I wanted to like audiobooks. I really did. I’d put one on in the car with the best of intentions- only to find my thoughts drifting elsewhere. Time and again, I’d realize I’d zoned out, the book having faded into background noise minutes earlier. 

That changed during a three-and-a-half-hour ride home from my sister’s house in New Hampshire. My wife, Tiff, and I decided to try listening to an audiobook together. It was Christian Fiction – some sort of murder/mystery type book. We got hooked and listened for most of the ride home between the kids’ chorus of “How many more minutes ‘til we’re home?” and “I really have to go to the bathroom.” 

We found ourselves wanting to continue the story. So, whenever we had a few spare minutes—usually after putting our four kids to bed—we’d listen together. It became a fun, cool hobby for us to do together. 

Then something really fascinating happened. We realized that, though we were listening to the same story, we were consuming it in dramatically different fashion. Tiff was dialed in—analyzing motives, piecing together clues, and forming theories. Me? I was just enjoying the ride. When she asked me who I thought had committed the murder, my honest answer was “I don’t know.” No theories. No guesses. I joked, “You know if we keep listening, they’ll tell us exactly who did it, right?” 

Meanwhile, Tiff laid out her predictions, pointing out “breadcrumbs” the author had left along the way. And—of course—she was right about basically everything.

That’s when I thought: Challenge accepted. I decided to write her a short story—maybe 1,000 words—with a twist that would both surprise and delight her.

And I did.

I think most people who know me would call me a storyteller, but I never saw myself writing fiction. I knew enough to realize I’d need to do some research, so I dove into podcasts and books about crafting short stories. Two weeks later, I had something ready. I read it aloud to Tiff—and she loved it.

Encouraged, I shared the story with a few friends from church. To my surprise, a couple said it brought them to happy tears. I later shared it with my email subscribers and on social media.

That’s when I started hearing: “We loved the story… so what happens next?”

Around this time, Tiff and I were still enjoying audiobooks together. I couldn’t help but notice the contrast between those and the essays I’d written for classes toward my Master’s in Apologetics at Liberty University—papers that sat gathering dust on Tiff’s nightstand. While she might skim them, they weren’t exactly her leisure reading.

(A quick note: apologetics isn’t about apologizing for Christianity! It comes from the Greek word apologia, meaning “a rational defense.” It’s all about the evidence that Christianity is true.)

Then the pieces started falling into place. There are countless believers who would benefit from learning how to defend their faith—but many have no desire to wade through dense, academic non-fiction.

But they love novels.

That thought took me back to an Instagram poll I’d conducted, asking my followers: “Other than the Bible, what book do you most recommend to other Christians?” Over 1,200 people responded in just three days. Here were the top ten:

10. This Present Darkness by Frank E. Peretti

9. (Tie) Tactics by Greg Koukl and Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas

8. More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell

7. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

6. Confessions by Augustine

5. The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer

4. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan

3. The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

2. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

1. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

The top two stood out. They were, far and away, the most recommended. As I reflected on it, it hit me: both were apologetics books- one fiction and one non-fiction. I thought, “Of course a Christ-follower could use both formats to communicate truth. Jesus did, too!”  Jesus taught people using parables on the assumption that what is true in one realm (the natural) was also true in another realm (the spiritual). 

The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I realized I could use storytelling to convey the same life-changing evidence for Christianity that I explore in my non-fiction work.

As the idea took root in my mind and my heart, I studied how to structure a novel. The initial short story became Chapter One of what would eventually be a 50,000+ word journey.

There’s a principle in Christian writing known as “Finding Your Timothy,” based on Paul’s letters to Timothy. Paul wrote to one person, yet billions have been blessed by his words (of course, having the Holy Spirit as your co-author doesn’t hurt!). The idea is simple: if you can thrill your target reader—your Timothy—you can resonate with many. 

Well – I knew exactly who my Timothy was. Every week I would deliver her chapters of the book as if they were new episodes for her to enjoy. Her reactions, feedback, and excitement helped guide me in crafting the story.  

I had read all 10 of the most-recommended Christian books and drew inspiration from each. I understood what kinds of stories believers love—and I knew I was crafting something my Timothy would adore.

It’s been a journey, for sure. One which I cannot wait to take the next step in on Tuesday 2/25 when the book formally launches. 

The rest, as they say, is history.

And now, that history leads us here—to the launch of Dear Judas on Tuesday, February 25.

Tiff loves the final product. It’s unapologetically written from a biblical worldview—so much so that the cover states outright: A Christian Novel.

I’ve sent advanced reader copies to Christians from all different backgrounds. The reactions have been breathtaking. Much of the feedback has come in the form of personal messages, but my readers are now posting their thoughts HERE at Goodreads. (I’d love for you to check them out and add Dear Judas to your TBR list!)

You can read a brief synopsis on my website HERE.

And stay tuned—launch week will feature special pricing on both the eBook and paperback, along with free bonus content for everyone who purchases during that first week. (Did someone say audiobook?)

Ultimately, my goal for Dear Judas is the same as everything in my ministry: to glorify God, advance His Kingdom, and help depopulate hell. I pray it’s an entertaining, thought-provoking, and uplifting read for you.

–James

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If you’d like to spread the word, feel free to forward the blog post version of this email or share the link directly. Every share helps build excitement leading up to launch day—thank you!

Introduction

God reveals Himself through nature, history, and humanity (General Revelation) and mighty deeds, divine speech, and the incarnation of Christ (Special Revelation).The Creator of the universe invites His creation to know Him, saying, “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness on earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23-24, English Standard Version). God’s delight in love, justice, and righteousness is a testament to His goodness, the truth of which is recorded in Scripture. This sermon will examine the goodness of God as revealed in the Bible through His attributes of being holy, just, merciful, and faithful. 

Attribute 1: Holiness

God is holy. Scripture records the seraphim in the throne room calling out to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). God’s holiness refers to Him being separate, set apart, and unique. As theologian Millard Erickson explained, there are two main aspects to this attribute. One is that God is completely unique and separate from His creation. The other is that God is absolutely pure and separate from all evil and sin. God’s perfection, therefore, “is the standard for our moral character and the motivation for religious practice. The whole moral code follows from His holiness.” God’s very nature is the standard of moral perfection. 

Charles Ryrie offers an analogy to explain God’s holiness, asking, “What does it mean to be healthy? It is the absence of illness, but also a positive infusion of energy. Holiness is the absence of evil and the presence of positive right. In God, His holiness is a purity of being and nature as well as of will and act.”He is separate from and unblemished by all that is sinful, wicked, and evil.

Some believe that by coming to Christ, their worldly problems will go away, and they will always be happy. Yet, suffering continues in our fallen world. Norman Geisler utilizes God’s holiness to address this problem of evil. It follows that a Holy God would demand holiness of His children. Geisler explains, “Since God is a moral being who made us moral beings like Himself and wants us to be morally perfect like Himself (Matthew 5:48), it is understandable that He would be more interested in our character than our comfort; more concerned about our holiness than our happiness.”

Followers of Christ are expected to model God’s holiness. Scripture teaches believers to “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). Further, as pointed out by Wayne Grudem, the Apostle Paul “encourages Christians to be separate from the dominating influence that comes from close association with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) and then encourages them, ‘Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God’” (2 Corinthians 7:1).This is why Grudem classifies God’s holiness as one of His “communicable attributes.” That is, it is an attribute that is more shared with us than His “incommunicable attributes,” which would be things like His eternity, unchangeableness, and omnipresence.

Recognizing the holiness of God is of mission-critical importance in communicating the Gospel. This is sometimes referred to as the most terrifying truth in scripture because recognizing God’s holiness corresponds with a new understanding of the depth of one’s depravity. Elmer Towns explains, “When we realize God is so holy that he must judge all sin, we begin to understand the necessity of coming to God through Jesus Christ. When Jesus hung on the cross and cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46), God was actually unable to look upon his own Son as He died, bearing our sins. An understanding of the holiness of God reminds us of the degree to which God loves us.”

Attribute 2: Justice

God is just. Scripture proclaims that “His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4). The justice of God reveals that He is a morally perfect and righteous judge. He declares this of Himself through the prophet Isaiah, “I the Lord speak the truth; I declare what is right” (Isaiah 45:19). This declaration of God as sovereign judge stings the postmodern ears of those who believe each individual may live “their truth.” Ultimately, objections to God’s justice reflect man’s desire to be their own god, which has been exploited by Satan since the Garden of Eden when he said to Eve, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be just like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). 

Ryrie points out two aspects of God’s justice. The first is His absolute righteousness, which is in relation to Himself, and the second is His relative righteousness, which is in relation to His creation. He explains that “there is no law either within His own being or of His own making, that is violated by anything in His nature. In relation to His creatures… there is no action He takes that violates any code of morality or justice.”He is perfect. 

Erickson notes, “Not only does God himself act in conformity with his law, but he also administers his kingdom in accordance with it. That is, he requires that others conform to the law.”God expects His followers to model His justice just as He does with his holiness. Grudem explains, “As a result of God’s righteousness (or justice), it is necessary that He treat people according to what they deserve. Thus, it is necessary that God punish sin, for it does not deserve reward; it is wrong and deserves punishment.”This can be a bitter pill to swallow for those who do not accept the reality that they are sinners in need of a Savior. 

It is through the Savior, Jesus Christ, that we find what Daniel Akin refers to as the clearest view of God’s justice. He explains that “Jesus, who was innocent, willingly took on himself the punishment and judgment due to others who were guilty. The Apostle Paul explains, ‘God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God’ (2 Corinthians 5:21). God’s just requirements were fulfilled at the sacrifice of Christ on the cross because God punished the sin of all who would be justified by faith (Romans 3:25-26). God and His ways are just, and he justifies sinners through faith in Jesus.”

Norman Geisler points out the divine dilemma that arises from God’s justice, noting that “God’s infinite justice demands that he punish our sins, but because of his infinite love he has taken the punishment on himself (Isaiah 53:4, 10, 12; Romans 3:26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24). This is the only way he could remain just and still justify sinners (John 14:6; Romans 3:26).”In His righteousness, God will punish all of the sins of His people. But, in His love, He became a man. 

Attribute 3: Mercy

God is merciful. Scripture reveals He is “rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Erickson explains that this refers to God’s “tenderhearted, loving compassion for his people. It is his tenderness of heart toward the needy. If grace contemplates humans as sinful, guilty, and condemned, mercy sees them as miserable and needy.”

God’s mercy speaks to His goodness toward those suffering and in distress. It speaks to showing pity and compassion. As an example, Grudem points out that “The two blind men who wish Jesus to see their plight and heal them cry, “Have mercy on us, Son of David” (Matthew 9:27).Jesus, the miracle-working healer, does indeed have mercy because the men have faith. He opens their eyes, saying, “According to your faith, be it done to you” (Matthew 9:29). 

Geisler speaks to God’s mercy as it relates to His justice. He clarifies that “God’s mercy is not a passion or emotion that negates His justice. Mercy so construed would be a defect in God. It would make Him weak and inconsistent with Himself, unfit to be a judge.”Yet God is a righteous and merciful judge, the judge of the living and the dead. 

God’s mercy is far-reaching. Towns details how His mercy is available to a wide range of individuals. The Bible speaks of mercy to the church (2 Corinthians 1:3), mercy to believers (Hebrews 4:16), mercy to Israel (Isaiah 54:7), and mercy to those who are called (Romans 9:15, 18). The mercy of God is demonstrated according to the will of God. ‘And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy to on whom I will show mercy (Exodus 33:19).”

As with His holiness and justice, God expects His children to emulate His mercy in our dealings with others. In fact, the Lord Jesus Christ taught in His Sermon on the Mount that “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). 

The ultimate demonstration of God’s mercy is the salvation of His people. Akin explains, “The Bible pictures God coming into our lives, taking us just as we are because He is abundantly merciful (Ephesians 2:1-10). Those involved in the work of evangelism and missions must recognize that salvation is of God, yet men and women must respond to God’s grace. Only persons who have heard the good news and who have been enabled by God’s Spirit to respond to this good news are transformed by grace. We affirm the priority of God’s initiating grace while emphasizing both the human responsibility to share the good news of Jesus Christ and the need for men and women to believe the good news (Romans 10:5-17).”

Attribute 4: Faithfulness

God is faithful. Simply put, He keeps all His promises. He is completely reliable. Scripture teaches to “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, to a thousand generations” (Deuteronomy 7:9). 

Grudem explains the two major takeaways from God’s faithfulness, which go hand in hand.The first is that the God of the Bible is the one true living God, and therefore any other so-called “god” is an idol. The Lord Jesus Christ affirms this, saying, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). What follows from this is the second takeaway, which is that “Gods words are both true and the final standard of truth. This means God is reliable and faithful in His words. With respect to His promises, God always does what He promised to do, and we can depend on Him to never be unfaithful to His promises.”

Ryrie connects God’s faithfulness with the reliability of the Bible, saying, “Because God is true, He can do nothing inconsistent with Himself. His promises can never be broken or unfulfilled (see 2 Tim 2:13), and the Bible, which is His word, must also be inerrantly true.”God is faithful; therefore, His word is true. 

In addition to keeping His promises, God expects His followers to keep their promises also. Erickson points out, “they must keep not only the promises made to God (Psalms. 61:5, 8; 66:13) but those made to their fellow humans as well (Joshua 9:16–21).Of course, the children of a promise-keeping God are expected to be faithful. 

Geisler paints a beautiful picture of God’s faithfulness on the basis that those who seek Him find Him (Hebrews 11:6). Accordingly, “if someone is lost in the darkness of a jungle and sees even a small light, he should follow it. And if he does, it gets bigger. If he turns his back on the small light (of nature), he will find himself lost in the darkness.”

Ultimately, God’s faithfulness shines through the light of His Gospel. Akin explains, “But the gospel of God in the ministry and preaching of Jesus, as well as in the technical sense in reference especially to His death and resurrection, has a long backstory full of hope, failure, and surprising twists, and behind it all the merciful faithfulness of the one true creator God who is acting to rescue His world. 

Conclusion

In examining God’s goodness, it is important to keep in mind that the infinite Creator of the universe is not just an assemblage of attributes. Theologian Charles Ryrie, who uses the term “Perfections” rather than “Attributes of God” because every attribute of God is perfect, explains, “The various ‘Perfections’ of God are not component parts of God. Each describes His total being.”He is perfectly holy, perfectly just, perfectly merciful, and perfectly faithful. God is good. 

This is an excerpt from my book, “From Profit to Purpose.” To continue reading, click here.

I’ve heard it said that, with the change of one letter, millions of people would immediately change their view of Christianity. And that letter is “a.” These people would change their view if Christians would only proclaim Jesus to be a savior instead of the Savior.

Adherents of this view often practice what is known as a “Buffet Religion.” As opposed to following one of the traditional world religions, buffet religions treat spiritual beliefs like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Under the guise of “tolerance,” adherents mix and match their preferred beliefs to create their own personalized religion. The results of this type of pluralistic worldview in America are evidenced by a Newsweek Poll on the topic. Amazingly, 79 percent of respondents believe that someone of a different faith can get to heaven.[1]

This is a direct attack against the uniqueness of Jesus because Jesus did not claim to be a way to God. Rather, He claimed to be “the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6, English Standard Version).” Not to be misunderstood, He went on to declare that “no one comes to the Father but through me (John 14:6).” Buffet religions, which focus more on the sincerity of the believer than the objective truth of the underlying belief, run in diametric opposition to these exclusive claims of Christ.

Some, seeking to justify the creation of a buffet religion, claim that Jesus did not see Himself as the unique Son of God. This is an attempt “to create God in our own image, instead of the other way around.”[2]

Jesus did not teach a “make your own” salvation.  He claimed to be the door to salvation for His sheep (John 10:7). And lest one fall into the temptation to diminish the exclusivity of that claim, He goes on to say that “there will be one flock, one shepherd (John 10:16).” Jesus is the good shepherd. Further, He specifically claimed that how people react to Him will impact their eternity. “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven (Matthew 10:32).”

As would be expected, the Apostles echoed Jesus’ clear teaching of His uniqueness. John reiterates that “No one who denies the Son has the Father (1 John 2:23) and Peter preached that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:13).

The scripture is clear, and I believe Jesus is who He said He is.   

[1] J. P. Moreland and Tim Muehlhoff, The God Conversation : Using Stories and Illustrations to Explain Your Faith, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017), 71, ProQuest Ebook Central.

[2] Moreland and Muehlhoff. The God Conversation, 62.

I am going to argue that Scientific Naturalism is beset with critical shortcomings when we examine various scientific, philosophical, and historical arguments for the existence of God. Perhaps most conspicuous is that Naturalism, by definition, rules out the possibility of the supernatural ahead of time! As indicated by the name, Naturalists presuppose that only natural causes (not supernatural) should be considered to explain reality. As we will examine shortly, this bias ultimately leads the Naturalist to a recurring position, which can be summarized as, “We don’t yet have a natural explanation, but it’s not your God.” Again, God has been ruled out ahead of time. Let’s examine the data.

1. Naturalism fails to identify the cause of the universe. Naturalists concede that, while the Big Bang is their preferred theory, they cannot actually identify the origin of the Big Bang. The standard Naturalist argument is, “Just because we don’t know the cause of the Big Bang does not mean it was your God.” Fair enough, but there is much that we can know about the cause. Since an infinite series of causes is logically impossible, the cause must itself be uncaused. Since time, space, and material came into being at the Big Bang, the cause must be timeless, spaceless, and immaterial. Since the cause created the universe, it must be astoundingly powerful and intelligent. Moreover, finally, since the cause chose to bring the universe into existence at a finite point in time, it must be personal. As summed up by Dr. William Lane Craig, the Kalam Cosmological argument “gives us powerful grounds for believing in the existence of a beginningless, uncaused, timeless, spaceless, changeless, immaterial, enormously powerful Personal Creator of the universe.”^[1] This argument may not, on its own, prove that the cause of the universe is the God of the Bible, but it sure sounds like Him.

2. Scientific Naturalism fails to recognize the most plausible explanation for Cosmic Fine-Tuning, which is design. The argument is as follows: 

1. The fine-tuning of the universe is due to either physical necessity, chance, or design. 
2. It is not due to physical necessity or chance. 
3. Therefore, it is due to design

We can rule out physical necessity because the evidence shows that a universe is much more likely to be life-prohibiting than life-permitting. Furthermore, we can rule out chance because the odds are so astronomically remote. Science philosopher Tim Maudlin summarized the situation by stating, “It seems that the only reactions are either to embrace a multiverse or a designer.” His conclusion? “If you want to believe in one of the multiverse theories, you basically need blind faith.”^[2] The Biblical Christian creation account aligns with the most plausible explanation of Cosmic Fine-Tuning. Naturalism rules out this possibility ahead of time.  

3. While Naturalists can recognize objective moral values and duties, Naturalism fails to explain the existence of objective moral values and duties. This does not mean Naturalists are morally bankrupt or that one must believe in God to be a “good person.” Rather, the argument is as follows:

1. If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist. 

2. Objective moral values and duties do exist. 

3. Therefore, God exists.^[3]

Biblical Christianity clearly explains the existence of objective moral values and duties with God’s nature as the standard of what is good. Naturalists are left with no basis to argue why atrocities like the holocaust or slavery are objectively morally wrong.

4. Likewise, humans’ inherent moral value, dignity, and worth make perfect sense if we are all image-bearers of the greatest conceivable being, God. Naturalism fails to explain why an accident of nature in a “universe that does not care”^[4] would hold inherent moral value.   

5. If we are indeed accidents of nature with no ultimate purpose for existence, why do we live as if life is meaningful anyway? Naturalism fails to explain why humans cannot and do not live as if life really is objectively meaningless. Biblical Christianity, in contrast, satisfies precisely the two requirements needed for a meaningful life: God and immortality.^[5]

6. Finally, naturalism fails to explain the “Minimal Facts” of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. These historical facts include:

• Jesus died by crucifixion.
• The tomb in which He was buried was found empty by a group of His female followers.
• Appearances of Jesus alive reported by groups and individuals under varying circumstances. 
• First disciples came to sincerely believe that Jesus had risen from the dead despite every natural predisposition to the contrary. 
• The radical and sudden conversion of the church persecutor, Paul.
• The radical and sudden conversion of the skeptical brother of Jesus, James. 

Every natural explanation for these facts has failed. The consensus of scholarship is that the alternative natural explanations are implausible. Therefore, the best explanation for these facts is the explanation given in the Bible: God raised Jesus from the dead. 

Conclusion

The bottom line of Christianity is that if Jesus Christ rose from the dead, Christianity is true. Indeed, the Apostle Paul laid our cards on the table when He claimed, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14, New International Version). 

Naturalists presuppose that only natural explanations should be considered to explain reality, but there is no plausible natural explanation for the accepted historical facts related to the resurrection of Jesus. 

This leaves the Naturalist in a familiar position; namely, “We don’t yet have a natural explanation, but it’s not your God.”I disagree. 

Since the Biblical Christian has not ruled out the supernatural ahead of time, he may follow the evidence where it leads. And where it leads is to the God of the Bible. We saw that with the origin and design of the universe, human morality and experience, and even the historical event of the resurrection. Biblical Christianity is a more plausible explanation of reality than Scientific Naturalism. 

---

^[1] William Lane Craig, On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision (Colorado: David C Cook, 2010), 125.  

^[2] Lee Strobel, The Case for Miracles: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for the Supernatural (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2018), 182. 

^[3] Craig, On Guard, 162. 

^[4] Richard Dawkins, River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life (New York: Basic, 1999), 133. 

^[5] Craig, Reasonable, 73. 

This is a testimony of the goodness of God, and a ‘Thank You’ to those who serve in Youth Ministry.

Last night my family and I were at Mount Southington skiing with another family from the church. By the end of the night, the little ones had gone home, but the ‘big kids’ ages 8-10, stayed to get in a few runs on the more challenging trails.

We had a major dilemma.

One of the more challenging trails at the mountain is the “terrain park.” It’s fairly steep, narrow, and full of jumps. It also happens to be the trail situated directly beneath the chair lift. So, as you ride the chair slowly up the mountain, you’re treated to a view of the more advanced skiers and boarders at the mountain hitting jumps, grinding on rails, and otherwise navigating the challenging terrain.

 The kids wanted to ski down that terrain park “so bad.” But they were rightfully apprehensive about it also. There was a lot of nervous discussion on the chair lift about whether or not to go. That continued at the top of the mountain after we unloaded from the chair. My Dad and I offered to split up – one adult could take the kids who wanted to do the terrain park, and one could do a different trail with the kids who didn’t.

And then it happened.

As the kids were deliberating, one said, “Hey – we could pray about it.” To my amazement and joy, all four excitedly agreed. “Yes!”, “Yea, let’s pray,” “Let’s do it.” There, at the top of Mount Southington, unprompted by their parents, they prayed. Unashamed, they prayed. As my Dad and I looked at each other in awe, they prayed. As I saw what was happening, I fumbled for my phone to capture the moment.

I share this to give ALL of the glory to our God and to say “thank you” to everyone involved in children’s ministry. If you’ve been to our Sunday services, you’ve probably heard me talk about this. Whenever I have the honor of serving as Host, I am responsible for dismissing the children back to their classrooms. Indeed, I had done so earlier that very day. And it always involves an explanation that our youth ministry is not simply “daycare” during church. It is one of the hardest-working ministries in the church. The kids learn age-appropriate Biblical lessons and are surrounded by other believers.

Iron sharpens iron.

Jesus Christ said you will, “know them by their fruit.” Well – our youth ministry bears undeniable fruit. I never imagined my kids would want to go to church to be with their friends. I never imagined a service that would lack the blood pressure spike associated with trying to keep your kids quiet. And that’s why I will continue to encourage other parents to come, “taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Thank you to all who serve.

By the way, all four kids went down the terrain park, loved it, and did it about another 10 times after that!

Here is one tip that every Christian can use to make breakthroughs when sharing the Gospel with the lost. This is so very effective – it comes up constantly in discussions with unbelievers. And you’re getting at basically what the entire Bible is about.

I’ve studied this intently. Not as a Pastor, but just as your typical born-again believer. I think teaching it from that perspective has helped make my Christianity Uncomplicated book series so well received in 13 countries and counting!

The one crucial principle is this: pardoning guilty sinners does not make a judge good, loving, or nice. It makes him corrupt. If someone is guilty of breaking the law, the judge knows he’s guilty, and pronounces them innocent anyway, he’s corrupt.

Countless sinners mis assume that God will pardon them because He’s “nice.” But here’s what the Bible says, “Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent- the Lord detests them both” (Proverbs 17:15).

One hundred percent of people are guilty of breaking God’s law. One hundred percent of people are sinners. And the Bible says that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). See, if this get’s a little bit uncomfortable – good. Because people need to know what is so bad about their current state in order to understand what’s so good about the Good News of Jesus Christ.

So, we know God is not corrupt. We know we’re guilty. How do we reconcile that with the fact that God is loving, kind, caring, compassionate, and forgiving? The Bible says that as far as the east is from the west. That’s how far He removes our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12).

How can God be a good judge, but still forgive me (and you!) who’s guilty of breaking His laws.

Door opened. Because there is only one answer to that question, and it’s found in the cross of Jesus Christ.

This is the transcript of a piece of social media content that can be viewed by clicking HERE.

For a deep dive into this topic and the Gospel overall, check out “What Exactly is the Gospel?”

This is an excerpt from my current work in progress – a book all about sharing the Gospel. I’m putting the finishing touches on the first draft and am due to submit the manuscript to my editor next week. I’ll have more info soon! In the meantime, please enjoy the excerpt:

Scripture is clear that God has comprehensive power to do everything and anything He wants to do. God is holy, all-good, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and completely sovereign. Still, somehow, the world He created, the world we inhabit, is full of evil. How do we reconcile this? 

Here is the answer: God allows evil agents to work then overrules evil according to His own wise and Holy plan.^[1] Ultimately, He is able to make all things- including all the evil of all time- work together for (1) the greater good of His people and (2) His glory.

There is a lot there, so let’s draw out some key points: 

Evil proceeds only from the creature – never from the Creator. All evil is committed in rebellion against our Holy God and his Holy law. God is neither the author of nor the approver of evil. On the contrary, He is “Holy, holy, Holy” – separate from everything that is sinful and evil. God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.

Evil is not a disruption to God’s eternal plan. He isn’t scrambling around trying to figure out a “Plan B.” 

God has a good and morally sufficient reason for all evil He allows. Evil is allowed for the greater good of His people and for His own glory. 

To illustrate the answer, we will apply it to the single most vile, rebellious, evil event in history: the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Follow me here:

God allowed evil agents to work. Our Holy, sinless Lord was put to death in an act of rebellion against God. However, this evil was no disruption to God’s eternal plan. The crucifixion was always in His plan. As discussed in Chapter 15, God had been forecasting the crucifixion quite literally since the dawn of humanity (Garden of Eden). We can read prophecies about the crucifixion that were recorded centuries before Jesus was even born. And why was this evil allowed? For the greater good of His people and for His glory. The greater good is the Gospel – the salvation of all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. The glory of God is a demonstration of His perfect attributes. As John MacArthur summed it up: “We wouldn’t know God is as righteous as He is if it hadn’t been for unrighteousness, we wouldn’t know God is as loving as He is if it hadn’t been for sin, we wouldn’t know God is as holy as He is if it weren’t for judgment.” 

There it is, friend. The most evil act in history is no disruption to God’s eternal plan and neither is any other evil. In the moment, the crucifixion was an unspeakable tragedy. But God knows the end from the beginning. It’s His eternal plan. Today, we light up at the sight of a cross – we decorate our homes with them, wear them on chains around our neck, get them tattooed on our bodies, and we thank God for the cross. He took what the enemy meant for evil and turned it for great good. 

There is immense peace that can come from understanding this truth. Now- that doesn’t mean that evil isn’t going to hurt in this life. It will. But we’ll conclude this topic with one more reminder: we have a Savior who can sympathize with us. Jesus Christ willingly became a man and experienced evil. He was tempted by the devil, He had friends who betrayed Him, He was assaulted, He was scorned, He was reviled, He was abandoned, He suffered, and He wept. Jesus willingly experienced every pain that you could possibly experience. And why? Why would He do this willingly? 

Because we are His children, and He loves us. We can take any and all of our pain and bring it to Jesus. He invites us to:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. -Matthew 11:28

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This is an excerpt from my current work in progress – a book all about sharing the Gospel. I’m putting the finishing touches on the first draft and am due to submit the manuscript to my editor next week. I’ll have more info soon! In the meantime, please enjoy the excerpt. Sign up for email updates to have these posts delivered in advance to your inbox!

Brother in Christ, Sister in Christ – your ability to address this challenging question is a powerful tool for your Gospel-sharing toolbelt. I regularly receive comments on social media like these:“If he exists why does he allow so much hate n murder n crime in his so-called loved children?”“What kind of God allows kids to get cancer and murders to occur? A sick god.”Now- this “problem of evil” is a worthy question to tackle for Christians and agnostics. It is important, however, to understand that the existence of evil is a truly absurd reason for an atheist to use as justification for why they reject the God of the Bible.According to atheists, God does not exist. We are cosmic accidents with no ultimate meaning in a universe that does not care. So, what exactly is the problem with a purposeless accident of nature being hungry? Or being killed? Why should anyone care? In an atheistic worldview, there is no good or evil. Dr. Richard Dawkins, the poster child for modern atheists, puts it this way, “The universe that we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.” That is atheism in a nutshell. No good, no evil, just pitiless indifference. The holocaust? Not evil. Slavery? Not evil. Terrorism? Not evil. Because there is no such thing as evil in their worldview. Things just happen and then you die, and you’re gone. So, when an atheist says something like, “Tell that to all the starving children in the developing world that God seems to have forgotten about” – their conscience is revealing the hypocrisy of their purported beliefs. Their moral indignation is a direct contradiction to their stated worldview. Why are they upset if they believe that these starving children are meaningless overgrown germs? It is, in fact, evidence that they are suppressing the truth of God as stated in Romans 1:18. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.   This argument is summarized masterfully by former atheist, CS Lewis. “My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But just how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe to when I called it unjust? If the whole show was so bad and senseless, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be a part of the show, find myself in such a violent reaction against it?”  Continued in Part 2…

Saturday 11/08/2021

“Umm… Sir. I just want to let you know that there’s only about 3 hours until we close for the day.”

I knew we were in for an experience when the parking lot attendant seemed genuinely concerned that we had only 3 hours available to explore the Ark Encounter. There would be a lot to take in. The attendant directed us to park and then head over to an on-site bus station where we would catch a shuttle to the Ark site. My jaw dropped as I looked out the shuttle window and saw this gargantuan Ark off in the distance…

As we stepped off of the shuttle, we were greeted by this awesome sight. The rainbow, a symbol of the covenant God made with Noah following the flood.

Did I mention that this Ark is absolutely ENORMOUS? It’s built to the specifications outlined in the Bible– 510 feet long, 85 feet wide, and 51 feet long. Just how large is that? It’s so large that the woman we asked to take our picture with the Ark couldn’t fit it in the frame!

We continued to marvel at the sheer size of the Ark as we approached it. It was time to do some exploring…

The craftsmanship on the Ark’s interior was a sight to behold in it’s own right…

Beyond the engineering marvel that it is, there was a wealth of information about how how many animals were on the Ark, how they all fit, how the calculations for the Ark were determined, etc.

It was also super-helpful to see just how the animals were housed, fed, and cleaned up after.

I appreciated the apologetic resources that the Ark provided to defend against common attacks on the Biblical creation story (aka the truth).

Every Christian parent is tasked with preparing their children to live in this fallen world. We’ve done our job if we train them up to build their lives on the good news of Jesus Christ– the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. The Ark could make for a great family trip before sending off our kids to encounter woke atheist professors and students at our universities!

And for those with younger kids, there is even an on-site petting zoo…

Overall, both the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter were amazing. They were both faith-building experiences and a lot of fun. We did them both in one day, but they each easily could have been full-day excursions. I most definitely would not try to do both in one day if you’re bringing kids. And if I only had one day and had to choose, I think you have to go for the Ark. Our God is so awesome – it’s a joy to explore what He’s created!

My feet were sore from a day full of walking, but that didn’t stop us from waking up the next morning and running 13.1 miles around Louisville! We had a blast completing State #14 in our Fifty State Half Marathon Challenge. And, of course, no race day is complete with our crushing some post-run pancakes!

ALL of the glory, ALL of the honor, ALL of the praise be to our King, the one true living God.

I hope you enjoyed this and I’ll talk to you soon. You can get me at james@authorjamesfinke.com.

-James