Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Legalized recreational marijuana has been approved in several US states and in other countries. But even if legalized, what does the Bible say on this issue?

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

A little porn will NOT help your marriage. People get confused on this issue—even Christians who are duped by their desires.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

A few years ago I had a literal heart stopping experience at the hands of my doctors. Here’s what happened and what all of us can learn.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Are you facing crushing circumstances? If so, there’s hope in the wonderful promise of God. You can still be confident despite your trials.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Are you a fruitful Christian? I live in California, where “fruits, nuts and flakes ripen in the sun.” There’s some truth to that barb. But there’s also great truth to the idea that as Christians, we’re called to be fruitful. In John 15:1-17 Jesus gave an entire teaching about fruitfulness. He said, “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” (John 15:8 NLT)

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Feedback, especially the unrequested critical kind, can hurt badly. Recently I got some unsolicited negative feedback. How did I feel? Dejected, rejected, self-condemning? What did I do? Lash out, clam up, become bitter? Better yet, what do you do when you get unsolicited criticism?

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Making disciples is vital. That’s why I recently announced the founding of a new ministry called “Discipleship Journeys with Jesus” (DJJ). The Lord laid it on my heart to start this new ministry in order to meet the crucial need of making committed disciples around the world.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

One of the ironies of life is that the more you succeed, the more you’ll face opposition. This seems especially ironic when you succeed in serving God. As we serve the Lord, we get opposition from enemies, from friends and from the Evil One.

Does God ever allow us to go in one direction and then give us a new direction? Recently I wrote on “How to Know God’s Will in Difficult Decisions.” As challenging as it might seem to find God’s will, sometimes it seems God leads us in one direction only to soon lead us in another.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

My wife Carolyn is better at making decisions than me. I tend to think it all through very carefully, weighing the pros and cons, taking time to analyze all aspects and so on. Carolyn, on the other hand, comes to a conclusion quickly, announces her decision without hesitation and it’s over. I’ve often been a little envious of her in this.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

sure know what it is like to feel inadequate. After high school I attended Moody Bible Institute. In summers I went back to my parents’ home in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. One summer, some friends and I were talking. One of them said, “I know what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna be a preacher.”

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

My first mountain-sized goal came in the fifth grade. Students were offered the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. I wanted to play drums, but my parents vetoed that idea. So I chose slide trombone. Soon I was pushing out terrible tones that sounded like a wounded elk caught in a snowstorm. Our music teacher deserved a medal, or maybe a pair of golden earplugs!

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Years ago I was guest teaching at a small Bible College. My friend, a full-time professor there, had done the unthinkable. He had left his wife and literally run away with one of the students. It was a major moral disaster for his marriage, his family, the girl and the Bible school. I began to think about what to do to protect your marriage.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible,eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

From www.markalanwilliams.net

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

From www.markalanwilliams.net

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible,eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

From www.markalanwilliams.net

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible,eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

I learned early about the importance of having a firm foundation for life. When I was just 4 years old, my mother gave birth prematurely to my brother Scott. He lived only a few days and died on July 2, 1959. (My assistant Patty was recently able to find a death record.)

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible,eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Recently I was sharing with friends the impact of my online ministry and that I’d just reached 2,500 subscribers. They were impressed, yet I was feeling frustrated by a lack of progress. Why? Because of comparison with those who have bigger online impact. I’m still learning to avoid comparison (although I’m getting better).

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible,eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

I’m embarrassed to admit a recent battle with worry. One night I woke up thinking dreadful thoughts about issues I’m dealing with. I thought about all the terrible potential outcomes. Soon I was in a cold sweat. It was hard to get back to sleep.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible,eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Before I opened my spiritual gifts, I have a vivid memory from a summer during college. A neighbor friend who knew I was attending Moody Bible Institute, watched me and heard some of my stories. One day he proclaimed, “I know what you’re going to do—you’re going to become a preacher.” Like Peter denying Jesus 3x before the cock crowed, I quickly said, “Naw, not me. I can’t imagine speaking in front of people.”

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible,eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

When I graduated from seminary in 1981, Carolyn and I immediately launched out to start a new church. We started with virtually nothing: no people, no building, no equipment, no programs and almost no money. Our parents seemed to understand—as a rookie pastor, it was “the only job I could come up with.” Yet it was for us the beginning of a God-sized vision.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible,eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Far from accomplishing God’s definition of success, I felt like a total loser in college . The semester before my final semester, I failed a required theology class. I was totally embarrassed and terrified that I would not get to graduate with my class.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible,eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible,eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

The Bible doesn’t contain a concise definition of the church. Defining the local church requires looking at many Scripture passages. Lack of careful study of these passages leads to either oversimplification or over-complexity of the church.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions abouttheChristian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible,eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith andothers.

Recently I asked 4 friends for a few prayer requests I could bring to the Lord for them. Interestingly, two of the four asked for prayers for the election results here in the USA. They were quite concerned.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

“Jews, Muslims and Christians all worship the same God.” Many like saying this, but is it true?

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Do Christians owe it to God to vote? My barber is a born again Christian. I enjoy talking with her about all kinds of things as she cuts my hair. We agree most of the time. But recently she mentioned that she doesn’t plan to vote in the upcoming election.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

As an American, I don’t know a lot about nobility, royalty or aristocracy. Apparently people are born into it: a duke, earl, count, marquis, baroness, upper caste, etc. Seems if you’re born a commoner, you’re out for life—there is no hope for higher status. But I do know that it’s possible to attain Christian nobility no matter what your birth status!

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

I know what it’s like to feel small. Being entrepreneurial, I’ve never joined the staff of an established ministry. Instead, I’ve started new ministries which have started small.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Recently Carolyn and I were looking at old family photo albums. Our middle son Danny is turning 30 next month! We were seeing photos of him as a baby and ourselves 30 years younger. It was hard not to feel old and a little melancholy.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

I’m getting older, like it or not. But so are you and every other living being. It’s the way of the world. Life = ageing. The day after this post is published I’ll turn 61 (if I live that long)!

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

I don’t think many have asked the question “Who will get the biggest mansion in heaven?” Is it even a legit question? If so, who do you think? Moses? Elijah? The Virgin Mary? The Apostle Paul? Martin Luther? Hudson Taylor? Billy Graham?

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

The way Americans view humility is interesting. We dislike arrogance, yet people support a brash candidate who calls a Vietnam POW a “loser” because he was shot down and spent 5 years in a prison camp. We applaud modesty, yet enjoy watching the famous boxer Muhammad Ali exclaim “I am the greatest.” Seems we can’t help but ask: who needs humility?

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

What does true forgiveness mean when you have been obviously violated? Recently someone did some poor work on our new house and failed to make it right. It appears that a clear act of negligence will result in a loss for Carolyn and me.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Recently I was asked to speak on how to make a marriage last. The emailed invitation included this statement: “You guys obviously have a lot of street cred in this area.” I’m choosing to take that statement as a compliment instead of an inference to my age!

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Does the Bible contain contradictions? Yes. I’d like to share 3 contradictions of Scripture. However, they probably would best be considered “paradoxes.”

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

Recently I stood with my good friend Linda as her husband Gene made the journey to the other side. It was intense as doctors talked about the process of disconnecting the breathing machine, how his body might react, the gradual process of death and so on. It was even more difficult as we watched Gene go through the process.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

In 2014 Carolyn and I hired a contractor and broke ground on our new house. Soon there was a foundation. But the foundation needed to be followed by framing. Walls went up and now we could see what our house would be like.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

After a contentious business meeting, about half the church literally got up and left, never to come back again.

This was a gut-wrenching, life-changing experience, both for those who left and those who stayed. For some, it was a faith-shattering experience which they never recovered from.

The issues were complex, and many mistakes were made.

Rather than talking about mistakes, let’s consider what we can do to help maintain unity, based on Philippians 2:1-8.

Dr. Mark Alan Williams and friends answer questions about the Christian faith: questions about the God, Jesus, the Bible, eternity, belief, religion the reasonableness of faith and others.

I’ve dealt with plenty of “crazies” over the years. I bet you have too. Some are friends, family and coworkers whom I’ve cared about deeply. But I’ve found their craziness is often contagious. If I’m not careful, they can drag me down with them. How do you keep crazies from driving you crazy?