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At the end of many sermons you may have heard the preacher invite people to come down front for a variety of reasons. One of those could be for the prayers of the church. It is also very possible you have heard people discuss the need to "go down front" after the sermon to ask forgiveness for something. Where did that idea come from? Is it something found in scripture? Sin and the need for confession are real; so, how do we confess our sins, and who should we confess our sins to?  Scripture References: Psalm 51, Psalm 32, 1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Matthew 5:21-26, James 5:16, 1 Corinthians 5:45, 1 Corinthians 5:11, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11, 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15, Galatians 6:1-2

Can we be baptized on behalf of someone who has already died? There is a passage in 1 Corinthians 15 that mentions this practice, but what exactly was Paul trying to say? Let's look at the passage in the context of the rest of the chapter and see what we can find out. Scripture References: 1 Corinthains 15:29, 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, 1 Corinthians 15:1-2

Hebrews 3:16 tells us that we are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells within us. How does that influence and inform our discussion on Temple worship in the modern era? How do passages about instruments in the book of Revelation play into this conversation as well? Scripture References: Ezekiel 42:20, Ezekiel 48:35, Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 1 Peter 2:4-5, Hebrews 10:1, Hebrews 13:15, Hebrews 8:1-5, Hebrews 9:11-12, Hebrews 9:23-24, Revelation 5:8, Revelation 8:3-5

In our continued discussion about hermeneutics (or Biblical interpretation), we were asked to explore the topic of instrumental music in worship using the concept of normative teaching we discussed last week. We hope this will further explain the concept of normative (whole Bible) teaching by showing what it looks like to use the process in study. So, let's look at God's design for worship from the beginning and how it has been recorded throughout the Bible. Scripture References: Exodus 25:8-9, Numbers 10:1-2, Number 10:10, 1 Chronicles 16:4-7, 1 Chronicles 25:1&6, 1 Chronicles 28:12 & 19, 2 Chronicles 29:25-30, Deuteronomy 12:5, Psalm 150, Ezra 3:10, Psalm 42, Psalm 43, Matthew 26:30, Hebrews 10:1-4, Hebrews 13:15-16, 1 Peter 2:4-5, Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 2:20-22, 1 Corinthians 3:10-17, Psalm 137

As a follow-up question to our discussion on hermeneutics in our video about the concept of "rightly-handling" scripture, we were asked to discuss the concept of Pattern Theology. Dan walks us through the origin of the concept and how it has been applied. We also discuss the deeper implications of this concept on a person's whole approach to the Bible. Scripture References: Genesis 6:14-17, Exodus 25, 2 Timothy 1:13, 2 Timothy 2:2, 2 Peter 3:15-16, 1 Corinthians 4:16-21, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, 2 Thessalonians 3:13-15, 1 Corinthians 14:36-38, 2 Peter 3:1-2, 1 John 4:1-6, 1 John 5:1-5, John 14:26, John 15:16, John 15:26-27, John 16:7-8, John 16:12-13, John 17:20, Acts 2:1-13, Acts 2:42-47

Throughout the Bible, there are a lot of references to evil spirit coming upon people. Sometimes the passage even says things like "an evil spirit from God." What exactly does that mean? If we believe God is truly good, how does that impact our view of God? So, did God create evil? Scripture References: Genesis 1, Job 38:4-7, Mark 10:18, Colossians 1:15-17, 1 Samuel 16:14-15, Isaiah 63:10, Deuteronomy 28:1&15, Genesis 3:22, 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6, James 1:13

Did Jesus pay off the Devil when he died on the cross? Is God a bully who needs payment before he will love us? These are questions that may come up when you start thinking about exactly what happed as part of the death of Jesus on the cross. Often you will hear the words ransom and propitiation used in these discussions, but what do those words mean? Are they mutually exclusive terms, or is the sacrifice of Christ something a bit more complex? Scripture References: Mark 10:45, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 1 Peter 1:18, Colossians 1:13-14, Romans 1:18, Romans 2:4-5, Romans 3:23-26, Isaiah 53:10-11, John 8:31-38, Hebrews 2:14-15

This is a very basic subject to our foundational understanding of the Word of God. However, it is a subject that has caused a lot of division and misunderstandings from just about every group to handle the Bible. So, what are some beginning guidelines for understanding the scriptures? Can we be expected to "rightly handle the word of truth" as Paul exhorts Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15? We encourage you to listen to and comment on this very important discussion. This could be a much larger discussion, but for now we will focus on three main ways to look at a scripture. 1) How does a passage fit into the Bible sequence? 2) Do you see God's Word as fully inspired or written by men to the culture they were part of? 3)How does the Bible interpret itself? Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 4:6-7, 1 Timothy 5:17-18, 2 Timothy 2:15, Matthew 28:16-20, Galatians 1:6-10, 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Our discussion on Elders prompted a lot of comments and questions. Many of the follow-up questions centered around whether or not the Elder qualifications were truly binding or if they could be (or needed to be) shifted because of different cultural settings. So, for this discussion, we looked at the overall pattern for spiritual leaders throughout the Bible. We also consider the difference between a spiritual Elder and a specific congregational Elder. Finally, we discussed some of the pitfalls of weak spiritual leadership. As always, your follow-up comments and questions are appreciated and helpful as we all explore the scriptures together. Scripture References: Exodus 18:19-23, Numbers 27:15-23, 1 Samuel 2:35, 1 Samuel 13:14, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-16, Deuteronomy 17:18-20, Joshua 1:7-9, Matthew 21:33-46, Acts 6:1-6, 2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Peter 5:1, 2 John 1, 3 John, 1 Corinthians 16:15-16

Many of us had to memorize them as children and they still come up in trivia games from time to time, but are the 10 Commandments in Exodus still the Biblical laws we should follow today? Expanding beyond this question - what role should the Old Testament play in the lives of Christians? It may seem fairly simple or straightforward, but this question is a foundational concept that shapes how we view scripture. Scripture References: Exodus 19:5-6, Exodus 20:1-2, Exodus 24:4-7, Jeremiah 31:31, Matthew 5:17-20, Galatians 3:24-25, Ephesians 2:14-15, Hebrews 9:15-17, 1 Corinthians 10:11-12, Romans 15:2-3, Luke 24:44, Acts 8:26-40

Are we just matter - just a product of our biology? Or is there something more? We talk a lot about our soul and the afterlife, but we haven't talked about that subject directly. So, this week we were asked to discuss the soul and passages in the Bible that illustrate the idea of an immortal soul. It eventually leads to us talking about ghosts, but I think we will save that discussion for another video. Scripture References: Genesis 2:7, Ezekiel 18:4, Luke 12:13-21, James 2:26, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Luke 16:19-31, Revelation 6:9-11, John 19:30, 1 Corinthians 15:35-49, 2 Corinthians 5:1-5, 1 Samuel 28, 1 Corinthians 15:19

Choosing someone to be part of a local congregation's Eldership is an important and daunting task. It is also a very prayerful decision by an individual to accept that type of calling. But how firm are the qualifications for being part of an Eldership? Can't there be exceptions? What if someone can't be an Elder? Does that diminish their influence or council? These are just a few of the questions discussed in this week's Conversation with Dan. Scripture References: 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Timothy 5:9-10, Titus 1:6, Titus 1:9

Does the New Testament teach that we should literally meet and worship on the first day of the week, or does it point to a renewed idea of sabbath rest under Christ? Is there a pattern for weekly practices on what we now call Sunday? We were asked to specifically address this question in the context of a passage in Acts and 1st Corinthians, but it relates to one of our larger discussions about the concept of "the Lord's Day." Scripture References: Matthew 28:1, Genesis 2:1-3, Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:1, 1 Corinthians 11, 1 Corinthians 14

Have you ever thought about how exactly the Spirit works within a person? What is that relationship like and how does it form? Some view the Spirit as a force existing within the words of God only, but not outside of them. Some view the Spirit as an extension of God's words. Some see the Spirit as an entity with its own actions and will. Let's look together at the multitude of scripture that helps us better understand the Holy Spirit and its role in the lives of Christians. Scripture References: 2 Samuel 23:2, Acts 4:25, Acts 10:38, Luke 8:11, Acts 2:38, Acts 2:41, 1 Corinthians 6:18-19, Ephesians 4:30, Romans 8:26-27, Hebrews 4:12, Ephesians 3:16, Ephesians 3:21, Philippians 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Luke 11:13, Romans 8:13, Hebrews 2:18, Hebrews 4:16

If we are the made in the likeness of God, does that mean we are gods too? Does it mean that we can know what God physically looks like by looking in the mirror? There is a lot of speculation about what this "made in God's image" means, but what does the scripture tell us on this subject? Scripture References: Genesis 1:26-28, Psalm 8, Genesis 2:7