Category: Q&A

Q – I recently read through By Grace Alone and I liked it a lot. I grew up in Nashville and attended a United Methodist Church. I loved Sunday School and our youth group but I could not stand going to church services because I couldn’t get much of anything out of them. No matter...

Q – What does the verse “Many are called, but few are chosen” mean? Jim – Ok, admittedly this is one of Jesus’ more cryptic statements. So, it has to be understood within its context. Of the four gospel writers, only Matthew records this saying of our Lord, but he records it twice. The first...

Q – Pastor Jim, Hi! This e-mail has been so long in coming, but I wanted to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed your church when I was able to visit. A quick question that should probably be obvious to me, but I’m needing clarification. Who should we pray to? When I pray, I...

Q – Did you grow up Calvinistic? Jim – No. I was completely unfamiliar with the whole Calvin/Arminian debate prior to attending the church in Franklin. I was having lunch with the pastor and telling him about the church in Los Angeles where I had served as an intern when he said, “It sounds like...

Q – My question is: would you elaborate on Luke 1:5-46 and Ephesians 1:3-13, as far as the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit? Please consider: 1. Being Filled with the Spirit, and 2. Being sealed with the Spirit. Jim – Sure I will! 🙂 This is a very good question because there...

Q – I recently had a conversation with a person who said, “I believe that God wants everyone to be saved. That’s what is says in the Bible.” What do you say to that? Jim – Not to sound unkind, but I’d say, “I don’t care what you ‘believe.’ It only matters what God believes...

In April of 2001, Jim preached a message containing the central arguments that brought him back to Christianity in the early 80’s. A transcription of that sermon served as the outline for the following article. We feel that every Christian should be familiar with these facts and arguments, “always being ready to make a defense...

Q – I watch Animal Planet all the time and there was a story about chimps that gave me a thought about evolution. My roommate had just recently gone over it in class and remarked how easy it is to see how evolution could be true. I have to agree somewhat that the evolutionary chart...

Q – Does the Greek designate what the “it” is that is being referred to in Ephesians 2:8-9? I know that “it” is supplied by the translators, so maybe the better thing to ask is: what is “the gift” referring to. Is it grace or faith? I know that most people think that grace is...

Q – Are you familiar with William Hendrickson’s interpretive approach to Revelation (perhaps not originating with him) called “progressive parallelism”? Jim – Yes, I’m familiar with Hendrickson. His book “More Than Conquerors” is one of the more popular Amillennial defenses in print (although I find it humorous that he took his title from the book...