Tag: Catholic Church

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What Do You Believe In?

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So… what do you believe in?

It’s the age old question. Our core beliefs are what give us purpose and direction. Everyone believes in something, even if it is the belief that you don’t believe in anything. Every person has some guiding principles that they live their lives by. For most people, those principles take the form of some sort of religious belief.

religion

[ri-lij–uh n]

noun
1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

source: dictionary.com

As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, I see everything through the lens of that belief. I view individual actions and world events through the lens of Scripture. I try to live my life in accordance with those beliefs. In Christianity, there are many absolutes: the sovereignty of God, the virgin birth, the deity of Jesus, the need for forgiveness, etc. All of these things and more make up the essentials of the Christian life.

So what makes a Catholic different from a Baptist? How does someone who is Orthodox relate to God in a way different than a Pentecostal? What are the similarities and differences between different denominations within Christianity?

But then we begin to look at other entirely different religions? What about Islam? What are the beliefs of Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses, and how do they differ from mine? What about Judaism? What about Eastern religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and dozens of others?

In today’s world, it is not enough to know what you believe; you have to know WHY you believe WHAT you believe. And even more than that, it is helpful to know what others believe as well.

Starting tonight, and for the next seven weeks, we will be teaching a series called Religion 101: A Study in Comparative Religion. I will be joined by my friends Dr. Alan Johnston, Dr. John Basham, Dr. Dennis Culbreth, and my son Dr. Ronnie Phillips, Jr. We’ll be looking at Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness, Judaism, and a variety of Eastern religions.

Tonight, Dr. Johnston will kick it off with A Common Core: Christianity, Catholicism, and Orthodox. This series is being taught during our 6:33 service at Abba’s House, and in conjunction with Berea Bible Institute and Seminary, and will begin at 6:33pm every Wednesday night through February 22. I invite you to join us for this in-depth and informative teaching.

If you are not in the Chattanooga area, you can watch online during service times at http://www.abbashouse.com/live

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The Life of Faith

Pope Francis I

Sunlight thru trees-editedThis is the year of the church, in spite of so many liberal attacks on our faith.

In spite of the denominational lines that define the differences between Catholics, Baptists, Presbyterians, Charismatics, Methodists, Episcopalians, Pentecostals, etc., billions of people across the globe still name the NAME THAT IS ABOVE EVERY NAME, and still bow their knees to Christ.

Congratulations to all of our friends of the Catholic faith on the election of Pope Francis I. He has taken the name of St. Francis of Assisi, a priest known as an evangelist and missionary. He comes from South America, a hotbed of Charismatic Catholicism.

Pope Francis I is the first pope to bow down and ask the people to pray for him. What humility! Let us pray, as fellow believers, that God will use this man as an instrument to turn the world back to Christ.

May the life and leadership of Pope Francis I echo the words of St. Francis as he guides Catholic believers “to follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and to walk in his footsteps.”