The Gift of Perspective – Russel Wilson

Son, potential means you haven’t already done it yet. The moments that really matter are those moments when life tells you “No”. So the question I ask when life told me no: “What am I capable of?” Ask yourself honestly what am I capable of?

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Where Did God Come From?

Dr. Kent Hovind Creationist vs 3 Evolutionists. The debate at Daytona Beach, FL on April 17th, 2004 with Jim Strayer, Luther Reisbig, and Reinhold Schlieter. More Kent Hovind videos https://www.youtube.com/5zOrqp2LSW8

Did Hugh Heffner Hear The Gospel?

Lee Strobel in a screen capture of a video from BibleGateway

Christian apologist and author Lee Strobel has shared the details about the time he talked about the Gospel with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner when he interviewed the magazine publisher in his famous mansion over a decade ago.
Following the news of Hefner’s death last month, Strobel sparked a bit of intrigue and speculation when he tweeted that he once shared the Gospel with the late Playboy magnate, adding that he “saw the significance of the resurrection, but had never checked the evidence.”
On Thursday, Strobel appeared on “The Billy Hallowell Podcast” and shared more details about his encounter with Hefner.
Strobel, who was hosting a national TV show called “Faith Under Fire” in 2004, recounted that he was able to secure an interview with Hefner at the time because one of his producers had a connection with someone employed by Playboy.
When Strobel came to the Playboy mansion for the interview, Hefner immediately offered a tour of the estate, but the Christian apologist declined.
“He was quite engaging in terms of the conversation. We talked about what he believed and he had a very minimalistic, deistic view of God. He said he has a minimal belief in God,” Strobel recalled.
The apologist noted that it was a theological stance that is “quite convenient” for people like Hefner because it removes any real and viable moral responsibility on behalf of human beings.
“A God like that, of course, does not put any moral demands on anybody. [Hefner] said, ‘The God of Christianity is a little too childlike for me,'” Strobel said, according to The Christian Post.
The apologist noted that Hefner seemed to be surprised when he revealed at one point in the interview that he was a Christian.
When Strobel started talking about Jesus, Hefner revealed that he did not think that Jesus was the “son of God” any more than any other human being is, but he “perked up” when the apologist brought up the subject of the resurrection.
Hefner reportedly said that any evidence for the resurrection would drop “a series of dominos” that would prove a number of theological claims, including the existence of the afterlife. The Playboy magnate told Strobel that he was hoping that it was all true, but noted that the rational part of him is holding him back from believing such sentiment.
“He saw the relevance of the resurrection, he saw the significance of it,” Strobel said, noting that Hefner had never investigated the evidence and never even considered that there could be an actual proof of the event.
It was after the cameras were turned off that Strobel was able to share the Gospel with the Playboy founder. The apologist explained to Hefner how humans are separated from God “by our sin, by wrongdoing” and that Jesus “offers forgiveness as a free gift of his grace.”
Strobel also shared how he himself was once an atheist journalist who sought to disprove Christianity but ended up embracing the faith due to overwhelming evidence. He gave Hefner a copy of his bestselling book, “The Case for Christ,” and expressed hope that he would read it.
Hefner reportedly did not reach out to Strobel for further meetings, but he sent the Christian apologist a Christmas card that year. http://ow.ly/i/ztwUb

Just Keep Reaching Motivation

“Sometimes you are the last one to see the effects of your obedience to God!” Pastor Steven Furtick

How Chocolate Saved A Baby

Francine Christophe was just 8 years old when she and her mother were shipped off to Nazi concentration camps. In 1944, they were taken to Bergen-Belsen in Germany. In this excerpt from the movie Human, she shares a story from that time that will shock and inspire you.

She’s also written a book that tells her story. Check it out here.

When Someone We Know Has Cancer

Dear Soulpants,

When someone we know has cancer or has a loved one with cancer, often we want to reach out with help and support. But how can we be sure the help we’re providing is what the person really needs? The best way is simple but often overlooked: Just ask. A good example of why this is important comes from an episode of the TV show Parenthood from a few years ago. One of the main characters, Christina, has recently been diagnosed with cancer, and two friends drop by to cheer her up and bring her a roasted chicken. Christina goes to put the chicken away in the refrigerator—where there are four more chickens just like it, leaving barely any room for anything else. These friends meant well, but because they made an assumption about what Christina needed—a chicken dinner—their help was not all that helpful. They could have done much more for Christina if they said: “What can we do right now? Do you need any meals, or help with transportation, or someone to run errands—or something else? We’d really like to help.” Then they could have acted based on Christina’s response—and helped in ways that Christina genuinely needed right then. There’s a story in Cancer—Now What? that illustrates the benefits of asking about and sharing needs: When someone you know is dealing with cancer—or any other life difficulty—take the time to ask what he or she needs, and possibly offer some suggestions of what you could do. That way, you’ll know you’re helping in a way the person will welcome and appreciate. Sincerely, Joel Bretscher Share This Caring Tip Feel free to forward this message to Stephen Ministers, friends, colleagues, or anyone else who might be interested. If this Caring Tip was forwarded to you and you would like to subscribe, click the button below.  Please Note Soulpants did not create any of the above. It was a newsletter we received. Stephen Ministries has been so helpful to us we chose to promote them. They have no direct affiliation with us, save our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Reading The Bible Aloud

How long would it take the average person to read completely through the Bible?

Some really smart folks have come up with the average time of 70 hours and 40 minutes. Reading aloud at a steady pace.

The Old Testament comes in at just 52 hours and 20 minutes. While the New Testament is a mere 18 hours and 20 minutes to read aloud.

 

The Psalms, which is the longest book of the Bible, weighing in at 150 chapters, will take just 4 hours and 28 minutes.

 

One could read the Bible through in a year by reading less than 12 minutes a day! Try it yourself by reading a number of verses, at a steady rate, aloud. Time yourself and count the words you have read.

 

The number of words in the Bible is about 622,771 Old Testament, and 184,590 New Testament, a grand total of 807, 361. A bit of simple math and you will know just how long you need to read your Bible all the way through out loud. Obviously, a different translation like the Amplified would take longer.

 

In Bible times the scriptures were almost always read aloud. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Read it aloud to yourself, friends, and family. Wanna read through the New Testament in a month? Read 10 chapters a day and you’ll “git r done.”

 

You’re gonna get good at this!