Welcome to the blog of Stephen Bond, Senior Pastor of Summit Christian Church in Sparks, Nevada.

One Way

May 17, 2012 12:18 PM | Permalink

According to research by Christian Smith and Melinda Denton the religious faith of a growing number of Americans is essentially Moralistic Therapeutic Deism. MTD is a blend of beliefs similar to what Oprah Winfrey espouses.  A benevolent god exists who makes no moral demands, wants everyone to be happy and lets all “good” people into heaven.  From personal observation I suspect many professing Christians are, in fact, functional followers of MTD rather than biblical Christianity.

One reason for this is people are bombarded from media sources and high-profile intellectuals who revile the exclusivity of historic Christian faith. Jesus clearly claimed to be God-in-the-flesh and the one-and-only way to heaven. But this is intolerably intolerant for many. However, Jesus validated his exclusive claims by living a perfect life, accomplishing astonishing miracles, teaching with unparalleled wisdom, advocating for justice and, ultimately, dying on a cross and rising from the dead. 

Pastor Stephen Bond

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Values Matter

May 10, 2012 08:48 AM | Permalink

The President’s religious beliefs matter enormously. This is because our religious beliefs are the foundation for our values. In Mark 10:30 Jesus urges us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. According to the Bible, faith that does not inform how we think and the decisions we make is not genuine faith.

In recent years we have repeatedly seen evidence of this in policy decisions by national leaders who claim to be Christian but clearly do not embrace biblical values. The result has been the acceleration of the moral decline of the USA and an unprecedented assault on religious liberty.

As a result, the most important characteristic to consider in a presidential candidate is their consistent adherence to biblical moral values. These values (or lack thereof) will dictate more than any other single factor the President’s decisions. May God have mercy on our nation!

Pastor Stephen Bond

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Belief and Behavior

May 9, 2012 11:19 AM | Permalink

What Christians believe and how we behave are both important. True faith in Christ is intended to translate into Christ-like living. James says clearly: Faith without works is dead. When a person claims to follow Christ but does not show evidence of Christ-likeness through good works, it calls into question the reality of their faith.

Christians believe that people enter into a restored relationship with God by grace through faith in Christ. We do not earn God’s favor—it is freely given by God’s grace to all who call upon Christ. But good works are the expected response once a person experiences this new life through Christ. This is why Jesus said that a good tree (a true Christian) will produce good fruit. This is also why Jesus said that the love Christ followers share with one another will prove to the world that we are authentically his followers.

Pastor Stephen Bond

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