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Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/preaching-that-engages-the-skeptic-what-part-2/ 
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Skepticism about Christianity is on the rise. That’s why we need to engage the skeptic in our preaching. The skeptic isn’t just “out there”; he or she is sitting in your church. Perhaps they’re confused and hoping for solid answers.
In this article, we’re going to look at what doesn’t work and what might work when it comes to preaching that engages the skeptic. Before we get to what doesn’t and does work, let’s take a moment to list some of the tough questions people in your church are likely wrestling with. Here are some examples of questions they might be asking:
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Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/preaching-that-engages-the-skeptic-why-part-1/ 
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In Charade, a 1963 movie starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn, dangerous thieves have been cheated out of their stolen money by a fellow thief. Apparently, they kill the thief but aren’t able to recover the money. So, they turn their attention toward the widow, a woman named Regina (played by Audrey Hepburn). Unfortunately, this is all a surprise to her, as she wasn’t even aware her husband had been a thief.
Nice but mysterious “Peter” (played by Cary Grant) befriends Regina. At first, Regina thinks Peter is helping her, protecting her from the thieves. The problem is that “Peter” keeps switching identities. First, he’s just a random American named Peter. When pressed about his identity, he shifts from Peter to Alexander (brother to one of the dead thieves), to Adam (a professional thief, but still a nice guy), to Brian (who works for the American government). Regina is extraordinarily confused. Plus, she’s starting to fall in love with him—whoever he is.
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Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: hhttps://renew.org/jesus-is-god-the-son-exploring-the-logic-of-jesus-deity/ 
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Christians believe that Jesus was a human and God. He was somehow a God-man, God “incarnate.” But does this belief make logical sense? If you’d like to delve into some of the major reasons Christians believe that Jesus was both God and human, you might click here. But even if you conclude that this is what the Bible teaches about Jesus, doesn’t it seem a little illogical? In this article, we’re going to look into a couple reasons why people see the deity of Christ as an illogical belief.
Can miracles happen—logically?
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Is God silent when we can’t sense him? Although many who seek God find him, others experience him as hidden and absent. What are we to make of this “divine hiddenness”? 
Often, we struggle to believe in and trust God, not necessarily because we fail to recognize His existence or suppress evidence of His existence, but rather because, at times, He just seems so silent. Perhaps you’ve cried out to God, and it seemed as if He didn’t answer you. Or maybe you received a different answer than the one you were hoping for. So, why isn’t God more obvious? What are we to make of God’s apparent silence?
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Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/did-the-gospels-borrow-from-pagan-mythology/ 
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Mythology in the Greco-Roman world had dying and rising god-men—Apollo, Asclepius, Hercules, Tammuz. Serapis was called Lord. Half the Greek gods were said to be born of virgins. Hercules ascended to heaven.
Just how unique is Jesus’ deity? What’s original about Jesus as being born of a virgin and being the Son of God?
Is there something to the claim that these teachings of Christianity weren’t original, but were borrowed from pagan mythology?
Let’s look at a couple possible parallels. Isis and Osiris were Egyptian deities, with Isis being the goddess of heaven, earth, sea, and underworld and Osiris being her husband. According to one myth, Osiris’s brother murdered him and sank his coffin into the Nile. Isis recovered the body, which the brother discovered, dismembered into fourteen pieces, and scattered all over Egypt. In some versions of the story, Osiris came back to life (so that Isis and Osiris were able to conceive their son Horus), while in other versions, he became king of the underworld. Perhaps this myth was one of the sources behind the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection? Or perhaps of his baptism (since Osiris was killed and buried in the Nile)?
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Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/the-gospel/ 
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Let me start by stating the simplified answer to the question, “What is the gospel?”
The “gospel” is an expression in Scripture that simply means “good news.” It is best to think of the gospel in three related parts.
The Gospel – Jesus is the Messiah, the promised saving King described in Scripture. He came into our world as God’s Son from heaven, and he died for our sins and rose from the dead. He is now enthroned at God’s right hand, and he is coming back as humanity’s Judge.
Gospel Benefits – Jesus offers you forgiveness, right standing with God, hope, his indwelling presence, and new life in his kingdom now and after you die, in eternity.
Gospel Response – You respond by making the decision to place your faith in Jesus and his gospel, which means you will trust and follow Jesus in all things. You turn to Jesus by turning from your sinful lifestyle, by verbally expressing your faith in him and by surrendering to his new life in water baptism.
Now that you know where I am going, can we step back and look at some deeper issues within how to define the gospel?
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Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/why-men-are-called-to-preach-and-pastor/  
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The church does not need another debate about who is allowed to preach.
It does, however, desperately need to recover what preaching actually is according to Scripture.
Somewhere along the way, we reimagined the pulpit. The sermon became an inspirational talk, a leadership lecture, or a religious TED Talk with a few Greek words sprinkled in for flavor. In short, just another didactic expression. We evaluate preachers the way we evaluate conference speakers.
Was he engaging? Funny? Practical? And, for the love of God, did he finish on time?
The New Testament displays remarkably little concern for those questions.
Ask Eutychus.
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I’ve met many sincere Christians who spend considerable time wondering and praying, “What is God’s will for my life?” Maybe you have thought about that question in your quiet moments, too. Some believers have settled the issue and are pursuing what they believe to be God’s special calling. Others don’t think the subject is even relevant and just live as though God was only involved in securing travel arrangements for their final destination.
Yet, in the pages of the Bible, the topic of God’s will and eternal purpose is paramount. As we come to understand Jesus’ core message and recognize His primary mission, the matter of God’s will for our lives begins to take shape. If He is the Messiah King and we are His subjects, then we must be willing to do nothing more, yet nothing less than all He commanded. I’m pretty sure Jesus had this in mind when He called His first disciples. Once we’re clear and acting on this point, we can then seek Him for more specific personal instructions as we faithfully follow Him.
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A few years ago, a really big question on the minds of a lot of people, especially around 9/11 (September 11, 2001), was about Islam: Is Islam a religion of peace or is it a religion of war? And honestly, it’s a complicated answer. The word Islam doesn’t mean peace (that’s a misconception). Instead, the word Islam means submission. And there are verses in the Koran that seem to encourage Muslims to fight unbelievers, and even slay them. But then there are also verses in the Koran that encourage Muslims to be kind and gracious, and that you shouldn’t force religion on people. Yes, there are radical Muslim terrorists, but there are also peaceable Muslims who make wonderful neighbors. So, is Islam a religion of peace or war? Good question, but a complicated answer.
Another question: Is Christianity a religion of peace? Good question, but a complicated answer. Are we talking about peace with God? If so, then the answer is yes.
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Click here to read the full article at RENEW.org: https://renew.org/summary-of-hebrews/ 
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The book of Hebrews is a message written to a group of Jewish Christians who were on the brink of giving up their faith in Jesus and reverting to Judaism. It calls them to remain true to Jesus by demonstrating how Jesus fulfills Old Testament promises and is superior to Old Covenant worship and sacrifices. He is a better priest of a better covenant, offering a better sacrifice in a better tabernacle. Therefore, we must remain faithful to him, holding onto our confession of faith firmly until the end.
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