Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
How easy is it to believe the story of the resurrection? You may think it is hard for people in the 21st century, but that it must have been easier for the disciples of Christ. In John 20, Mary and two disciples encounter the empty tomb. Now we know why the tomb was empty, and they had been told at least three times why the tomb would be empty. So what did they believe?
Mary told the disciples that the body was stolen. And in verse 8, it says John saw the empty tomb and believed-believed what? That the body was stolen.
Why did Jesus allow them to encounter the empty tomb before they saw him? I think it was to give them a chance to believe his story instead of the comfortable version they did believe at first. As we prepare for Easter, whose story will you believe? The easy, politically correct version of the resurrection, or the version he has been trying to tell us for centuries?
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Jeremiah 20-God Is Always Worthy of Praise
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In Jeremiah chapter 20, we get a glimpse into the heart of a very human prophet. Jeremiah was thrown into prison for proclaiming the word of God, and upon his release expresses his frustration at being persecuted just for doing what God asked him to do. The passage is hard to read in many ways, but there is one small verse in the middle of his speech that we should learn from, “Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.”
Jeremiah teaches us that God is always worthy of our praise-even when we don’t feel like he is. In fact, there is a great deal of spiritual growth in praising God when we don’t feel like it. God is always good, and when we say so when we don’t want to, we bend our wills toward reality-toward God himself. We train ourselves to recognize the unchanging nature of God amidst our always changing lives.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
In Jeremiah chapter 20, we get a glimpse into the heart of a very human prophet. Jeremiah was thrown into prison for proclaiming the word of God, and upon his release expresses his frustration at being persecuted just for doing what God asked him to do. The passage is hard to read in many ways, but there is one small verse in the middle of his speech that we should learn from, “Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.”
Jeremiah teaches us that God is always worthy of our praise-even when we don’t feel like he is. In fact, there is a great deal of spiritual growth in praising God when we don’t feel like it. God is always good, and when we say so when we don’t want to, we bend our wills toward reality-toward God himself. We train ourselves to recognize the unchanging nature of God amidst our always changing lives.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Living the Chtn Worldview-Community
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
When we struggle to learn how to live out a Christian worldview, one discipline can be of great help to us, but is often neglected. The community of the Church-the body of Christ-can be an invaluable tool in shaping us into disciples.
In the fellowship of believers we can be sharpened, as the Proverb states, “as iron sharpens iron.” Another believer can help me see things in a way I have not yet considered, or they can help correct a problem with my take on Scripture. Hearing God’s word preached each week is an encouragement to me and can help me see things the way God sees things.
According to Scripture, it is very good when the church dwells together in unity; the early church devoted themselves to teaching and fellowship; we build each other up as we are healthy members of the body; and we should not neglect gathering together.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
When we struggle to learn how to live out a Christian worldview, one discipline can be of great help to us, but is often neglected. The community of the Church-the body of Christ-can be an invaluable tool in shaping us into disciples.
In the fellowship of believers we can be sharpened, as the Proverb states, “as iron sharpens iron.” Another believer can help me see things in a way I have not yet considered, or they can help correct a problem with my take on Scripture. Hearing God’s word preached each week is an encouragement to me and can help me see things the way God sees things.
According to Scripture, it is very good when the church dwells together in unity; the early church devoted themselves to teaching and fellowship; we build each other up as we are healthy members of the body; and we should not neglect gathering together.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Living the Chtn Worldview-Worship
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
One crucial component to living out a Christian worldview is having a good grasp of who God is, and who we are. When we worship, we have an opportunity to come to grips with God and His place in the universe. Isaiah experienced this in a profound way when he came face to face with God. In chapter 6 of his book, his reaction to the presence of God is twofold. First, he felt utterly overwhelmed-he realized how great and holy God was and how broken he was. And secondly, he asked God to send him into the world as a messenger-he recognized the world’s need for God.
When you worship this weekend, how likely is it that you will truly interact with God? I encourage you to go to church this weekend with your mind set on Christ and set on interacting with Him through song, fellowship, and the Word. It may change the way you live your life on Monday morning.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
One crucial component to living out a Christian worldview is having a good grasp of who God is, and who we are. When we worship, we have an opportunity to come to grips with God and His place in the universe. Isaiah experienced this in a profound way when he came face to face with God. In chapter 6 of his book, his reaction to the presence of God is twofold. First, he felt utterly overwhelmed-he realized how great and holy God was and how broken he was. And secondly, he asked God to send him into the world as a messenger-he recognized the world’s need for God.
When you worship this weekend, how likely is it that you will truly interact with God? I encourage you to go to church this weekend with your mind set on Christ and set on interacting with Him through song, fellowship, and the Word. It may change the way you live your life on Monday morning.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Living the Chtn Worldview-Know the Bible
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
Today I want to begin a short series on answering the question, “how do I live a Christian worldview?” It is one thing to discuss what a Christian worldview is-it is another thing altogether to apply it.
The first step I want to recommend sounds simplistic, but it certainly is not. Know the Bible. According to Barna, 62% of people believe the Bible is accurate in all it teaches. At the same time, 61% believe all good people go to heaven, and 83% of students believe truth is relative. In reality, the Bible does not teach either one of those things. So there are a lot of people who claim to believe what the Bible teaches, but who don’t know what those things are.
If we are to live a Christ-lead life, we need to be instep with God’s clearest revelation to us-His Word. I would encourage you to reengage with Scripture, and don’t be afraid to honestly listen to what it has to say.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Today I want to begin a short series on answering the question, “how do I live a Christian worldview?” It is one thing to discuss what a Christian worldview is-it is another thing altogether to apply it.
The first step I want to recommend sounds simplistic, but it certainly is not. Know the Bible. According to Barna, 62% of people believe the Bible is accurate in all it teaches. At the same time, 61% believe all good people go to heaven, and 83% of students believe truth is relative. In reality, the Bible does not teach either one of those things. So there are a lot of people who claim to believe what the Bible teaches, but who don’t know what those things are.
If we are to live a Christ-lead life, we need to be instep with God’s clearest revelation to us-His Word. I would encourage you to reengage with Scripture, and don’t be afraid to honestly listen to what it has to say.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
60 Minutes and Stem Cells
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
60 Minutes recently ran a report on embryonic stem cell research and the possibilities of medical therapy. One of the scientists quoted in favor of that kind of research said that there are too many people in wheelchairs and sick to not clone and do research on embryos.
This appeal to our sense of pity sounds good on the surface, but as Christians there are other, deeper concerns. It is certainly a good thing to do what we can to help those in need, but are we allowed to pay any price for it? Embryos are humans. Humans should not be destroyed or mutilated for research, no matter how promising the possible results. Therefore, embryos should not be cloned and destroyed for their stem cells.
Worldviews are clashing over the rights and status of embryos. If we are to be the right kind of salt and light, we should learn to think as Christians.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
60 Minutes recently ran a report on embryonic stem cell research and the possibilities of medical therapy. One of the scientists quoted in favor of that kind of research said that there are too many people in wheelchairs and sick to not clone and do research on embryos.
This appeal to our sense of pity sounds good on the surface, but as Christians there are other, deeper concerns. It is certainly a good thing to do what we can to help those in need, but are we allowed to pay any price for it? Embryos are humans. Humans should not be destroyed or mutilated for research, no matter how promising the possible results. Therefore, embryos should not be cloned and destroyed for their stem cells.
Worldviews are clashing over the rights and status of embryos. If we are to be the right kind of salt and light, we should learn to think as Christians.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Spiritual Disciplines-Silence
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
The spiritual disciplines are a way of orienting our life so that we can better interact with God on a daily basis. Many of us may pray or read Scripture on a fairly regular basis, but have we applied some effort to developing more habits in our lives that open us up to communication with God?
Take for instance the discipline of silence and solitude. We live in a crowded and noisy world, and that chaos can often drown out the still small voice of God. Without even thinking about it, we often fill the gaps in our time with noise and distraction, when those times would be a great opportunity to stop and listen for God. I know silence is a hard habit to fit into a life that is already full of things to do, but it is the kind of thing that can not only restore a bit of sanity, but can enrich our lives with God.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
The spiritual disciplines are a way of orienting our life so that we can better interact with God on a daily basis. Many of us may pray or read Scripture on a fairly regular basis, but have we applied some effort to developing more habits in our lives that open us up to communication with God?
Take for instance the discipline of silence and solitude. We live in a crowded and noisy world, and that chaos can often drown out the still small voice of God. Without even thinking about it, we often fill the gaps in our time with noise and distraction, when those times would be a great opportunity to stop and listen for God. I know silence is a hard habit to fit into a life that is already full of things to do, but it is the kind of thing that can not only restore a bit of sanity, but can enrich our lives with God.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
1 John 1-I Touched Him
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
If I were to ask you to describe a person you have known that has had a great impact on your life, where would you begin? Many of us might describe the first meeting, significant life events involving the person, or a slew of other details. When the apostle John opens his first epistle, he does much of the same thing in describing Christ.
The first four verses of 1 John 1 are full of sensory language. John saw, touched, perceived, and heard Christ, and that was the Christ he wanted to communicate to others. When John describes Christ to his readers he begins with, “I touched him!” To John, Jesus was a real person in real time touching the lives of real people.
Our discipleship should be filled with the kinds of personal experiences that result in the same tangible sense of reality-may we be able to tell others, “I touched him!”
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
If I were to ask you to describe a person you have known that has had a great impact on your life, where would you begin? Many of us might describe the first meeting, significant life events involving the person, or a slew of other details. When the apostle John opens his first epistle, he does much of the same thing in describing Christ.
The first four verses of 1 John 1 are full of sensory language. John saw, touched, perceived, and heard Christ, and that was the Christ he wanted to communicate to others. When John describes Christ to his readers he begins with, “I touched him!” To John, Jesus was a real person in real time touching the lives of real people.
Our discipleship should be filled with the kinds of personal experiences that result in the same tangible sense of reality-may we be able to tell others, “I touched him!”
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
ID 1-Analogy of Design
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
One of the more contentious items in the news recently has been the subject of Intelligent Design. For the uninitiated, Intelligent Design is basically the theory that the universe displays evidence of design-the kind of design that could only be brought about by some sort of intelligence.
While there is a lot of science behind Intelligent Design, there is a basic philosophical point behind it as well. In the normal course of life, when we encounter something that looks like it was made on purpose for a purpose, like a watch or a car, we rightly assume someone made it. And so the argument goes for the existence of God. If the universe looks like it was made on purpose for a purpose, we are justified in thinking it was created by an intelligence, and not by random chance.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
One of the more contentious items in the news recently has been the subject of Intelligent Design. For the uninitiated, Intelligent Design is basically the theory that the universe displays evidence of design-the kind of design that could only be brought about by some sort of intelligence.
While there is a lot of science behind Intelligent Design, there is a basic philosophical point behind it as well. In the normal course of life, when we encounter something that looks like it was made on purpose for a purpose, like a watch or a car, we rightly assume someone made it. And so the argument goes for the existence of God. If the universe looks like it was made on purpose for a purpose, we are justified in thinking it was created by an intelligence, and not by random chance.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
1 Thess 1-Thankfulness
Welcome to Every Thought Captive, I’m Phil Steiger.
In 1 Thess we read a familiar phrase as Paul opens his letter. He remarks that he is always giving thanks for the young believers. I think that from time to time we overlook the power of being thankful.
Paul is talking to a young church, and one that is undergoing pretty severe persecution. Yet they were remaining faithful to Christ, and Paul makes sure to let them know he is thankful for that. Letting someone know how thankful you are for them is a potent form of encouragement.
Being thankful is a practice that makes us more like Christ in some fascinating ways. It takes our eyes off of our selves and puts them on God and on others-it makes us more humble. And expressing that thankfulness is a way of letting Christ love and lift up others through us. Be thankful for someone today-and let them know it.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
In 1 Thess we read a familiar phrase as Paul opens his letter. He remarks that he is always giving thanks for the young believers. I think that from time to time we overlook the power of being thankful.
Paul is talking to a young church, and one that is undergoing pretty severe persecution. Yet they were remaining faithful to Christ, and Paul makes sure to let them know he is thankful for that. Letting someone know how thankful you are for them is a potent form of encouragement.
Being thankful is a practice that makes us more like Christ in some fascinating ways. It takes our eyes off of our selves and puts them on God and on others-it makes us more humble. And expressing that thankfulness is a way of letting Christ love and lift up others through us. Be thankful for someone today-and let them know it.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director of Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Bioethics-Name Calling
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
One way to win an argument is to label your opponent as something undesirable and then declare yourself the winner by virtue of the fact that you are not undesirable. This happens a lot in our culture, and it is happening right now with the cloning debate. Several European countries have banned cloning and the U.N. has recently done the same. But in the U.S., we have not.
We haven’t banned cloning primarily because of the way the debate is framed. People opposed to cloning are labeled as radically religious pro-life supporters who do not belong in public. In this way, the real issues of human personhood and human rights are obscured by simple name-calling. In engaging our culture on these issues, we cannot be dissuaded by this kind of thing. We must press through to the real issues at hand, and be willing to be labeled as undesirable from time to time.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
One way to win an argument is to label your opponent as something undesirable and then declare yourself the winner by virtue of the fact that you are not undesirable. This happens a lot in our culture, and it is happening right now with the cloning debate. Several European countries have banned cloning and the U.N. has recently done the same. But in the U.S., we have not.
We haven’t banned cloning primarily because of the way the debate is framed. People opposed to cloning are labeled as radically religious pro-life supporters who do not belong in public. In this way, the real issues of human personhood and human rights are obscured by simple name-calling. In engaging our culture on these issues, we cannot be dissuaded by this kind of thing. We must press through to the real issues at hand, and be willing to be labeled as undesirable from time to time.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
Bioethics-Ban on Clones and Hybrids
Welcome to Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger.
In his state of the union address, President Bush proposed a ban on all human cloning and the creation of human animal hybrids. The reaction of some has been to mock such a ban, believing that cloning or hybrids are things of fiction and not reality. They could not be more wrong.
As one example, there is a scientist at Stanford who regularly creates and destroys lab mice with enough human DNA to make their brains similar to human brains.
When it comes to scientific progress, the old adage is true, if it can be done it will be done. Our job as Christians as salt and light is to stand in the way of so-called progress that is unguided by ethical and theological concerns and do some serious thinking for our culture. Bans on such technology are an ethical requirement if we want to avoid moral briar patches before we are stuck in them.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
In his state of the union address, President Bush proposed a ban on all human cloning and the creation of human animal hybrids. The reaction of some has been to mock such a ban, believing that cloning or hybrids are things of fiction and not reality. They could not be more wrong.
As one example, there is a scientist at Stanford who regularly creates and destroys lab mice with enough human DNA to make their brains similar to human brains.
When it comes to scientific progress, the old adage is true, if it can be done it will be done. Our job as Christians as salt and light is to stand in the way of so-called progress that is unguided by ethical and theological concerns and do some serious thinking for our culture. Bans on such technology are an ethical requirement if we want to avoid moral briar patches before we are stuck in them.
This has been Every Thought Captive. I’m Phil Steiger, pastor at Quail Lake Community Church, and Director for Dayspring Center for Christian Studies. For more information, please visit everythoughtcaptive.org.
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