September, 2016 | AGW MINISTRIES

Is Online Dating a Sin? 7 Points to Consider When Online Dating

January 24, 2018September 26, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Many Christians struggle with the idea of online dating. They wonder, “How does God feel about online dating? Does he see it as not trusting him? Is online dating a sin? What does the Bible say about things like online dating?”

While the Bible obviously never directly talks about online dating, the wisdom found in Scripture can certainly help us answer many of the common questions Christian singles have when they are considering online dating.

So here are 7 points to consider when it comes to online dating as a Christian single.

Should We Try and Pay God Back?

September 25, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

“He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”-Luke 14:12-14

“For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.-Romans 15:8-9

Should we try and pay God back for all the good he’s done for us? We should not try to pay God back because this would be an attempt to steal God’s glory.

Rather, we should now serve him because it benefits us, glorifies him, and is a proper response of thankfulness towards God’s free gift of grace given to us through Christ Jesus.

Why Does God Wait to Bless Us?

June 9, 2018September 19, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Why does God wait to bless us?

The Top 7 Social Media Pitfalls Healthy Christians Avoid Like the Plague

May 17, 2018September 17, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

christians social media — Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. – Ephesians 4:29

Jesus spoke to the masses, he visited towns because that’s where the people were, and every Christian is told to make disciples of all nations. Like Jesus, to love well, we must go where the people are.

Pain Points to the Absence of God

September 16, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

why is there pain if God is good — Psalm 22:27-28

There is a giant hole in the universe that can be felt no matter where you turn. Every song you here, every show you watch, and every novel you read has some echo of this hole reverberating through its content.

What’s More Important, Preaching or Helping People With Practical Needs?

September 15, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

preaching practical needs — And Jesus said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I have come.” Mark 1:38

In response to growing up in a dead church environment where the deeds often didn’t match the words, there is a movement in the American Church towards emphasizing social justice. If you ask most people about why they don’t like Christianity, hypocrisy is the number one answer. Nobody wants to be fake. It makes sense, then, of why Christians are seeking to live out their faith by helping the poor and less fortunate (besides the biblical command to do so).

This is right. Jesus clearly healed the sick, provided food for the hungry, and had a special affection for orphans and widows due to their helplessness. James 1:22, 27 states, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. . . . Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Jesus Actually Healed Less So He Could Preach More

With all of that said, helping people with their physical needs is not the main point of Christianity.

What’s the Point of Reading the Bible?

September 12, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Why Should I read the Bible every day — Psalm 119

The Bible has never been more available to people. For example, by simply clicking on BibleGateway.com or downloading the free app, you can have every version of the English Bible right in your pocket.

But no matter how many options we have to read the Bible, we never will read it unless we know why we should. So what’s the point of reading the Bible? If you can’t answer the question, “Why should I read the Bible?” odds are you probably won’t read it.

Is It Wrong to Want to Be Married?

February 15, 2018September 8, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

Some Christians are called to singleness. These types of people are typically quite content with not being in a romantic relationship, they don’t struggle with sexual temptation, and their desire for singleness is rooted in their desire to serve God.

Most Christians who are single, however, don’t fall into this category. The vast majority of us have not been blessed with the gift of singleness. One lie churches often unintentionally teach Christian singles is that it’s not okay to be discontent with their singleness. Through well meant teachings and seminars on how Christian singles must find all their contentment in Christ, people often end up feeling guilty for being unhappy about their lack of marriage. Many people feel it is wrong to want to be married.

What Does the Number Three Mean in the Bible?

May 28, 2018September 7, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

meaning of three in Bible — Matthew 16:21, Acts 2:23-24

God reveals his power in many ways, but one of those ways is by prophesying what’s going to happen and using specific numbers repeatedly, such as the number three.

Biblical Numerology is the study of numbers in the Bible. Many times when we start studying numbers in the Bible, we get off track because it often times requires us to make inferences at the meaning of these numbers. Most times the Bible does not explain why certain numbers are used in certain situations.

So when studying the numbers mentioned in the Bible, like the number three, we must be careful to only draw conclusions that are obvious and supported by other parts of Scripture.

Are You Dating or Married to God?

September 4, 2016 by Mark Ballenger

The difference between teen romance and a deeply committed marriage is persevering faithfulness. When you date, you are gauging whether or not you want to remain with that person. When you get married, your only thought is to remain, love, and be faithful no matter what happens. Likewise, to be Christian, you must move past the dating season and fully commit to your marriage with God.