Posts by Kyle Lewis
The Nativity Story Is Not An Immigration Story (but others are)
This is not a political post. But after seeing too many incorrect uses of the Christmas story, I want to attempt to correct a false narrative that some people with a particular agenda have been giving. That narrative is that the nativity story – the story of Jesus coming to this earth as a baby – is an immigration story. I am not against immigration, but I am against people using the Bible incorrectly. At first glance, it seems like…
How Can Jesus Be God If He Is The Son Of God?
The Strange Call Last week, someone called the office saying they had a Bible question. They insisted to Pam, our beloved secretary, that they really needed to ask a question right then and couldn’t have someone call them back. I later realized they were calling from a blocked number and had a different agenda, but I didn’t know that at the time. Pam called me, and I decided to stop what I was doing and come down to her office…
Why “Limited Atonement” Needs Rethinking
I want to discuss the term “limited atonement,” which is the “L” in TULIP. TULIP is an acronym used to describe the “five points of Calvinism”, though as we will see, TULIP and the phrase “limited atonement” were not written by Calvin and was not coined until the late 19th Century. Let’s start with a very brief history of TULIP. A Quick History John Calvin lived from 1509-1564 and was an instrumental French theologian, pastor, and reformer. Calvin is closely…
Ask The Pastor: What age should I allow my child to date?
I am really glad you asked this question because this is an important issue for every Christian family to think through. Given that our church has grown a lot over the past decade, and particularly with young families, we have a growing amount of kids who are starting to figuratively sing along with Timon and Pumbaa, “Can you feel the love tonight?” If we, as the parents, do not think through this issue from a biblical perspective, it would be…
Can things without breath praise the Lord?
Note: This blog expresses the opinion of the pastor and is not an official church policy. The church leaders have started discussing the topic of appropriate uses of AI in the church and will put out a more official policy later on. In Psalm 150:6, the psalmist proclaims, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” But what about things that do not have breath? Specifically, artificial intelligence (AI). Can AI praise the Lord? My worship director and I…
Is the Communion Packet a Problem?
“It is not the outward form, but the inward faith that makes the ordinance precious.” – Charles H. Spurgeon “The value of a sacrament depends entirely on the spirit in which it is used.” – J.C. Ryle “Let us not cling to the signs to the neglect of the things signified.” – John Calvin There’s a post going around lately about those little communion packets. You know, the ones with the peel-back lid and the tasteless wafer sealed under crinkly…
Ask The Pastor: Are Paul’s “opinions” in 1 Corinthians 7 inspired?
Question: I’m reading in 1 Corinthians in Paul’s message to the church in Corinth and came across 7:25. My Scofield bible reads, “So that concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord; yet I give my judgement, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.” It almost sounds like Paul is speaking “off the record”. It made me go back to the beginning of the book to see if I could find another reference like…
Ask The Pastor: Murderers and levels of heaven
Question: Do murderers, rapists, or pedophiles that convert at the last minute before death go to the same tier of heaven as someone who has never killed anyone and been a Christian for most of their life? Is it fair that someone who has done something evil (like a serial killer) can pray the sinners prayer at the end of their life and end up in the same heaven as others? Answer: Let’s break this into two questions: Question 1:…
A History of Beliefs About Communion
As a Southern Baptist, I believe that Communion (also called the Lord’s Supper) is a symbolic act of remembrance. But not every Christian throughout history has seen it that way. In fact, beliefs about communion have shifted quite a bit over the last 2,000 years. I thought it would be helpful to take a quick walk through the history of what Christians have believed about Communion and how we got where we are today. The Early Church (1st–3rd Century) The…
Should I Get Baptized Again If I Was Baptized as a Baby?
As a pastor of a church with the word “Baptist” in the name, baptism is important. And as I talk with people about baptism, here is a common scenario that arises: Me: “Hey Frank, have you been baptized before?” Frank: “I have!” Me: “Awesome! Where at?” Frank: “I was baptized as a baby at ________ Church.” And from their perspective, they are set. But there is a problem with this way of thinking. Here at Island Pond Baptist Church, we…
Why We Don’t Use Secular Music or Movies at Church Functions
As our church continues to grow, more activities are taking place each week and more types of people are attending. Non-Christians, new Christians, and long-time Christians. And all these additional people means that the amount of events, groups, and gatherings we have is increasing. In order to make sure we remain focused on our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ, the Church Council (the group of leaders at the church composed of the pastors and deacons) made a decision…
Why we don’t celebrate Lent at our church
If you’ve been online or talked with Christian friends from different backgrounds, chances are you’ve heard people talking about Lent. But, if you have been at Island Pond for any period of time, you may have noticed that we don’t include Lent in our traditions. Why is that? Are we missing out on something? Are other churches that participate in Lent doing something wrong? I want to answer these questions. But first, what is Lent? Lent is a 40-day period…