Our sermon series for Sunday, Jan. 8 – Sunday, Feb. 19 is, “Questions People Ask”.

This series of sermons is based upon research about the kinds of questions people are asking related to faith.

Research shows that 80% of young adults do not believe church attendance is important. 59% of young adults who grew up in the church have left the church. If trends continue, worship attendance in our country will drop from 20.4% in the 1990’s to 11.7% by 2050.

This series is based upon the questions people, many of whom do not go to church, have about faith and living a good life. The words “Bible Study, how to” receives over 60,000 searches on Google and over a half a million searches on YouTube every month. 58% of Americans say they wished they read the Bible more often.

Jan. 8 – “The Bible – What It Is and What We Believe”

People want to know about the Bible and how to read it. Almost 3 times more people want to know about the Bible than attend church. So we begin the series talking about what the Bible is and what it is not.

Jan. 15 – “The Bible – How To Read It”

Every month, between YouTube and Google, over 600,000 people are asking how to read the Bible. Last week we talked about how the Bible is meant to be interpreted. In this sermon we give practical advice on how to read the Bible.

Jan. 22 – “Doubt”

Two out of every three Christians admit to experiencing a season of spiritual doubt. More than a quarter of Christians still find themselves doubting. The most common response to doubt is to quit attending church—46% of people who have left church say it is because they were experiencing spiritual doubt.

Is doubt the opposite of faith? Is it a problem to be overcome? Can a person have doubts and still be a Christian?

Jan. 29 – Julie Hart, guest preacher

Feb. 5 – “Prayer”

Google and YouTube receive almost 150,000 unique monthly searches on how to pray—150,000 different people every month! Prayer is the most popular spiritual discipline among Christians, both Protestant and Catholic. More than half of all Americans say they pray every day. In 2017, 74% of people said they prayed to God every week. People pray often, yet many are not certain how to pray. In this sermon we respond to the search question, “How to Pray.”

Feb 12 – “Purpose”

Of the 10 most popular searches on Biblegateway.com, more than half are related to purpose. The second most popular search is Jeremiah 29:11 and the third is Romans 8:28. The most popular verse on biblestudytools.com is Jeremiah 29:11. A 2005 Barna research poll asked Pastors what books were the most influential in their life and ministry: Number 1 was “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. The book was on the bestseller list for 909 weeks. People want to know about their purpose. People want to be a part of something greater than themselves, especially Christians and young people.

Feb. 19 – “Fear”

40% of the top 10 most popular verses on biblestudytools.com talk about fear. The average student loan debt for the class of 2017 graduates was almost $40,000 – up 6% from the previous year. 40% of millennials fear getting stuck with no development opportunities. For Americans ages 25-34, comparing 1977 to 2016, the cost of 4-year college has more than doubled, while the median income has remained about the same, and the amount of debt they carry has more than tripled, causing fear for their future. Added to this is the impact of global warming, a 100-year pandemic, threats of nuclear war, and the reality that in 2022 it was safer to serve in the military than to be a child attending school. We live in a culture and climate of fear. This reality explains the radical extremism of today—in the midst of fear, people want control and are acting accordingly. The Bible tells us to not be afraid, but in a world like ours is that even possible? What does it mean when the Bible tells us to fear not?