Is There Forgiveness for Abusive Men [and women]? (Part I of II)

October 18, 2018 By Andy Gill

Is There Forgiveness for Abusive Men? The Internet is ruthless, these days… it’s accentuated this culture of outrage. But, considering the history of our church and the pain of those who have suffered because of this history I mean, it’s understandable. The Internet has virtually derailed the careers of megachurch pastors, and even toppling a few of their “kingdoms,” left and right. With Mars Hill Church closing, Perry Noble being fired, Bill Hybels and Andy Savage’s recent resignations, and then... Read more

The Efficacy of Intercessory Prayer…

October 10, 2018 By Andy Gill

The Efficacy of Prayer [I want to say upfront, I have a bias; in that, I’m not at all anti-prayer. So, when I’m writing this I am purposely trying to empathize with those whom are anti-prayer in attempt to see their view] A few years ago I collapsed while playing basketball… It was scary, mostly for others because, well, I was unconscious but, shortly thereafter, once I regained consciousness and my confusion had worn off I had been told someone... Read more

The Monetization of Mass Shootings: What Happens When Industries Start to Profit From Mass Shootings?

October 9, 2018 By Andy Gill

The Monetization of Mass Shootings: What Happens When Industries Start to Profit From Mass Shootings? It’s bizarre in that summers been well over by now for a couple of months… Which means school is back in session. Most of us have done tornado, hurricane, or even emergency fire drills… but, as we know, children and teenagers alike are now having to practice mass shooting drills… Does bullet proofing school materials unnecessarily contribute to the hysteria surrounding school shootings? Read more

A Theology of Codependency…

October 8, 2018 By Andy Gill

Are We Supposed to be Codependent on God? You know versions of God are “man-made” when God seems to be, oddly, co-dependent upon our attention, love, and relationship with Him. Really, it’s an unconscious reflection of the fallible men who created God in their own image. So, I’ve been reading this book, err, devotional titled “Christian Perfection.” It’s written by a guy named François Fénelon – it’s weird to be reading Christian literature post my exodus from western Christianity. It’s... Read more

Presidential Alert: “THIS IS A TEST”

October 3, 2018 By Andy Gill

“THIS IS A TEST” Yesterday morning (October 3, 2018 ), per usual, I opened up Twitter and went straight to the “Moments” section – and, what immediately caught my eye was this: My knee-jerk reaction was “Please, don’t.” Because the last thing I want is Donald Trump texting me first thing in the morning. But, after taking a step back and realizing that this was one of those “FEMA/presidential alerts” to test the “Wireless Emergency Alert System”… I even more so didn’t want... Read more

The Growth Gap…

September 30, 2018 By Andy Gill

The Growth Gap… “A generation ago, the average church in most towns or cities was about 50-75 people, but the biggest church in town was seldom over 500. Even in large, heavily churched cities it was rare to find a church over 1,000[1].” What the Growth Gap is… Interestingly enough though, in 2016 Barna’s research team found that still yet, “the largest group of American churchgoers attends services in a more intimate context. Almost half (46%) attend a church of... Read more

The Real Five Points of Calvinism

September 23, 2018 By Andy Gill

The Real Five Points of Calvinism A Truer Description of the Faith Calvinism is still here. And here to stay, apparently. Calvinism has been growing at a pretty astonishing rate. According to one New York Times article, which included an obligatory quote by Roger Olson, thirty percent of Southern Baptist churches consider themselves Calvinist and sixty percent are sort of Calvinistic (in that they reject Arminianism, Calvinism’s supposed opposite). Many of the most influential Christian popular theologians today—Matt Chandler, John... Read more

Is Getting Drunk a Sin?

September 18, 2018 By Andy Gill

Is Getting Drunk a Sin? “Mostly everybody in the Bible seemed to love wine except ascetics and Nazarites. The Bible portrays Noah as the first winemaker who not only made wine but drunk it until he was inebriated. The Bible portrayed Solomon and Lady Wisdom as championing wisdom in part by choosing and mixing wines. Isaiah the Prophet and his disciples who add to his words repeatedly use imagery of wine. Jesus seems to have loved wine and had a reputation... Read more

If Roe v Wade is overturned, will abortion become illegal in the US?

September 13, 2018 By Andy Gill

If Roe v Wade is overturned, will abortion become illegal in the US? “January 22, 1973 – Roe v. Wade – The US Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, affirms the legality of a woman’s right to have an abortion under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.”[5] Political engagement has risen but, according to CNN, so also has the skepticism of our government as questions arise regarding surveillance and privacy alongside worry regarding the political impacts of unelected officials, corporations and various other unknown... Read more

Are God’s Race, Gender, and Nationality Contextual…?

September 9, 2018 By Andy Gill

Is God a Woman? If you Google, “What language was the NT written in…” what will come up, in answer to this, is “Greek.” And, if you google, “What language were the Gospels written in?” you’ll find that it says differently, saying that they’re written in Aramaic… Which, as most of us know, the Gospels are very much part of the New Testament and, Aramaic is not the same thing as Greek. Which is why there is the Aramaic Hypothesis... Read more