Answered Questions

Thank you for your question. The Bible does not teach that every use of wine is sinful, but it repeatedly warns us about its dangers. Proverbs 20:1 says, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” Ephesians 5:18 expressly forbids drunkenness. We must never allow alcohol—or anything else—to control us. In 1 Timothy 5:23, Paul writes, “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.” Timothy appears to have been avoiding wine, perhaps out of personal conviction or concern for his testimony. Paul tells him to use **a little wine** because of his stomach and frequent illnesses. This is a limited instruction for a practical, medicinal purpose. Paul is not encouraging Timothy to drink for pleasure, escape, or intoxication. Therefore, I do not believe that drinking alcohol is automatically a sin. However, people often drink it for the wrong reasons. Some use it to escape their problems, manufacture joy, relax their minds, or dull their pain. God wants us to bring those needs to Him. Alcohol must never take the place in our lives that belongs to the Holy Spirit. A Christian must also consider whether it is gaining control over him, harming his testimony, or becoming a stumbling block to someone else. Wine also carries powerful imagery throughout Scripture. Grapes are crushed to produce wine, and the Bible uses the cup and the winepress as pictures of suffering and judgment. Jesus accepted the cup of God’s wrath at the cross. He bore our sin and was crushed for us so that we could receive forgiveness and eternal life. That symbolism gives the cup of Communion great meaning. It points us to the blood of Christ, shed for our sins, and reminds us that the healing we need most comes through His sacrifice. We are sick with sin, but Christ bore our judgment and offers us new life. So 1 Timothy 5:23 should not be used to excuse drunkenness or careless drinking. It shows that wine itself is not always presented as sinful and that it could be used in a limited way for Timothy’s physical condition. The larger biblical command is that we remain sober, self-controlled, considerate of others, and filled with the Spirit. I preached a sermon that explores the biblical imagery of wine in greater detail. You can watch it here: [Wine and the Wrath of God](https://youtube.com/live/YOIW4Qh930U)

Leviticus 27:30 A tithe means a tenth, so calculating a tithe is simply 10% of your increase. Genesis 14:20 — Abraham “gave him tithes of all.” New Testament teaches us to give as God has prospered us, purposefully and cheerfully. Don’t approach giving merely asking, “How little can I give and still call it a tithe?” Ask, “Lord, what have You entrusted to me, and how can I honor You with it?” 2 Corinthians 9:6–7 1 Corinthians 16:2 A Christian ought also to ask: “How has God prospered me, and what would He have me give?” Biblical understanding is that we are to give from our firstfruits. 2 Chronicles 31:5 A Christian acknowledges that everything is from the Lord, so He would be deserving of the firstfruits. Not the government, not the electric company, but God. I think 10% is a very understandable biblical starting point because that is what tithe means. THE BLESSING OF GIVING Malachi 3:10

“Things strangled” refers to animals killed without having their blood properly drained. The prohibition therefore goes hand-in-hand with the command to abstain from blood. God had prohibited consuming blood as far back as Noah in Genesis 9:4, and the Mosaic Law required an animal's blood to be poured out. Acts 15 was not teaching that Gentiles had to keep the Jewish Law to be saved; in fact, the council specifically rejected that idea. Rather, Gentile believers were being instructed to leave practices associated with pagan life and idol worship and to live in a way that honored God and promoted fellowship with their Jewish brothers and sisters. Going a little deeper: Under the Law, Israel was specifically commanded that the blood of an animal was to be poured out: Leviticus 17:11–14 — "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." and “…he shall even pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust. For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof…” Remember life is in the blood, is pointing to the work on the Cross. Jesus' blood was spilt for an atonement for us. “Things strangled” = don't eat an animal that was killed in such a way that its blood was retained rather than poured out. Jesus' blood had to be poured out for our atonement.

What a neat question. The Bible doesn't tell us what age we will look like. But it does tell us something better: when Christ raises us, we will have perfected, incorruptible bodies like His glorious body. We won't be growing old, getting sick, becoming weak, or dying anymore. So, I don't know whether we will be 25, 35, or something altogether different—but you'll be exactly as God intended us to be, and we will never age another day. Philippians 3:20–21, 1 John 3:2, 1 Corinthians 15:42–44, 1 Corinthians 15:52–53 And maybe there is a reason God hasn't given us every detail. Not knowing exercises our faith. It teaches us to trust God's plan of perfection, whatever that may look like. It is okay not to know every answer. Faith means trusting God's wisdom, God's way, and God's outcome even when He has not revealed all the details to us. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us, “But without faith it is impossible to please him…” Sometimes the answer is simply, “I don't know—but I know the One who does.” And I can trust that whatever God has prepared will be right, perfect, and far better than anything I could have planned for myself.

Our church affirms that Christ’s work on the cross is decisive and sufficient for victory over sin, death, and the powers that oppose God. That finished work is the basis for any ministry of deliverance or inner healing: such ministries is the applying Christ’s victory to individuals through prayer, the Word, repentance, forgiveness, discipleship, and the Spirit’s continuing work. We should never present deliverance as adding to Christ’s atonement or claim independent secret techniques; rather, we exercise Christ’s authority in humble dependence on him, ensure biblical confession and reconciliation. All such ministry in the church should be under pastoral oversight, tested by Scripture, and aimed at gospel growth and sanctification.

Scripture presents animals as part of God's good creation and pictures animals in the restored creation. For that reason, the pastors believe animals will be present in heaven and the renewed creation. Scripture does not provide every detail, so conclusions beyond that should be held with humility. See Isaiah 11:6-9 and Revelation 21:5.

Yes. Paul says that all Scripture is inspired by God and useful for doctrine, correction, and instruction in righteousness. When Paul wrote those words, the Old Testament was the Scripture available to the church. Jesus also explained the things concerning Himself beginning with Moses and the prophets. The Old Testament supplies essential context and continually points us to Christ. See 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Luke 24:27.

Revelation identifies the 144,000 as servants of God from the tribes of Israel who are sealed during the events described there. The passage is not identifying the Jehovah's Witnesses. Their sealing shows God's ownership and protection and also reminds believers that they are sealed by the Holy Spirit and belong to Him. See Revelation 7:3-8, Revelation 14:1, and Ephesians 1:13-14.

Jewish wedding customs help illuminate the Bible's marriage imagery. An espousal carried a binding commitment; the groom departed to prepare a place and later returned for his bride. Jesus used the waiting bridegroom and prepared virgins to teach watchfulness. The oil in the lamps was explained as representing the Holy Spirit, and the marriage supper pictures Christ receiving His prepared people. These customs are helpful, but Scripture—not later tradition—must govern the interpretation. See Matthew 1:18-19, Matthew 25:1-13, 2 Corinthians 11:2, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, and Revelation 19:7-9.

Standing on God's Word is not legalism. Legalism begins when human opinions or works are elevated to God's law, especially when works are added as a requirement for salvation. Believers should obey Scripture while being careful not to make personal preferences binding on everyone else. We are justified and saved by grace through faith, not by works or human merit. See Galatians 2:16 and Ephesians 2:8-9.

Assurance must rest on Christ and the promises of God's Word rather than changing feelings or personal performance. Scripture says believers may know that they have eternal life and that those who hear and believe have passed from death to life. Honest self-examination is appropriate, but persistent fear should lead us back to the gospel, prayer, Scripture, and trusted pastoral counsel—not to confidence in our own righteousness. See 1 John 5:13, John 5:24, Romans 8:1, Ephesians 2:8-9. Many believers struggle with assurance of salvation because they have not added to their faith. 2 Peter 1:5-10. This adding does not save us, we are saved by grace through faith alone, but we are told to add to our faith which will give us that confidence of our sure election.

Distance makes communication and unity more difficult, but it does not make them impossible. Prepare together before the husband leaves, communicate regularly, exercise patience when a decision can wait, and learn one another's convictions well enough to handle ordinary responsibilities faithfully. Biblical submission is not passivity; a wife has meaningful responsibility in the home while husband and wife seek unity under Christ. See Ephesians 5:22-33, Titus 2:3-5, and 1 Corinthians 13:4.

Pray consistently, live as a visible example of Christ's transforming work, and learn what the family member currently believes so you know where to begin. Explain the gospel clearly from Scripture, but remember that conversion is the Holy Spirit's work; our calling is to love, speak truth, and keep planting seeds. Family members may know our past, which can make the conversation harder, but a changed life can also become a powerful testimony. See John 3:3, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-13, and 1 Timothy 4:12. Also pray for laborers. Matthew 9:37-38

In Luke 16, Abraham's bosom describes the place of comfort associated with Abraham and the faithful who died before Christ completed His atoning work. The pastors explained it was a holding place for Old Testament saints. Because Christ has now made atonement, believers who die are described as absent from the body and present with the Lord; no one is now waiting in Abraham's bosom. We also believe that between the crucifixion and the resurrection that Jesus went and preached to those in Abraham's bosom and lead those captive free, so now it is empty. See Luke 16:19-31, 2 Corinthians 5:8, 1 Peter 3:18-20, Ephesians 4:8-9

Loving a difficult neighbor does not mean approving sinful or harmful conduct. It means responding in deed and truth, showing the grace Christ showed us, and seeking restoration instead of feeding an ongoing battle. Try to understand the actual source of the conflict and look for a practical way to serve or reduce it. Your conduct may be the clearest witness to an unsaved neighbor. See 1 John 3:18, Matthew 5:44, and Romans 12:18-21.

God’s fatherly care joins correction with abundant mercy. Loving discipline protects and trains a child, but it should not flow from uncontrolled anger or make correction the dominant experience of the relationship. Explain what was wrong, apply an appropriate consequence, offer forgiveness, and deliberately assure the child that your love remains secure. Look for ways to demonstrate grace even during correction. For example, you might take the child out for ice cream—not as a reward for wrongdoing, but as an illustration of unearned kindness, GRACE. During that time together, discuss how the child’s actions could harm them or others, what they can learn from the failure, and how they can make a wiser choice in the future. Discipline addresses the wrongdoing; grace helps restore the relationship and teaches the child how, with God’s help, to overcome failure. See Hebrews 12:5–6 and Psalm 103:8–14.

Genesis 1:3 describes God creating light on the first day, while Genesis 1:14-19 describes the sun, moon, and other lights appointed on the fourth day to mark days, seasons, and years. Scripture does not fully explain the physical source of the first light. It may point to light proceeding directly from God or to God's creation of light itself before appointing the heavenly bodies. Revelation's picture of God providing light without the sun shows that God is not dependent on the sun as a source of light. See Genesis 1:3-5, Genesis 1:14-19, and Revelation 21:23.

The Bible does not tell us whether Adam and Eve had belly buttons. Because they were created directly rather than born through pregnancy, an umbilical scar would not have been medically necessary. Any firmer answer would be speculation, and Scripture apparently does not consider the detail necessary for faith or Christian living. 2 Timothy 3:16

The Bible does not clearly say that individual earthly pets die and then go to heaven. Human beings are uniquely described as made in God's image, and Scripture does not describe animal salvation in the same terms. It does, however, picture animals in God's restored creation. We can therefore affirm God's care for His creatures while remaining humble about whether a particular animal will be there. See Genesis 1:26-27, Isaiah 11:6-9, and Revelation 21:5.

The pastors believe the Bible's table and shared meal imagery points to real fellowship in the resurrected life, not merely an abstract symbol. The risen Jesus ate with His disciples, and Scripture describes the marriage supper of the Lamb. Whatever its precise form, believers can look forward to direct communion and fellowship with Christ. See Luke 24:41-43, John 21:9-13, and Revelation 19:9.

A dying believer may be given an awareness or vision of heaven before the final breath, as Stephen saw Jesus while he was being stoned. We should not claim that every unconscious person is already in heaven before physical death, because Scripture does not say that. The clear promise is that when a believer is absent from the body, that believer is present with the Lord. See Acts 7:55-60 and 2 Corinthians 5:8.

Yes—a faithful friend can quietly and kindly mention an embarrassing problem. The goal should be to protect the person, not humiliate them. Speak truth in love, remember your own imperfections, and address the matter as privately and gently as you would want someone to address it with you. See Proverbs 27:6, Proverbs 28:23, Matthew 7:3-5, and Ephesians 4:15.

Begin by asking whether the choice is consistent with God's revealed will rather than merely asking what will bring personal gain. Trust the Lord instead of leaning only on your understanding, ask Him for wisdom, renew your mind through Scripture, seek His kingdom first, and obtain wise counsel. A fitting next step should be one you can take in Jesus' name and for God's glory. See James 4:13-15, Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:5, Romans 12:1-2, Matthew 6:33, Colossians 3:17, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Proverbs 11:14, and Psalm 37:23.

Genesis records the serpent speaking to Eve, but it also presents the serpent as the instrument of Satan's deception. The passage does not establish that people normally conversed with every animal before the fall. Scripture does not give enough information to say that ordinary animals once possessed human-like speech or souls. See Genesis 3:1-15 and Revelation 12:9.

Scripture does not specifically say whether extinct animals such as dinosaurs will be present in heaven or the renewed earth. The Bible presents animals as part of God's good creation and pictures animals in the restored creation, so their presence is possible, but certainty would go beyond what Scripture reveals. See Genesis 1:24-25, Isaiah 11:6-9, and Revelation 21:5.

Begin with honest confession—to God and, where appropriate, to your wife, children, and trusted believers. Lasting transformation does not come from willpower alone but through Christ and the renewing of the mind by God's Word. Remain under biblical teaching, work through the book of James, practice being quick to hear and slow to speak, and accept personal pastoral help with the specific areas of anger, finances, marriage, and parenting. Failure is not the end: Christ forgives, restores, and leads believers forward one obedient step at a time. See James 5:16, Romans 12:2, Hebrews 4:12, Philippians 3:13-14, and James 1:19.

The pastors distinguish possession from oppression. A Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and cannot be possessed by an demonic spirit, but a believer may experience heavy demonic influence, temptation, fear, or oppression. The response is not panic but submission to God, resistance to the devil, prayer, Scripture, and walking in the light with mature Christian support. See James 4:7, Ephesians 6:10-18, and 1 John 4:4.

Submitting when an authority makes life difficult is possible only through God's strength and should be modeled after Christ, who entrusted Himself to the Father while suffering unjustly. Biblical submission does not require participating in sin or concealing abuse, but it does call believers to honor rightful authority and respond to mistreatment without retaliation. Faithfulness under difficulty glorifies God and carries an eternal reward. See 1 Peter 2:18-23, Acts 5:29, and Romans 12:19-21.

No. A genuinely saved person is kept by God's grace, not by maintaining a perfect record between each sin and a final prayer of confession. Ezekiel 18 demonstrates that human righteousness cannot save us: one sin exposes our need for a Savior, and believers stand in Christ's righteousness. Scripture does not explicitly state whether Ananias and Sapphira were saved. Their account warns that church participation is not the same as conversion and that God takes deception within His church seriously. See Ezekiel 18:24-26, Acts 5:1-11, Ephesians 2:8-9, and John 10:27-29.

The Bible says God's original creation was good, but it does not describe the original function of every insect. Creatures that now harm people may have had harmless roles before the fall, and some creation ministries suggest different original diets or behaviors. Scripture clearly teaches that sin brought corruption and suffering into creation and that God will ultimately make all things new. Specific claims about an insect's original diet should therefore be treated as informed speculation rather than explicit biblical teaching. See Genesis 1:31, Genesis 3:17-19, Romans 8:20-22, and Revelation 21:5.