Understanding the True Place of Faith in America’s Constitutional Framework Introduction: The Revolutionary Religious Landscape In the turbulent decades surrounding America’s founding—from the 1760s through the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791—the question of religion’s place in the new republic stood at the intersection of revolutionary fervor, Enlightenment philosophy, and deeply held Christian…
Category: Religion
From Pelagius to Your Pastor: The Enduring Mystery of Divine Sovereignty and Human Choice
Sixteen Centuries of Faithful Disagreement: Finding Peace in the Free Will Conversation When you find yourself lying awake at night, troubled by seemingly irreconcilable biblical texts about God’s sovereignty and human responsibility—when sermon podcasts leave you more confused than comforted, when theological discussions on social media escalate into accusations of heresy from both sides—take heart….
The Chosen: A Theological Examination of Biblical Legitimacy
Introduction The phenomenon of The Chosen has swept through contemporary Christianity with unprecedented force. This multi-season television series, created by Dallas Jenkins and funded through the largest crowdfunding campaign in media history (over $40 million as of 2023), has reached more than 108 million viewers across 180 countries. As a Biblical scholar who has devoted…
Stop Making Jesus Your Political Mascot: A Call for Honest Biblical Interpretation
A provocative video is making the rounds on social media, declaring that “Jesus was from Palestine,” “hated capitalism,” and “was a communist.” It’s garnered thousands of shares, with commenters either celebrating its boldness or denouncing it as heresy. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: both the political left and right have been guilty of the same…
A Glimpse of the King’s Return: A Comprehensive Sermon & Study of Luke 9:28-36
This Sunday, Pastor Joey Sampaga led us through Luke 9:28-36, “A Glimpse of the King’s Return.” Have you ever experienced a moment so profound, so overwhelming, that words failed you? A moment when heaven seemed to break through into your everyday reality? For three disciples on a mountain in first-century Judea, such a moment came…
The Transformation of Church Music: From Heartfelt Worship to Commercial Enterprise
An Examination of How Modern Worship Has Lost Its Way The scene unfolds in countless Baptist churches across America each Sunday morning. Congregants stand, holding hymnals or gazing at projection screens, as music fills the sanctuary. Yet something profound has changed. The older hymns possess singable melodies, logical harmonic progressions, and rhythmic patterns that invite…
The Cost & Confession of Following Christ: A Bible Study and Pastor Joey’s Sermon on Luke 9:18-27.
The digital landscape isn’t a boundary—it’s a frontier that God already inhabits. At East Valley International Church, we embrace screens and servers not as obstacles, but as new waters where the Spirit stirs. From WiFi signals to instant messages, there’s room for grace to travel further and deeper than ever before. AI and digital platforms…
E.V.I.C. Sunday School Notes: A Biblical Study of Romans 6:22: The Freedom of Slavery to God.
Welcome to Sunday School at East Valley International Church! Each week, we gather to explore the essential truths that form the foundation of our Christian faith. Through our “Fundamentals of the Faith” study, we’re discovering together what it means to follow Jesus, understand God’s Word, and live out our beliefs in everyday life. Today, we’re…
E.V.I.C. Sunday School Notes: “Fundamentals of the Faith” – Free Will, Predestination, and Salvation
Welcome to Sunday School at East Valley International Church! Each week, we gather to explore the essential truths that form the foundation of our Christian faith. Through our “Fundamentals of the Faith” study, we’re discovering together what it means to follow Jesus, understand God’s Word, and live out our beliefs in everyday life. Today, we’re…
Conquering the Battlefield Within: A Christian’s Victory Over Temptation
The arrow was already in flight. Not a physical arrow, but something far more deadly—the trajectory of a thought that had escaped its proper boundary, a glance that had become a gaze, a momentary consideration that had transformed into intent. King David stood on his rooftop that fateful evening, and in the space between one…