Ask Me Anything | Bible & Spirituality | Part 1

This week Pastor Les responded to your questions about the Bible and Spirituality. Each service had completely different questions so make sure to check out all 3 from this week! Questions Covered in Part 2: Would you really kick a cat? How can we trust the historicity of the Bible? I've been wrestling with 1 Samuel 16:15. In 1 Samuel God sends evil spirits to torment Saul. If God is good how can he send evil? How do you feel about Christians doing yoga if they meditate on Jesus? What is the difference between Christianity, spirituality, and being religious? How do you know which voice is God speaking or just your own thoughts? I am starting my freshman year of college next week, and I wanted to know what encouraging words the Bible says about standing strong in faith even in changes of life. Were there dinosaurs in the Bible? If so, why did God kill them all? Hebrews 8:7-13 NIV: How do we reconcile this passage and the author calling the Old Covenant obsolete? If we are under a New Covenant with Jesus, what role does the old play in our lives? If God created everything, who created God? How important is it to balance scripture with other sources of theology (tradition, personal experience, divine revelation)? Should scripture take priority over these other sources of theology? How do we balance striving to be like Jesus, and resting in the grace of Jesus?

This week Pastor Les responded to your questions about the Bible and Spirituality. Each service had completely different questions so make sure to check out all 3 from this week! Questions Covered in Part 3: Pastor Les, what's your favorite part of being a pastor at Lifegate? Why does it seem like we interpret some things figuratively in the Bible and then take other things literally? Are there any writings from Jesus' time that are not in the New Testament but are still relevant for Christians to study? Does your exegesis change to suit the masses as the worlds’ culture(s) and opinion change? How do you reconcile apparent contradictions in the Bible? For example, there is a command to not kill, but then you have commands in the Old Testament to destroy cities and kill enemies. Can marijuana open the mind to the spiritual realm? When in conversation with someone who is openly agnostic or atheist about spiritual matters, what should our approach be? God sent Jesus to absorb our sin. Why did he have to go so through such a gruesome death for that to occur, when he has full control of that? Why couldn't he just snap his fingers and forgive us? How come in the New Testament Jesus never refused healing, yet it feels like now healing can seem hit or miss? How, as Christians, do we not conform to this world when we are in a culture that is twisting the word of God to live lifestyles that are contradictory to Gods Word and will?

This week Pastor Les responded to your questions about Relationships, Family, Singleness, and Sex. Each service had completely different questions so make sure to check out all 3 from this week! Please note some of the content discussed may be PG-13. Questions Covered in Part 1: Where are all the single, God-fearing, door-opening, honest and loyal men at? In Romans 7:14-25, Paul talks about his struggle with sin and how we’re a slave to it because sin lives within us. Is it really possible to live free from sexual sin and strongholds? How do you differentiate the two? What if I didn’t wait till marriage to have sex like the Bible says? Will I not go to Heaven? How do I go about it from here? What are a few key practical things that parents might do to help their kids love God and have their own true belief in him. Why are LGBTQ relationships not allowed? Can a marriage survive financial cheating? What can we as the church do to welcome, include, and love singles better?

This week Pastor Les responded to your questions about Relationships, Family, Singleness, and Sex. Each service had completely different questions so make sure to check out all 3 from this week! Please note some of the content discussed may be PG-13. Questions Covered in Part 2: Do you like sex? Why? How does online dating fit in with dating as a Christian? God's message is built on love. Loving one another. Why then can a homosexual relationship built on love be sinful? What does the Bible say about a situation where one spouse is a believer and the other is not? The bible talks about sex as allowed only in marriage, but what types of sex are allowed in marriage? Is it anything goes or is sex just for procreation. How does God view a separation in a marriage? My husband has a friend whose girlfriend dresses and speaks very provocatively around him. My husband is trying to win the man to Christ. How do we handle this relationship?

This week Pastor Les responded to your questions about Relationships, Family, Singleness, and Sex. Each service had completely different questions so make sure to check out all 3 from this week! Please note some of the content discussed may be PG-13. Questions Covered in Part 3: Would we ever consider having singles events/speed dating type things? Sometimes it feels like I'm expected to look for someone apart from the church when I would love the church's help in finding a good life partner. Is it a sin to live together before marriage? It seems that the sin is premarital sex, not necessarily living together. If so, why do some pastors go as far as not marrying a couple that is living together? Do you believe in sexual soul tie? If so, how do you break those ties? Is it possible to forgive someone and love them well, and not want them in your life? What do you say to a woman who says, “I love my husband, but I don’t think we need to have sex.” Both masculinity, and even more so, femininity is expressed and validated through marriage and parenthood. This makes it challenging to be defined primarily by Christ in singleness. What thoughts or encouragement do you have? Will my child be condemned if she is a part of the LGBTQ+ community? How do you know if you have been called to a life of singleness by God? How do we interpret the Biblical teachings of a traditional family when we live in and have many non-traditional families today? (i.e. woman as the breadwinner, single parents, etc.) My granddaughter thinks she's a boy and her parents are allowing her to take hormones. I am struggling with how to support her and have peace. Is it sinful for a married couple to not want children? Do you believe in finding “your soulmate?”

This week Pastor Les responded to your questions about Living Our Faith in a Changing World. Each service had completely different questions so make sure to check out all 3 from this week! Questions Covered in Part 1: How do we reconcile what the Bible calls us to do with a government that claims Christian values, but acts in un-Christian ways? Being an African American in the climate we live in today, I find it difficult to feel comfortable in a predominantly white church. I love the teachings, but how do I let go of the feelings that my ethnicity is not accepted by some Christians. Is the “hustle” culture a Jesus thing? “You’re responsible for your own destiny by working hard.” Is it okay to use the Enneagram? I am a Latin, 37-year-old male believer who is a virgin. I want to get a good wife. It seems like Christian girls don’t like a male without any experience. Any advice? What’s a woman’s role as a pastor? Where is the line drawn in authority in the church? I am a teacher. How can I teach in schools that support evolution and teach these things as facts, when I believe creation is true? Are we to support it and deny conscience? Where should the church stand in regard to the illegal immigration debate? In recent news, prominent Christians have “left the faith.” How do we explain that to new Christians and non-Christian friends in a loving, honoring, and truthful way? How are we to understand it ourselves? How can the church be set apart from the world, yet listen to secular music in the church?

This week Pastor Les responded to your questions about Living Our Faith in a Changing World. Each service had completely different questions so make sure to check out all 3 from this week! Questions Covered in Part 2: Why doesn’t the abundant kingdom life equal the American Dream? Where should the church stand with regard to the illegal immigration debate? There is ample evidence of climate change and humanity’s responsibility for it. Given our biblical call to govern and rule the earth, how must we respond to the threat of climate change, both individually and corporately? I strongly feel that Lifegate doesn’t endorse successful women. Why not? What do you think of TV shows, music, or other forms of entertainment that aren’t exactly wrong, but aren’t wholesome either?​ For example, the show, Stranger Things. How do you determine what political candidate to support when you have conflicting convictions related to the things each side supports? What kind of food/diet did God intend for us? Were we made to consume animal products? Our teen has asked us why it's so important to come to church on Sunday? I am a Latin, 37-year-old male believer who is a virgin. I want to get a good wife. It seems like Christian girls don’t like a male without any experience. Any advice?

This week Pastor Les responded to your questions about Living Our Faith in a Changing World. Each service had completely different questions so make sure to check out all 3 from this week! Questions Covered in Part 3: How should Christians treat the consumption of alcohol? Is abortion ever ok? Are there special circumstances in which it would be ok to have one? Where should the church stand with regard to the illegal immigration debate? My gay friends have asked me what God says about their lifestyle and relationships. Some are married and have children. How do I love them and answer them? I don’t see black people or other minorities in your leadership team. Is there a reason for this? What is the church's position on gun control (self-defense resistance) to tyranny? How should Christians respond to unkind words and actions of our president?

This week Pastor Les responded to your questions about Literally Anything. Each service had completely different questions so make sure to check out all 3 from this week! Questions Covered in Part 1: With the renewed interest and confirmation by the U.S. Air Force of the existence of UFOs, what direction do we get from the Bible regarding life on other planets? As a Christian, should we celebrate Halloween? Would this church ever “excommunicate” anyone? Has it? For what reasons? What is your opinion of the Jewish, Christian & Muslim centers on 132nd & Pacific uniting in the Tri-Faith Initiative? I talk to my dead grandmother, and she encourages me. Is it wrong to talk to the dead? Will Catholics go to heaven? How come there’s no crosses at Lifegate Church? Our two-and-a-half-year-old son died from SUDC (sudden unexplained death of a child) last August. It has really shaken our faith - especially of our 10-year-old son. How do we help him to see that God is not a mean God? When you’re having marriage issues, have had counseling, but my spouse isn’t “changing” their behavior and not really trying. When would it be acceptable to file for divorce? Why do you pronounce your name "Beach-um" when it's clearly very French? What would be your response if people ask why Lifegate uses fog, lights, and other “entertainment” things? Is there currently any coordinated training and activation for prophetic and healing ministry at Lifegate?

This week Pastor Les responded to your questions about Literally Anything. Each service had completely different questions so make sure to check out all 3 from this week! Questions Covered in Part 2: Dear Pastor Les, why do you insist on freezing us out every weekend? How do you feel about megachurch pastors living lives of excess (ex. Kenneth Copeland and Joel Osteen)? How do we as Christians live like Jesus when we have been blessed financially? What does God say about mental illness (depression and anxiety)? Pastor Les, we share hunting as one of our passions. My wife is not a big fan of when I go “catch deer" and it takes time away from the family. What should we as helpmates do? What encouragement do you have for a young adult who is struggling with comparing themselves with other people's paths of life? I know God has a unique plan for me, but I am feeling very inadequate for my calling. How is the Trinity expressed in our day-to-day life? Are we invited to three separate relationships between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? If god is capable to destroy EVIL now, why doesn't he? why wait? What is going on with Fremont campus? What is Lifegate's vision for identifying, cultivating and developing emerging leaders for our emerging campuses as well as the marketplace? Is capitalism the best form of earthy government? How do we create effective change in worldly system that values profits at the expense of long potential long term consequences? What should we teach our children about Santa? Should Christmas only be about baby Jesus? Are we in the end times and what role does the USA play in it?

This week Pastor Les responded to your questions about Literally Anything. Each service had completely different questions so make sure to check out all 3 from this week! Questions Covered in Part 3: What is an essential movie that you believe every Christian should watch in their lifetimes? What is your opinion on children going to a public school vs. a private Christian school? I’m struggling with a hurt from a former church. I participate in online, but I feel too paralyzed to walk through the doors. Am I wrong to not come into the church? Is it ok to fall in love with someone of a different faith than yours? What are your thoughts on an occasional beer and drinking alcohol in general? How do you know what God is calling you to do as a job? I’m having a hard time figuring out what he is calling me to do. When our pets die, do they go to heaven? Did God create hell? If so, why? We are wanting to build 40 campuses. As the head pastor of the church and not always present at each campus, how do you know each campus is being fed spiritually? What advice would you give to someone who is considering switching faiths? I grew up Catholic, and I’m really struggling with the decision. God is doing new things in these times. How do we test the “new” things to make sure they line up with the word when these “new” things aren't there? How do I regain the fire of God in my heart?