This week at Gateway Austin we kicked off a series called “Questionable: Feel Free to Ask.”
John Burke interviewed Dr. Walter Bradley at the Gateway McNeil Campus in Northwest Austin. You can watch or listen at www.gatewaychurch.com/podcast.
I interviewed Dr. Tricia Shepherd, a professor and department chair at St. Edwards University.
Here’s what we shared at Gateway South:
Who are we? How did we get here?
Is there a God and can He be known?
The Scriptures describe our origins with the following:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
–Genesis 1:1-5 NIV
Scriptures and faith are about explaining why we are here.
Science is about explaining how things work.
Trusting God does not require having all the answers.
For some of us, we’ve been told there isn’t enough proof of God or that science has proven the Bible isn’t trustworthy, so we’ve thrown out everything it says or struggle to trust In God.
Today we begin the questionable series. Skeptics and doubters are welcome. We want to tackle head on some of your doubts. Those with faith, your faith can grow more in this series.
It is important for us to ask our questions, to be honest about our doubts, and to learn how to help others with their doubts.
Dr. Tricia Shepherd shared about how her father was a Christ-follower who left academia because he could not earn tenure as a result of his faith. She saw the conflict between science and faith.
Even still, as someone who follows Jesus, she fell in love with the periodic table in 8th grade and grew up to become a scientist who sees her ministry as teaching in a secular environment. She said:
“The more I understand about science, the more I worship God! We can’t be afraid of knowledge and learning – either about science or the bible!
Questions are key to learning! Don’t stop asking questions!”
Consider this poem in the Scriptures:
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
– Psalm 8:1, 3-6, 9 NIV
Last week, we celebrated the passion week which is the pinnacle moment in the Scriptures. The Scriptures are very broad and not so specific at the beginning and at the end, but the Bible is very clear – almost hour by hour during the week of the passion. According to Webster’s dictionary the #1 definition of the word “Passion” is “the sufferings and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.”
Don’t let your doubts keep you from pursuing God and even trusting God.
We all have areas in which we aren’t trusting God – whether you have doubts like the four topics we are covering or something else. In what area do you need to surrender and trust God more?
