Sanctuary @ MPPC

Scott Scruggs on 2010-01-10 : Finding Jonah / Running from God There are two realities that are consistently found through the Bible. God calls people. And people often run from it. The key question is why? And where do we tend to run? And most importantly, what does God do to help us get back on the right path?

Scott Scruggs on 2009-12-06 : The Elephant in the Church / What About Sexual Orientation? There are few conversations today that are as culturally-controversial and profoundly personal as those around sexual orientation. And there are few communities that seem to be as much at odds today as the evangelical church and the GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) community. So what does the Bible really say about homosexuality? Can a person be gay and be a Christian? And how can the church navigate these questions in Jesus-like way?

Scott Scruggs on 2009-11-28 : The Elephant in the Church / What About God-Sanctioned Cruelty in the Bible? Thomas Paine once suggested the God of the Old Testament looks more like a demon than a God of love. And there are a number of graphic and unsettling stories in the Bible that seem to reinforce just that. So what are we to make of what appears to be God-sanctioned cruelty in the Old Testament? Is God's response to sin redemptive or vindictive? And what are to make of the life and teaching of Jesus in light of these troublesome passages in the Old Testament?

Scott Scruggs on 2009-11-22 : The Elephant in the Church / What About Creation and Evolution? The opening verse of the Bible claims that God authored and guided the creation of our universe. Unfortunately, none of the verses that follow give us a modern, scientific explanation of how. So does biblical Christianity leave room for evolutionary biology? Do the discoveries of modern science disprove the existence of God and the claims of Genesis 1-2? And is there still any compelling reason why science and faith should be so much at odds?

Scott Scruggs on 2009-11-15 : The Elephant in the Church / What About Hell? The Bible teaches that God is loving and merciful. The Bible also seems to paint a pretty terrifying picture of what we call 'hell,' a place of eternal punishment and torment for those who die and are not saved. So why would a loving God send people to hell? What's the goal of eternal punishment other than unmitigated vengeance and anger? And wouldn't there be a moment, after some period of time, when a God of grace finally says, "That's enough"?

Scott Scruggs on 2009-11-08 : The Elephant in the Church / What About Other Religions? In the gospel according to John, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." And yet roughly two-thirds of the world's population adheres to other (or no) faith traditions. What does this say about the relationship between Christianity and other religions? Does this mean that only Christians go to heaven? And is there a way to navigate this question in a way that is biblically-sound and culturally-sensitive?

Scott Dudley on 2009-10-26 : Breaking Free / Pt3 : Free at Last

Scott Dudley on 2009-10-26 : Breaking Free / Pt1 : Trapped

Scott Dudley on 2009-10-26 : Breaking Free / Pt4 : What Now?

Scott Dudley on 2009-10-26 : Breaking Free / Pt2 : Prison Break

Scott Scruggs on 2009-10-25 : Rated M for Mature / Now Try Again

Scott Scruggs on 2009-10-18 : Rated M for Mature / Choosing Well

Lindsay James on 2009-10-11 : Rated M for Mature / Iron and Wine

Scott Scruggs on 2009-10-04 : Rated M for Mature / The Stuck Cycle

Scott Scruggs on 2009-09-27 : Rated M for Mature / How People Change