20 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 90)

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:

0:00 – Intro

0:14 {Bookshelf Tour!} When can we get a bookshelf tour?
11:48 {Should Churches Keep Records of Giving?} My church requires all employees to give to the church (in general; any amount is fine). They pulled me aside to ask why I haven’t been giving, and when I told them I was, but that I felt better giving anonymously in the offering plate rather than having a record attached to my name, they told me it needed to be tracked. Am I wrong for feeling weird about this, or are they?
17:49 {Is Absolution or Absolving of Sins Biblical?} Does John 20:23 and Matthew 6:14 indicate that absolution (the act of forgiving someone for having done something wrong or sinful) is biblical?
23:52 {New Names in Heaven?} Do you have any insight about Revelation 2:17, specifically about the implication of new names in Heaven?
29:07 {Is Changing our Appearance Sinful?} Would changing our appearance in any way be a sin since God has created us in His image? For example, if we wear makeup, is that covering our natural beauty? And if we shave our body, is that destroying the beauty God has given us?
33:53 {Am I Obedient Enough? Repentant Enough?} I have recently been worrying a lot about whether I am obedient enough, repentant enough, or believing enough to be a real Christian. How can I biblically deal with this struggle?
39:55 {Why Does Jesus Conceal the Meaning of Things?} In Luke 9:44-45, why would Jesus tell His disciples this, only to have the meaning concealed? Why tell them if it wasn’t meant for them to understand?
43:52 {Raising Dead & Healing for Today?} Raising the Dead: Should we practice Matthew 10:8 today, or has the command to heal, cast out demons, and raise the dead ceased?
47:53 {Why is Abraham Commended for being with Hagar?} Why is Abraham commended for his faith when he tries to conceive a son through his slave, Hagar? Isn’t that an indication that he had a moment where he lacked faith?
50:24 {Can the Deceased Hear/See Us?} Do you think that dead people can hear us and see what’s happening in our world?
55:40 {Discerning God’s Voice} How can I tell when the Holy Spirit is talking to me? Ever since hearing a sermon about a pastor’s conviction to spend more time with God, I think I’m hearing God ask for more time when I close my Bible.
59:56 {Encouragement amid Infertility} My husband and I have struggled to have a baby, and I have had Psalm 127:3 on my mind. It makes me feel like there is something I need to do, and a lack of faith. What is the context of the “reward”?
1:04:18 {Why Can I Be Saved, But Not Judas?} Heartbreakingly, I have betrayed Christ for things worth far less than 30 pieces of silver. What is fundamentally different between Judas and me? Why can I still be saved, but he couldn’t?
1:06:36 {Who are the Called According to His Purpose?} Given the way Romans 8:28 is worded, I am wondering: are all people called according to His purpose, or only those of us who love Him?
1:09:27 {Hot? Cold? Lukewarm?} What does Jesus mean in Revelation 3:16 when He says it’s better to be hot or cold than lukewarm?
1:13:50 {Could Cain Still Be Alive?} How do you feel about the Bible conspiracy that Cain is still alive somehow and is wandering the Earth to this day?
1:15:20 {Witnessing to Stubborn Family Members} Does “shaking the dust off your feet” (Matthew 10: 14) ever apply to family? Or are we to always endure in witnessing to family, despite continual rejection?
1:18:15 {Was Jesus’ Analogy Flawed?} Someone’s response to Matthew 5:13 was “How can salt lose its saltiness? If it wasn’t salty, it wouldn’t be salt.” I understand what Jesus is saying here, but does this mean Jesus’ analogy was flawed?
1:20:43 {Principles for Offering Advice to Others} What are some good steps to giving advice to fellow Christians without coming across as condescending and patronizing?
1:24:06 {How Could Jesus Have Been Tempted?} How can we reconcile James 1 which says God cannot be tempted with evil with the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4?