Between Religious Rocks and Life's Hard Places: 101 Answers to Tough Questions about What You Believe

by Greg Albrecht

Overview

This easy-to-use resource offers 101 meaty responses to tough questions you'll field from family, friends, and co-workers. Or even yourself. Greg Albrecht doesn't know it all or pretend to, but he never backs away from heartfelt dialogue on subjects as diverse as cremation, homosexuality, church-hopping, mental illness, and cohabitation. Beyond a firm defense of the faith, he presents answers to issues small and large, to dilemmas that have bedeviled believers for generations. At the heart, these 101 questions and answers provide fodder for thoughtful inquiry, and scriptural enlightenment minus mangled proof texts. Best of all, Albrecht doesn't condescend, doesn't assume, but just responds to authentic concerns with timely answers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780529122285
Publisher:	Nelson, Thomas, Inc.
Publication date:	02/04/2007
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.05(w) x 7.95(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Greg Albrecht is Executive Director of Plain Truth Ministries, host of Plain Truth radio and editor-in-chief of The Plain Truth magazine. PTM is dedicated to explaining unbiblical teachings that masquerade as authentic Christianity. Greg has been a guest on many popular Christian radio and television programs.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     xiii
Introduction     xv
Christianity     1
Is Christianity a religion?
Those mean, nasty, hateful Christians...
Are Catholics Christians?
When your adult children test your Christianity
Is becoming a better person the goal of Christianity?
Forgiveness     8
Will God forgive my adultery?
Forgiving racism
Must we divulge all our sins to our spouse?
Tolerating sin
How can I show love without condoning specific behavior?
Burial or Cremation     16
Does the Bible condemn cremation?
Church     17
When big churches become big business
Is church really necessary?
Searching for a church
"Buy the truth and sell it not"
What does it mean to worship God?
Help! My daughter is becoming a fundamentalist!
Do my husband and I need to attend the same church?
Is it okay to change churches?
The micromanaging pastor
Finding a spiritual address where you belong
No shirt, no shoes, no services
Rethinking church
Faith     41
Will God bless me for making a financial vow?
Will my doubts cause me to lose my faith?
What is faith?
What is "blind faith"?
Protests and Placards     46
Should Christians boycott and protest?
Heaven     48
Going directly to heaven?
Just how big is heaven?
Hell     50
If you don't accept Christ, will you go to hell?
Marriage     53
Will God recognize my marriage without alicense and ceremony?
Does God allow divorce?
Why was polygamy allowed in the Old Testament?
Can a Catholic and a Southern Baptist find happiness together?
Will God send me a spouse?
Prayer     60
Is the "Sinner's Prayer" required for salvation?
What is the point of prayer?
Movies, Beer, and Rock 'N' Roll     63
Can Christians party?
Grace     67
Law or grace-a debate
Does God's grace mean we can get away with anything?
How does a pastor preach to "perfect" people?
Once saved, always saved?
Are the Ten Commandments still relevant?
After you're saved, do you need to be obedient?
Doesn't the Bible say we will be rewarded for our works?
Why Does God Allow Suffering?     86
God is doing nothing to protect innocent children!
Does God care?
Evangelism     92
Are Christians commanded to "win souls for Christ"?
Must Christians "witness"?
Is there one right way to "witness"?
What happens to the unsaved when they die?
God     101
How can God "sit" on the right side of Himself?
Why did Jesus have to suffer?
How does the death of Jesus pay for our sins?
Does the Trinity matter?
Are God's choices limited by His knowledge of the future?
Tattoos     107
Do tattoos honor God?
The Morality of War     110
Should Christians support war?
Salvation     112
Exactly when does a Christian become saved?
Eternal suffering for the unsaved?
Must I "work out" my own salvation?
Do We Really Have Choices?     119
How free is our free will?
Falling out of God's will
How does God lead us?
Prosperity, Word-Faith, and Deliverance     125
What is the "Word-Faith" and "Prosperity Gospel" all about?
My church believes in deliverance ministries...
Cults     131
Driving Miss Mormon
Haunted by cult guilt
Christian Jargon     138
Do I need to learn and use "Christian-ese"?
Baptism     141
Infant baptism-not good enough?
What if I die before I'm baptized?
Isn't accepting Christ enough? Why be baptized?
Baptism-is once enough?
Weird Religious Stuff in the Name of God     147
What's this gold dust thing all about?
More spiritually mature than you are...
The Unpardonable Sin     151
I am not sure Jesus has forgiven me
Homosexuality     154
Homosexuality-when Christians sin again
Alienated from other Christians
Is homosexuality a sin or a sickness?
Healing     159
Praying for healing
Legalism     162
Just what do you mean by "legalism"?
Breaking free from legalism
A stepdaughter living in sin
Authoritarianism-the real problem?
Bible     169
Has the New Testament been paganized?
Can a two-thousand-year-old book apply to a
Twenty-first-century Indian?
Is there any significance to numbers used in the Bible?
Staying Away From "the World"     174
Should Christians avoid non-Christians?
Shunning sinners
Can household items bring a curse?
Mental Illness     179
Are the mentally ill demon possessed?
Reincarnation     181
Is reincarnation really such a wacky idea?
Tithing and Giving     183
Is tithing a requirement for Christians?
Didn't Jesus require tithing?
Will God bless us in return for giving?
End Times     190
What is the meaning of 666?
Will everyone see Jesus when He returns?
What will happen to Christians during the tribulation?
What about the Rapture?
Conclusion     197