This week’s question was submitted anonymously during our “You Asked For It!” midweek series back in December, but we weren’t able to cover it publicly then: “It is a sin to be depressed?”

Great question, simply because so many Americans (and believers) suffer from depression.  I think I’d be safe in saying that almost all of us deal with it from time to time.  Here’s my answer:

• If depression is a sin, then a LOT of Bible ‘heroes’ were big-time sinners (like us) because Moses (Exodus 5:22-6:12), David (Psa 42:3-11), Elijah (IKings 19:3-14) and even Jesus (Matthew 26:37-39) experienced moments that we would probably call depression!
• In addition, I’ve learned from my wife (the licensed counselor) that some depression is clinical, which means there is a chemical imbalance in the brain that causes the depression.  I don’t think any of us would say that diabetes is a sin, or that high cholesterol is a sin, so why would we classify someone with clinical depression as sinful?
• On the other hand, most depression is caused by circumstances (Numbers 21:4; Lamentations 1:12-20), and while most of us have experienced moments of despair when we don’t see a way out of our situation, as believers we must admit that such a viewpoint is not of faith, since nothing is impossible with our God.
• So when it comes to circumstantial depression, no believer should wallow there for long, because the Word of God and worship are mighty weapons (2Cor 10:4-5) to help us see beyond our present circumstances to the glorious plan He has for us!  (2Cor 4:16-18).  That was Jesus’ secret (see Isa. 42:4; Heb. 12:2)

In fact, this message of HOPE is what Easter is all about, for the Resurrection is God’s greatest object lesson: if He can do that, He can do anything! (see Ephesians 1:17-21) – and we’re going to CELEBRATE that fact in all 5 of our Easter Experiences this weekend (Saturday at 5pm & 6:30pm; Sunday at 8:30am, 10am & 12noon) - I hope you’ll reach out one more time to invite someone to be your guest!

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

Today’s question was submitted several weeks ago during our “You Asked for It” midweek series: ”When a person chooses celibacy/becomes a secondary virgin, does God forgive a person having sex outside of marriage?”

Great question, because I’m sure many Christians have asked it.

Actually, I’m not sure if you’re asking if God forgives us for making a vow of celibacy or whether He forgives a person for sexual activity outside of their marriage – but it really doesn’t matter, because the answer to either of those questions is unequivocally, YES!

I could go a step further and say that God will forgive any sin, no matter how small or how grievous in the eyes of man – IF we turn to Him in repentance.  Keep in mind that repentance in Scripture is NOT just being “sorry I got caught” (like many of the politicians or celebrities we’ve seen), but Biblical repentance is a “change of mind”; i.e., we have a change of mind and heart that results in a change of conduct as well.

Of course, I don’t recommend that you make a vow of celibacy with the thought in mind that “God will always forgive me”, because the Bible does warn us of the sin of presumption, and I certainly don’t want to take His grace for granted.

Let me close with the only Scripture you really need for this question: 1John 1:8-2:2.  And let me add, thank God for His grace, because without it/Him, we would all be lost!

Hope that helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

My favorite questioner writes, “I have a question regarding “Praying in the Spirit”. I hear that phrase so much and I’m starting to wonder if I know the full meaning of it.. When people suggest that we pray in the spirit, does it mean to pray in tongues during our prayer or does it mean to put our whole self into our prayer? I’ve always thought that it means to pray in tongues but there are some dominations or churches who are not familiar with speaking in tongues and/or don’t really teach about speaking in tongues. But most churches or dominations I’ve ever encountered fully believe in the Holy Spirit. So, I would like your explanation of “Praying in the Spirit”.

Great question.  As you mention, there are many churches/denominations who do not practice speaking in tongues, but ALL Christian churches/denominations believe in the Holy Spirit.  For my views on tongues (which I often refer to as a ‘prayer language’, since it’s primary purpose is to enhance our prayers), you can read previous posts here and here and here.

As to the meaning of “praying in the Spirit”, I think there can be two different meanings.  If we’re just talking about the anointing of the Holy Spirit on various actions, we can say of certain musicians, “they were really playing in the Spirit”, just as I hope to preach or teach “in the Spirit” each week, or someone else was really “in the Spirit” when they prayed.  All of those examples are just man’s way of expressing the idea that someone was anointed by the Spirit to do what they did, much like you said, “put our whole self into prayer”.

However, if you’re asking about the term “praying in the Spirit” as it appears in the Bible, then I must say that it certainly appears to be a synonym for “praying in tongues”.  I say that because the phrase “in the Spirit” in regards to prayer ONLY appears in Paul’s writings to the churches.  Notice in 1Cor 14:1-3 and especially 1Cor. 14:14-17, where it seems quite clear (to me) that the Apostle Paul contrasts “praying in the Spirit” with “praying in words I understand”.  

The ONLY other time that phrase appears in Scripture is in Eph. 6:18, where Paul did not explain it further, neither did the context give us additional insight – so I am left to believe that his meaning didn’t change; i.e., since praying “in the Spirit” in 1Corinthians clearly means praying “in tongues”, it stands to reason that praying “in the Spirit” in Ephesians also means praying “in tongues”.

The bottom-line, really, is that every believer should pray at times in their own language, with their understanding, AND at times in their “prayer language” (speaking in tongues) for all the reasons we’ve stated before.  I practice both daily, and it’s a blessing to my life!

Hope this helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

Today’s question came from someone who listened to Joel Osteen when he said, “…God has already given you the right gifts, the talent and the ability to fulfill the dreams He has placed in your heart.” (Joel Osteen) IF this is true, can/does not being in weekly attendance at the local church, block, diminish or hinder the destiny that God has for you and even more specifically, if “that” which God has placed in our heart is kingdom building, church work, ministry?

Great question…..well, great for a pastor, because you just lobbed a big softball at me and now I get to hit it out of the park!

Let’s begin with Pastor Joel’s quote.  I definitely agree with him that the Bible teaches God has already given us what we need to fulfill our dreams – read Phil. 2:13 for just one verse on that subject.

Since that is true, I can definitely attest that being absent from the local church can hinder your destiny (at best) or block it altogether (at worst).  

As a pastor, I have long sensed that many of today’s believers haven’t fully grasped the significance of what happens each week when we gather together to worship the Lord:

• we meet with God, and in His Presence, wonderful things can happen to unlock our destiny! (see Genesis 28:16-17 for a foreshadow of what can happen each week)
• we hear from God through His preached Word, which can reveal or confirm our destiny! (see 1Thess. 2:13 for just one example of it’s potential)
• we fellowship with other believers, and in those gatherings is the opportunity for us to share spiritual realities that can change the course of our lives & enable our destiny to be fulfilled! (see 1Cor. 14:26 for an example)
• no wonder then that the Apostle stressed the importance of not neglecting this awesome privilege we have to gather together weekly! (see Hebrews 10)

Our ‘THRIVE’ series is now history, but last week one of our most faithful CLC’ers asked a question that others have asked her: ”As believers, how are we to respond to the flood of requests to give – from various charities & organizations in our mailbox, to special offerings at church – it seems like every time we turn around we’re being asked to give again.  What are we supposed to do?”

Such an excellent question – and I’m sure one that many have wanted to ask, but perhaps been hesitant to put into words, for fear of being thought stingy.  I really want to help today, and the good news is that this question IS directly addressed in God’s Word.

2 Corinthians 9:5-8 is the clearest instruction about giving in Scripture, and it directly addresses when & why & how to give, as well has how not to give, if we want God’s blessing.  Read the passage again slowly and carefully.  Notice:

• my giving should only be done with a willing heart, never when it feels like extortion or that it’s being wrung out of me! (verse 5)
• when I give grudgingly, Paul says I will reap grudgingly but if I give in order that others will be blessed, then I will reap with blessing (verse 6)
• note especially verse 7, where we are told to give as we decide in our own mind & purpose in our heart, and NEVER reluctantly or sorrowfully or ‘under compulsion’ (feeling as though we’re being pressured or forced to give!)
• Instead, that same verse tells us that God ‘loves’, ‘prizes’, ‘takes pleasure in’ & will not ‘abandon’ a person who gives cheerfully, joyously, “prompt to do it” and whose heart is in his giving!
• Finally, when we give like that, verse 8 gives us some of the most wonderful promises in Scripture about our giving.

So with those clear guidelines in Scripture, my conclusion (and recommendation) is that you give when you can do so willingly, feeling ‘good’ about the opportunity to sow into a ministry or cause, but that you keep your money in your pocket when you can’t feel good in your heart about that particular offering or opportunity.

I’ve actually put money back in my pocket that I had intended to give, simply because the person receiving the offering put so much pressure on the audience in an attempt to manipulate us to give more – and I knew I couldn’t do so willingly in compliance with the verses above.

Personally, I’m a ”local church” guy, so as a general rule I don’t respond to all the pleas from various charities, because I’ve seen the good that can be done through the Body of Christ around the world and prefer to invest my money there – but that’s just me.  If you can apply 2Cor. 9 to secular organizations or charities, then certainly you can give with freedom & generosity.

At CLC, when you give your tithes & offerings, you can also know that 10 cents of every dollar is going to help fulfill the Great Commission, which I hope gives you an added reason for your ‘heart to be in your giving’!

By the way, one good way to ensure that you’re not being manipulated by emotion or giving because of “the heat of the moment”, is to automate the important by setting up automatic debit through online giving.  Your bank account will carry out your heartfelt desires every payday (or however often you choose) with no possibility of reluctance or compulsion.

Hope this helps.  Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

Today’s question comes from a faithful CLC who writes, “Keeping in tune with our current sermon series, I decided to step out and up and be a better steward of God’s money. I set my tithe up for auto debit for the proper amount and not what I have left over each pay week. In doing so, I was sharing with another believer (non-CLC’er) what I am doing. She stated that she “felt paying via auto debit or in a lump sum says that you are no longer “presenting” your tithes to God but are paying him like a bill. He has the right to reject or accept your offering”. I was attempting to explain that in my opinion as long as you are paying / presenting your tithes with a clean, open and loving heart it shouldn’t matter (how) they are paid. I too was raised in the traditional church she currently attends and understand the logic behind what she is saying, but also believe that times are changing and paying by auto debit is the same as bringing my check / cash into service on Sunday as long as it is done in reverence to its true purpose. Am I wrong?”

I’m so glad you asked this, because I’m sure other people struggle with the same worry and it gives me a chance to help them as well as you.

The quick answer is, ‘No, you’re right! I pay my tithes thru an automatic debit online! I certainly don’t think online giving violates in any way the OT concept of bringing my tithes to the Lord. What it does do is insure that I don’t forget to write a check or get sick or go out of town on weekend and as a result get behind on giving to God first.

As you’ve probably heard about my past, I came out of a very legalistic denomination, so I think I can spot “religion” a mile away, and honestly, when I read your email about your friend’s response and the church that you used to attend, that was my first thought: ‘religion’ strikes again. I’m saddened that she (and a million others like her) is caught up in a legalistic, religious way of doing things that says “my way or the highway”, based on the tradition of men only – when the reality is that the main point of Scripture is that we give to God first; not how we deliver it.  In fact, when the Bible spoke of tithing, there was no such thing as writing a check or putting cash in a church offering envelope & bringing it to the Lord!  Their tithes were literally newly-harvested crops and the firstborn of their livestock, which they brought to the priest.

If we were to take the attitude or approach that we shouldn’t use technology to accomplish tithing today, we probably need to re-think a lot of things we do in church: let’s see: how about no air conditioning in the summer; no audio/video system; no indoor rest rooms, etc. – since they obviously didn’t have any of those modern conveniences in the Bible either.  Wonder why no churches teach against those practices?

Now, I will tell you one thing that I do – not because I need to feel like I’m ‘presenting’ my tithes to the Lord, but because I’m conscious of the fact that others are always watching me as pastor and I want to be an example: I fill out an offering envelope each week and write in the amount that I’ve given online & what it was for (tithes, missions, Kingdom Expansion, etc) and then in the box where it says “total”, I write “ONLINE”. I then submit my offering envelope along with everyone else during that part of the service. That way I am participating in the offering along with everyone else, even though my monies have in reality already been transferred to the church electronically. If you have any misgivings about not ‘presenting’ your tithes, you could always do that as well.

Bottom-line: I think we should take advantage of technology wherever we can to be more effective in the Lord’s work, and this is certainly one of them.  By giving tithes & offerings electronically, we free up our volunteers from hours of counting & recording our gifts AND we enable the Church to more accurately project our income for budgeting purposes, since the gifts are consistent instead of haphazard.  I encourage every CLC’er to consider online giving!  In fact, you can enroll here right now.

Hope that helps.  Don’t forget our “THRIVE” series comes to a close this Sunday as special guest Joe Sangl will encourage us to believe God for financial MIRACLES in all 3 morning services AND then share his free seminar, “Financial Learning Experience” from 5-7pm.

Now what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

Today’s question was submitted during our “You Asked for It” midweek series in December, but we weren’t able to answer it then.  A CLC writes, “I really need help with disciplining my son.  I failed utterly w/my older son & don’t want to make the same mistake.  I’ve tried everything I can think of – I need help!”

Since it’s been so long since I’ve had to discipline children (and my wife will tell you it wasn’t my best area, even then), I’ve asked our KidsLife Director, Brent McQuay, to be our guest today in responding to this very important question:

That is a great question, and one we like to talk about a lot on the Kidslife Blog. We actually have 3 posts on Discipline you can check out: “Time to talk about the “D” word”; “Creative Discipline Ideas” & “Top 10 Things Children Want Their Parents To Do With Them”

The Bible is pretty clear on the benefits of discipline and even the dangers of not disciplining our kids, one of my favorites is Proverbs 29:17 ESV.  How does that sound as a parent: to have a child that gives you rest instead of stress, and brings joy instead of frustration!

I could talk about this subject for days but for the sake of time I believe that “healthy” discipline really requires two things, LOVE & CONSISTENCY.

Love has to be the motivation and foundation of your discipline. It needs to be communicated clearly to your child repeatedly. “I am doing this because I love you” As your child grows, add to the statement, “I am doing this because I love you, and I want you to succeed in life” or “I am doing this because I love you, and I don’t want you to repeat my mistakes.” Be open and honest with them and above all let them KNOW, not just HEAR that you love them, especially when you are disciplining them.

I have seen well-meaning parents discipline out of principle, and out of frustration, or out of a desire to enforce the rules, and while I don’t doubt that they love their kids, they simply failed to express their love in the midst of discipline. I have seen this “discipline without love” lead to rebellion, especially in teenagers!

The second thing I believe your discipline needs is consistency. This applies to both WHEN you discipline and HOW you discipline, and needs to be the same no matter WHO is doing the discipline; i.e., Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, whoever!

Consistent discipline means every time you see a certain action that you have decided needs correction, you discipline the child and you use the same type of discipline. If talking back to you on Monday earns the child a 5-minute time out, but on Wednesday it earns a “Go to your room without dinner” there is no consistency and it can create confusion. And even worse is when on Monday it earns “X Discipline” and on Wednesday it is ignored. This creates a mentality that this behavior is sometimes ok, or the feeling that sometimes they can get away with it.

Sit down with your kids and let them know what behavior is NOT OK, and let them know what to expect when they misbehave. When there are clear expectations it is easier for you as a parent to discipline because their are no surprises.  It even removes a lot of the argument that typically takes place when disciplining older children (although nothing can remove all chance for argument from a teen)

Setting up clear expectations and pre-defined consequences can also help you when you start to lose your parenting cool. Let’s say Johnny has picked the wrong day to misbehave, you are already tired and frustrated and then he goes and does the 1 thing that bothers you more than anything else. Sticking to the pre-defined consequences can protect you from “going off” on your kids.

Discipline is rarely easy to receive or to give for anybody but there are a lot of resources out there. For my own parenting journey I use the resources provided by Focus On The Family almost daily! They have an incredible series of articles on “EFFECTIVE BIBLICAL DISCIPLINE”. If you are really struggling in this area, take the time to read some of those articles. Also know that the Kidslife staff is here for you, if you ever need someone to talk to give us a call, shoot us an email, or just stop by, We are here for you!

Hope that helps!  For all you parents, my son posts regularly at his blog, and I encourage you to subscribe here – just add your email in the “Follow by email” box and submit.

By the way, financial pressure affect even our children, too – it’s not too late to sign up for the Financial Learning Experience on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 5pm

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?

One of my favorite CLCers writes, “I’ve heard it said by at least a few biblical scholars that there are promises throughout the Old Testament given specifically to “Israel” and not the Church. My understanding is that ALL of God’s promises are “YES and AMEN” in Christ and that we, as believers, can pray and decree ANY promise God has made in His Word when our hearts are right with Him. Please clarify.”

Excellent question.  Reminds me of a chorus we used to sing in my early years of ministry: “Every promise in the Book is mine; Every chapter, every verse, every line; I am trusting in His Word Divine; Every promise in the Book is mine!”

Great chorus; not-so-great theology, in the sense that we don’t even WANT every promise in the Bible, since a lot of them have to do with judgment & destruction!

But I digress.  The best answer to your question is that (a) there are promises to Israel in the Scripture that some Christians have tried to apply to the Church instead of Israel – and that’s wrong.  God may have turned from His people Israel for a season, but He has not forgotten her, and He will fulfill the promises made to Israel long ago.

But what is true is that (b) as believers, we can appropriate promises made in Scripture to ourselves, at least partially because of the verse you cited, 2Cor. 1:20 (AMP) or MSG or the NIV translation.  What Paul asserts is simply this: Jesus is the fulfillment of all of God’s promises – HE says ‘yes’ to them; and we as believers add the “Amen”, which means, “so be it!”  In other words, God makes a promise; Jesus says ‘yes, I’ll fulfill that’, and we claim it for ourselves by adding our ‘Amen’ – so be it in my life!

I will add the caveat that you implied: oftentimes promises in Scripture are conditional; i.e., God will do this if we will do that - so in order to claim those promises for ourselves, we must also meet the conditions He laid down in His Word.

Hope that helps.  This Sunday we’ll look at some of His promises concerning our finances as we continue our ‘Thrive’ series – so I hope you’ll join us & invite a friend!

Now, what would YOU like to Ask the Pastor?