Steve Hunter Bible Study

It's no secret that the church in America is experiencing some discomfort in attracting a sizable congregation and tithe to meet the sizable work of God in an ever-growing culture of "nones."  What's a "none"?  A "none" is someone who has no spiritual beliefs.  More and more people define themselves as having zero spiritual beliefs.  We are becoming an ever more secular society that is pushing the church to the outer fringe.  Is there still as big of a need for the church?  You betcha!  There is more need than ever but we must get out of our own way first, unify, and strategically advance the kingdom.  The days of waiting for people to come to us is over.  We can whine about it or do something.  I think Jesus would agree with the later. This article from ncbaptist.org states the solution very well.  I guess you could say in one summation, "When did the inmates get in charge of the prison, and if you want to change, you need to be that chan

Science explains where the water came from for the Noahic Flood described in Noah's Ark Bible story (Genesis 5:32-10:1) Check out this article on scientific site which shows proof for a layer of water deep within the earth that is mention as having flooded the earth in Noah's day.   https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25723-massive-ocean-discovered-towards-earths-core/

Parable of the Sower One of Jesus's most memorable parables found in three of the gospels, Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8, the Parable of the Sower is one of Jesus's most impactful teachings.  Enjoy this sermon: Sunday Sermon Parable of the Sower, Steve Hunter  https://youtu.be/kqHxg6aqaQU

THE PARABLE OF THE TWO TREES by Steven W. Hunter  (Use this original example of parables to teach students about Jesus's parables.  Start by explaining parables, read some of Jesus's parables, then follow-up with this modern parable.  Then, encourage them to write or make a video telling their own unique parable under 5 minutes in length.) There once grew a tree unlike any of the others.   Immediately it began shooting upward growing quickly.   It became stronger, with incredible large sun attracting leaves, and bark tough like iron.   Its roots grew a mile in the soil, and its branches began reaching upward day by day toward the sky.   Eventually, this great tree through its own efforts pierced the canopy of the forest and began overshadowing even the most ancient of great trees.   This tree’s height continued unhindered as it reached still higher for the sun until one day it hit its zenith far above all the others.   Having achieved all that it set out to do with great

Reading this article, I was reminded of how elusive happiness is. We say, "I'll be happy when..." Then we get there and we aren't satisfied. It really hasn't been reached yet even though we hit our goal. When asked if he was happy being a millionaire, one millionaire said, "I'll be happy when I make my next million." It seems happiness is somehow always out of reach. I have heard countless athletes say that when they finally achieved their trophy, championship, gold medal, etc that they thought they would finally be satisfied and happy. When they got there, they were even more unhappy and disappointed. I have seen newlyweds quickly lose love for each other when the honeymoon wears off. I hear phrases like, "He doesn't make me happy!" Although both the man and his wife are good people they divorce due to a lack of happiness. Their marriage goal is unattainable and unrealistic. As a Christian, my happiness is n

This is a thought-provoking article that may confront our concept of women's roles as leaders and ministers in the church.  It is well written by the Christian Post and seems to most accurately reflect the depth of this modern debate.   https://www.christianpost.com/news/women-as-church-leaders-female-complementarians-on-current-debates-beth-moore-misogyny.html

Can we trust the accuracy of the Bible? Biblical Inerrancy...I hear from some people that we shouldn't get hung up on this. I stand firm on the Bible being inerrant myself.  Here's why... 2 Timothy 3:16-17 clearly states this inerrancy... All Scripture is God-breathed  and is useful for teaching,  rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,   so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (That's all scripture) Let's also reason through this... Scripture was written by men who were inspired by God right? Do we trust the writings of authoritative men on subjects? Yes, in science, math, medical, counseling, psychology, architecture, and more. So, how much more can we trust in the inspired Word of God written by men? How do we know it's inspired?  Well, even Jesus attested to the authent icity of the scriptures on several occasions citing several different authors. So we have Jesus's own endorsement. Tha

DIY How to avoid Pastor burnout Are you worried about pastor burnout? Here are 10 ways to avoid pastor burnout: 1) manage time well and take breaks 2) schedule physical activity 3) schedule reading time 4) schedule vacation, family, marriage time 5) gain perspective and happy experiences 6) pace for endurance, not a sprint 7) get things done early, don't procrastinate 8) recharge daily in the Word, meditation, and prayer    9) look back on each day with thankfulness 10) look ahead with great anticipation Pastors, just like anyone else, can experience burnout if they are not living a balanced life .  The Christian walk itself requires a balance of spiritual, physical, and mental well-being.  Even our spiritual disciplines must be in balance.  If any area of our life is out of balance, we suffer.  If the intellectual aspect of our life takes all of our time, our spiritual life and physical health degrade.  We feel sluggish and are not functioning at our optimal level

   Leadership and discipleship may run very parallel tracks as both leadership and discipleship involve disciplines, training, time-management, strategic planning, work ethic, passion, conviction, and will require mentorship for maturation yet they are different.       In considering leadership, you can observe that there are many leaders, both religious and secular, in our culture and our world.  Leaders can be found in both realms.  You can be both a disciple and a leader, but not all leaders are disciples.  Leadership requires the acquisition of essential skills used for leading others in both the church and the world, but what each leads people to is distinctively different.  For the secular man, leadership is structurally vital for the acquisition of money, property, power, influence, and other self-indulgent means.  Far too many of God's ministers in the age of the megachurch bring these same secular leadership goals into the pulpit and their church.  Secular leadership is

Doing the hard thing...lovingly confronting sin. Like a house, our soul is only as stable as its foundation. A strong foundation will hold a house steady during stormy weather, but one built on the weak, faulty ground will shift, crack, and eventually fall under the pressure of high winds and rain. Likewise, our lives stand or crumble depending on our soul’s foundation. - Value of a Soul movie To truly love biblically, we must express more than kindness with our love. I would never suggest that it is kind to allow a person to sit in the path of a charging lion or speeding car. I would sound the alarm no matter how much it angered or started them so that I may keep them from harm. In the end, they should be thankful for the warning, but I know that I have done the right thing. That is what matters. Real love allows us to be the unpopular at times as we correct, rebuke, and instruct in righteousness through the Word that it may restore or build-up those we love to right

Pastor as the shepherd.  Do Pastors sometimes lose focus? "Preaching is fundamentally a part of the care of souls, and the care of souls involves a thorough understanding of the congregation." - Haddon Robinson, Biblical Preaching So preaching is not just delivering a motivational or entertaining speech, teaching a book, or administration of a church. It is the responsibility of the pastor to shepherd the flock. It is to intercede in the care for the people as ambassadors of God. Programs, church operations, etc should not be pr oduced for the primary purpose of creating event attendance, entertainment, and tithe. This type of ministry would encourage narcissistic self-indulgence, spiritual complacency, and institutional dependence. Instead, pastors should design meaningful ministry that nurses the wounded, heals the sick, strengthen the believer, builds the body, and reaches out with a message of hope through equipped disciples in Jesus Christ. In doing so, we must keep

Why was Lot called righteous?  That's a really good question that takes a bit of thought... In Genesis, we read that Lot is Abraham's older brother's son.  Although Lot is a close relative of the Biblical patriarch Abraham, we read that he is riddled with flaws.  Lot, like many of us today, judges by sight and thinks of himself before others (Genesis 13:8-12).  He first chooses to live outside of the city of Sodom then later to live inside its walls.  He is drawn by commerce and gains great influence in this city.  Later he becomes drunk and commits incest with both his daughters.  Lot seems anything but righteous.  So why was Lot rescued twice, first by Abraham (Genesis 14) and later by angels sent by God to escape the judgment and destruction of Sodom? There must be more to Lot than what appears on the surface... From the evident protection of Abraham and God, there must be more going on in the heart of this man than his outward actions show.  The first evidence of