Faith Refresh (Real FM)

Forgiveness seems like a simple word... until you start trying to define it. What is forgiveness, exactly? How do we do it? And what in the world are we supposed to do when we get hurt so badly that we feel like we can't? Chaplain Justin and Ansen break it down, discussing what we can learn about forgivness from both the character of God and the prayers of Jesus.

Being "non-judgemental" is a modern societal virtue. We recite phrases like, "Don't judge others," or "Don't judge a book by its cover." But what about when our sense of justice has been violated by someone else? Suddenly judgement seems appropriate. In this episode, Ansen and Chaplain Justin explore this tension as it relates to God's judgement. Why would a loving God condemn people to eternal punishment? Why would a just God forgive people who have greviously sinned?

The story of Noah's Ark raises several important questions. Is this story even historically plausible? Why do modern Christians treat it like a cutesy children's tale? Why would a loving God want to enact judgement on and destroy his creation? And perhaps most critically of all... why would we want to worship a God like that? Ansen and Justin take a fresh look at one of the most well-known stories in the Old Testament.

How should a Christian worldview shape our understanding of work and vocation? Ansen and Chaplain Justin discuss the tension between work being both a good creation of God, while also affected by sin and brokenness. Ultimately, God's ongoing redemption and restoration means work is a form of worship, both here on earth and on into eternity.

Ansen and Justin build off their previous discussion about the book of Daniel, pointing out that the New Testament calls Christ followers "exiles," comparing them to the Israelites in Babylon. So what does this status as exiles mean? Justin makes the case that a better understanding of what it means to be an exile can help us both look to the future with hope and live in the present with purpose.

There's some iconic Bible stories in the Book of Daniel. Maybe you've heard the one about the lion's den or the fiery furnace? But there's also some pretty obscure passages in this book about dreams, visions, disembodied hands, and even a king going mad and eating grass. Chaplain Justin and Ansen discuss how both the simple Sunday School stories and the confusing prophecies work together to drive home a larger point about the nature of God's kingdom.