Q: How do you convert someone if they dislike going to church?

Firstly, we have to remember that is it not US that does the conversion. We are simply the vessel in which God uses to bring people closer to Him. If you think that what you say, what you do, how you act, is the SOLE way in which your friend will come to know Christ, than you are sadly mistaken.

My advice would be this:

1. Model your life after Christ (1 Cor 5:2) - If you want people to know who God us, make sure you're life resembles the life of Christ. What good is it to tell people about God and how He has changed your life for the better, if you act no differently than the rest of the world? Christians have often been criticized as being hypocrites, so don't let that be the way your friend sees you. You want your friends to become Christians, you gotta give them a good example of what that is.

2. Pray for your friend (Luke 10:2)- As I said, it is not US that converts people, but the Holy Spirit. Pray that God would reveal Himself to them, and ask God to open their hearts. Also ask God to opportunities to talk to your friend about Christianity.

3. Talk to them - Please don't just expect to bring your friend to church and then let the pastors do the converting. Talk to your friend about their experience. You said that they dislike going to church - why is that? Perhaps they simply do not understand why we do certain things - this could be an opportunity for you to explain it to them. If there is something they are unclear of and you can't answer the question, come talk to one of the Pastors and we can help to clarify.

Hope that helps you out a bit. Check out this website from Christianity Today to learn a little more about evangelizing in the postmodern world.


[answered by KJT]

Good Friday Vod/Podcasted

Good Friday was a somber, but moving & reflective event for our church community.
We had over a thousand people come out to remember our
savior's brutal death - on the cross, for our sin.

I have uploaded the entire service to our podcast feed. Here is a direct link to our iTunes site.

You can download the high quality version (mp4 format) via iTunes,
or stream it in lower quality (wmv format) directly from the wonderful web.

Easter was a celebration! It was exciting, and reminded me of God's faithfulness and goodness to us. We had one of our highest attendances ever at our youth services with over 460 students, 66 baptisms (including 18 youth) and 5 students gave their testimonies, which were extraordinary and told of how Jesus changed their lives. 

Will be posting the podcast of that soon, so keep reading!

Q: If God created humor, why doesn't he ever laugh?

Humor is very rare in the Bible. But not totally absent. The Bible writers were primarily Jews. They were overwhelmed by the magnificence of God that they could not associate God with humor. This reflected when they wrote the Bible. They consciously avoided any humor. Yet there are places when they knowingly or unknowingly allowed some humor to slip through. Going back to the question, Does God Laugh? The answer is yes. He Laughs, but not as expected.

"But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision."
Psalms 59:8

"The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming."
Psalms 37:13

"Darts are regarded as straw; He laughs at the threat of javelins."
Job 41:29

God laughs at men because of the futility of their efforts. Yet, it is evident enough that there are things that the Lord finds funny.

If you are interested to find further information on this topic, this LINK is a good resource.

[Answered by George, made with a great sense of humor]

Additionally, watch the video about God & Humor...

Q: Where does the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs come from?

When I spoke at Thornlea Secondary School, I was asked to talk about the origin of Easter, among other things. HERE is a good article about this topic. Another is found HERE.

Summarily, for Christians, the origin of Easter is simply the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Sadly, traditions that have nothing to do with Jesus, such as the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs have become very popular. In fact, two animated feature films have been commissioned about the Easter Bunny. One such films tells the story of how the Easter Bunny is injured by a reckless driver, forcing the driver to take up the role of Bunny in order to "save" Easter. How ironic. 

And sad.

Q: How can we tell if God is talking to us as opposed to us talking to ourselves?

Often times, we think that God will speak to us in a loud, audible voice in our head. That of course, is not altogether true. God speaks to us through Pastors, friends, family, etc. The misconception is that we are alone in hearing God's voice, that the only time God can speak to us is "in our minds".

Please visit this site to read what Tim Burns has to say about this topic. He talks about how we need to prepare ourselves (spiritual disciplines) before we even have the ability to hear the voice of God.



[answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: Is suicide okay if you're in the worst situation possible?

No matter what situation we may be faced with, suicide is NEVER a good solution.

There may be various reasons why someone would consider committing suicide as a means of “solving” the problem they are faced with. The main reason is usually related to a person’s emotions. Sometimes the feelings of despair and hopelessness are so strong that there doesn’t seem to be any other way out, life is just not worth living anymore. Other times, low self esteem makes us question our worth on this earth and we may end up thinking that the world would be better without us.

Although these may seem like valid reasons to take our own life, if we take a step back and consider letting God truly be God in our life, He will prove just how big He really is. As the Bible tells us, “nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). No matter how deep and dark the pit may seem or how worthless our life may seem, God always stands ready to repair what is "broken". He created us and gave us life. He wants us to live that life to the fullest, that same life we’re trying to end through suicide.

This quote from the prophet Isaiah provides hope that God is a God who comforts and restores: "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." (Isaiah 61:1-3).

According to the Bible, suicide is murder as it is the act of taking away a life (even though it's your own). No matter how desperate the situation you are currently facing, there is a God of love who is waiting for you to allow Him to guide you through your tunnel of despair. He is your only sure hope, and we are wonderfully made in His image. We are His workmanship; as such the decision on when we die belongs to God and God alone. Keep this promise close to your heart, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 19:11 NIV)

A good resource to do further reading on this subject is Gary Stewart’s book: Suicide: A Christian Response: Crucial Considerations for Choosing Life


[Answered by: George "wonderfully made in His image"]

Q: Satan but not God?

Q: I was having a discussion on religion with my friend. He is an atheist and believes more in Satan than God. If we have another discussion, how should I defend my position as a believer and bring him closer to God?

Your question is timely as recently there has been a debate on Nightline on the question, "Does Satan Exist?" (see above). 

First, I would recommend you graciously explore why he/she believes in Satan and not God. What exactly does he believe about Satan? Who is Satan? What evidence is there for the existence of Satan, but not the existence of God? Does he believe in God at all? Why does he claim to be atheist if he believes in an entity such as the devil? Listen patiently and carefully, and try to understand where they are coming from. Sometimes, a person's disbelief in God is not purely scientific or intellectual. For example, they may refuse to believe in a God of love if they have suffered or been hurt or felt unloved. Since they do not feel love in their life, they conclude that a God of love cannot exist.

Second, I would say you must understand, from Scripture, who the devil is. It's going to be very hard to defend your position unless you know what the Bible says about the devil. For a good summary, visit CARM.org's article on the devil HERE. In short, Satan is a fallen angel who opposes God who is leading a rebellion against God. His primary motive is to elevate his throne above God. He counterfeits all that God does, hoping to gain the worship of the world. Additionally, Satan is the ultimate source behind every false cult and world religion. Satan will do anything and everything in his power to oppose God, and those who follow God. However, Satan’s destiny is sealed—an eternity in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10). For more information, visit this site - which has links to other questions & their answers including "If God is all-powerful, why doesn't he just kill Satan?"

Third, I would challenge your friend to really examine whether believing in Satan over God makes sense. If anything, the fact that your friend observes evil and suffering in the world (i.e. Satan's influence) means he/she is judging by a objective moral standard. Without a standard (something more than our subjective opinion about what is and is not moral), we have no right to say what is and is not evil. 

[Answered by Pastor HM, who had a friend in high school that believed in Satan, but not God]