skeptical and call people crazy when they suggest that He talked back?…as if God only hears and never speaks! Or in our case…why are they surprised when He responds through another person or event in our life?

I’m hear to tell you that God does speak to us, and I firmly believe that there are no coincidences. We don’t always recognize them at the time, but hindsight has a way of revealing them to us. I believe God CAN speak to us audibly (although it’s arguably more rare…and apparently not His preferred communication style). More often than not He speaks to us through other people, animals, events (coincidences), His Bible, a sunrise, the look  on the face of a small child, an innocent and unknowing question that strikes deep into our heart to address an issue we were struggling with, etc…

I have many stories of how God orchestrates “coincidences” to share over the coming months. However, I also want to hear your stories. If you have a story to share, please email it to brad AT deeperbiblestudies DOT com.

Many people come to such an epiphany when camping out in nature… and experiencing God’s creation outside of the man-made cities we all live in. They look at the moon, and stars and heavens and just stare in awe of God’s majesty.

So, here is a simple argument for the existence of God…that even an Atheist would have difficulty explaining with a non-God answer:

1) Look around you for a moment. Can you identify anything that is man-made…something that obviously God didn’t make? Take that house for example. Did God build it? No…an architect and a construction crew did right? How about that car? The good folks at Ford or Chevy built it right? Ok…here’s a tough one…how about those sneakers you are wearing? Did God make them, or did Nike make them? OK…it’s pretty easy to identify things that are man made right? We just KNOW by looking at them, and from our experiences during our lives we just KNOW that man made them.

2) Now, look down at the ground. Did man make the dirt? No. Now look at the sky. Did man make the sun, the moon, and the stars? No. Why do we just KNOW that man didn’t make them? Why do we not need a scientific method to prove that man did NOT make those things? Maybe it’s the good old common sense and experience that helped us know that our car was made by man. It’s just plain as day…man did NOT make the heavens and the earth.

Now, if we didn’t know for a fact that man made the house, the car, and the sneakers…we would probably start looking for a creator and eventually find someone who could be caught in the act of creating them. But we don’t need to….we just know.

Well, the same is true for the heavens and the earth. Man is simply not big enough, powerful enough, or resourceful enough to create ANY of it. But if man didn’t create them…then who/what did? Where did it all come from?

Now, some might say that the Big Bang created it all. Let’s assume the Big Bang theory is true. Did man create the Big Bang? I know that’s a tough one…but again, NO. So who/what did? What caused the Big Bang? Just keep going back far enough in time, and guess what? Man still didn’t have a finger in creating it. It’s 100% God. God did it…all of it. And then God created us humans and absurdly some of us say… “there is no God.” How laughable.