Our Blog

Filter By:
Showing items filed under “Students”

Family Ministry Moment - February 2025

main image

Recently, Christian apologist, Wesly Huff, debated social media skeptic, Billy Carson, on Mark Minard's podcast, Elevating Beyond.  Honestly, before this debate made headlines, I had never heard of these three men.  As I listened to the episode a couple of things became clear to me very quickly.  First, Wes Huff is a smart, well-researched, and overall nice guy who did a great job of representing Christians.  Second, Billy Carson was exposed in his lack of knowledge about Christian history and biblical veracity.  You can view the entire debate along with many other informative videos at www.wesleyhuff.com.  

During the debate, there were many questions answered by Huff, but toward the end, Carson and Minard, who are good friends, went back and forth about what is essentially “the problem of evil and suffering.” They did not explain it like this but that is what they were discussing. The sad part is they did not allow Huff to respond appropriately to this question, as Carson had to leave the interview at a predetermined time. 

The “problem of evil” question is one of the most frequently used questions to deny the existence of the Christian God.  The skeptic reasons that because evil exists God can not be both good and all-powerful.  If He is good and all-powerful then He would not allow the sin and suffering of the world.  Carson did not articulate this in a straightforward manner.  He talked more about how the Bible has perpetuated suffering so it could not have been created by the loving God that Christians espouse.  He obviously denies the presence of the Christian God and even suggests that the scriptures were more likely to have been written by the devil rather than God.  

“The problem of evil” question often puts the responsibility of all actions back on God and often refuses to make the people committing the evil responsible for their actions.  It presupposes that God refused to do anything and therefore is condemning the innocent and guilty alike.  The reality is we are all guilty of sin.  The skeptic does not fully understand the true nature of God and the true nature of man.  

The Bible teaches us that God’s nature is one of holiness and truth.  God is just and right in all things.  It also teaches us that man is sinful; there is not one person that is innocent before the Lord. The Bible always presumes the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man.  This means that all people are deserving of God’s wrath, but as much as God is just He is also merciful.  This is proven by the fact that God doesn’t just pour out His wrath immediately and destroy us all.  He is kind, patient, and merciful to allow us to continue to exist.

What many people miss is the extremely offensive nature of sin.  Sin is so much more offensive to God than we even imagine.  In the Bible, God likens our sin to committing adultery.  Adultery is one of the worst sins a married person can commit, so when we understand it in that context, we can see how outrageous our sin is to God.

“The problem of evil and suffering” has been caused by humans and continues to be perpetuated by humans; however, this doesn’t answer the question of why God doesn’t do anything about it.  The reality is He did!  God could have left us in our sin condemned for all eternity but in His infinite wisdom and mercy, He sent Jesus, God incarnate, to be the sacrifice for our sins.  God took care of the problem of evil when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave. The only requirement for salvation is faith.  When you place your faith in Jesus He becomes your Lord and Savior.  You commit your life to follow Him.  The issue of faith can be hard to wrap your mind around; I believe that many skeptics remain so because they can’t take the step of faith required to follow God.

The lesson for us in all of this is it is okay to ask questions, even big questions about faith and God.  I hope that in your search you find good resources that are full of truth.  Billy Carson is not one of those people.  He deals in half-truths and outright lies.  Wesley Huff, while admittedly I have not listened to all of his stuff, seems to be someone who can be trusted.  Find trusted resources to help you navigate the tough questions for yourself and to help you reach the lost.  We can never forget our mission to make disciples of all nations and sometimes that means addressing big questions of life.

Posted by Bryan Gotcher with

Student Life - February 2025

main image

This month, I wanted to share a passage of Scripture that really has encouraged me lately. I led a devotion for a volleyball game with this passage a couple of weeks ago, but this Scripture still sticks in my head and uplifts me. Each time I read the passage, it never gets old. And for me, these verses help strengthen me in my walk with Christ. The passage of Scripture I’m referring to is Psalm 23 and I want to include it here for you to see. 

1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
    for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

This chapter is incredibly beautiful, peaceful, helpful, encouraging and comforting to me. This chapter shows us the incredible love, trustworthiness and leadership God has over our lives. If we walk in relationship with God through His Son, then this chapter was written for us. The Lord provides everything to us, we just walk and live with Him. This speaks tremendously to our relationship to the Father. He provides so much for us that our cup “overflows” (v.5). This means we are well taken care of. This chapter explains we can find peace with God, overcome fear with God, receive prosperity with God, receive guidance with God and receive eternity with God. Truly, our cup
overflows. So, what do we have to give in return to God or what do we have to give to earn this fortune? There’s nothing we can give, do, or earn to receive this fortune. The only thing we have to do is make God the Lord of our lives. That’s truly it.

This text is beautiful to me because I have walked through some really great seasons of life and some really bad seasons of life. In these seasons, there are three truths from this Scripture that speak truth to me. In both periods of my life, the Lord was with me, and goodness and mercy followed me. This is hard to admit when you are in a tough season, but the Lord showed me how just having Him with me was more than enough I needed for the day. I did not need what I thought I needed at that time, I just needed the Lord and turns out my cup would overflow. The second truth I see is when I acknowledge the Lord as my Shepherd, I truly do not want nor need anything after that. I already have everything I need if the Lord is my Shepherd who is caring for me and guiding me. And I am incredibly grateful for that care and guidance. Lastly, the final truth
I see is the Lord’s providence over me. He constantly prepares what He desires for me. He gives restoration, strength, comfort, care, goodness and mercy. On top of all that, He gives us a home to return to. He gives us community with Him for eternity, in His house.

Everything I have been able to observe and write here in this article has come from Psalm 23. I do not say that to boast, but to show you the overwhelming amount of love and care our Heavenly Father has for us. This love and care has been bought for us and made available to us through His Son Jesus. None of this would be possible without Christ. And we can see the Gospel through Psalm 23. This Psalm is incredibly beautiful and encourages me greatly. I write this to you in hopes that it also encourages you and shows you the great love that the Lord has for His creation. I pray that you would consider these truths and be strengthened by them.

Posted by Alex Kilgore with

Previous12345678910 ... 5556