God vs. Darwin

When I was a kid, I didn't really know there was such a thing as evolution. And when I first heard about it, I was completely shocked that anyone actually believed that God didn't create the Heaven's, Earth, and everything in it. Other beliefs were just absurd to me, and although I don't remember talking with my parents about evolution, I'm sure if we had a discussion on it, it would have went something like the cartoon.

As I've gotten older and talked with people from all over the world about it, I've realized that more and more people actually believe in evolution. Truthfully, I haven't spent a whole lot of time on the subject, although I've read a few books on it, but it hasn't been something that I'm too interested in studying. Especially since I believe that God created...period. 

Well, this afternoon, Alyson and I watched the movie, Expelled. Below is the trailer for the movie - so interesting. If you have never watched it, I would totally recommend watching it. If nothing else, to begin dialogue.



What was interesting to me, is that Ben Stein's movie seemed to be a fair discussion between the two debates, and either shocking or not, Mr. Stein concludes that he believes in Intelligent Design. Actually what I got out of the movie is that he believes that God created, and that things have had minor changes over time. The coolest part is that Mr. Stein interviewed tons of scientist, and not just Christian ones for this documentary to come up with his conclusion. 

Anyway, what do you believe? I know I'm biased, but I find it easier to believe that something way BIGGER than me (God) created everything than believe in a once in a never chance of something being created out of nothing. 

your church can't save you!

I recently found myself around a couple people who seem to hold denominations a little too high for their own good. Unfortunately, this is a problem that I have seen for years in many local churches. My reaction to these kind of people are always the same - shock and hurt. 

Over the years a question that continues to come up in my mind is, “why do so many people hold denominations in such high regard?” Please know up front I pastor a Baptist church. However, I still like to wrestle and study up on questions and thought processes that I hear people around me discussing.

Denomination’s, as I understand them, main differences have nothing to do with fundamental truths of Scripture but about particular points that make no one any more or less Christian to begin with. For instance, to be a Christian, we must admit we are sinners, believe Christ is the Son of God, confess we need/want Christ in our life, and then pursue Christ daily at all costs. Current denominations exist for the “pursuit” process, but it seems as though many denomination’s congregants seem to pursue the denomination more than Christ. And here really lies the problem for me. Why is that?

As I have pursued Christ and researched the Scriptures, everything seems to point to “one” church or “one” body (Matthew 16:18, Ephesians 1: 22; 4:4). And on top of that, Jesus seemed to speak wherever the people would listen, and Paul would travel around preaching in every church (1 Corinthians 4:17). If there were denominations in the First Century, Paul and Jesus didn’t seem to think much of them. I mean Christ kept praying for unity (John 17: 20-26), and Paul preached that we would agree with one another so there wouldn’t be any division (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). Yet people continue to persist that their denomination is most correct and that to lose a denominational name would be to lose one’s identity.  

I'm not saying here that denominations shouldn't exist. I'll probably always go to and pastor a Baptist church unless God calls me elsewhere. However none of us should allow our denomination or church define us and give us our identity. My prayer is that my family, friends, and church find our identity and hope in Christ and not a denomination. In the end, in the very end, a denomination will send you to hell, whereas Jesus Saves (Acts 4:12)!

What do you think?