Christianity Essay, Research Paper
INTRODUCTION
Quote from Literature
Many people try to discredit what the Bible teaches, but my faith comes from God, through his word, The Holy Bible. Billy Graham wrote, “Because the Bible is God’s inspired Word, it does not contradict itself or teach falsehoods–because God cannot lie. We may not understand every detail of Scripture, but we must never lose sight of the fact that it is God’s Word and not man’s ideas or opinions.”
Quote from an Authoritative Source
It is comforting to know that there is a God that cares for us. Dr. James Dobson, in “In The Arms of God” describes that the love of God’s is deeper, than any problem or circumstance that we may ever encounter. “Even when life does not make sense, God has not lost control of our lives. He wants us to trust Him. His presence is very near.”
Proverb
Proverbs 29:2 “ When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.” As a nation, our country groaned at each new episode of our unfaithful president. How the mood changed when a godly man was put into the office.
Theme
Walking with God for the past 10 years, He has shown me that my dependency for his infinite wisdom in my life will never cease. During this time, my relationship with my wife has changed considerably. We have gone through our times together with and without God in our lives. Many of my decision that I have made It is by His grace that we are still married.
Anecdote
As I reflect on the last 10 years of my life, walking with God, I can see the changes that God has brought into my life. When I walked with out God, I trusted in my ability, not God’s. I put my faith in my self. The more I walk with God, the more I trust him,
Definitions
Merriam – Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines faith as:
1. Allegiance to duty or a person
2. Belief and trust in and loyalty to God, in the traditional doctrines of a religion, a firm belief in something for which there is no proof, complete trust
3. Something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially: a system of religious beliefs.
Statistics
Scripture assures us that God rules over the nations (Psalm 22:28). He can make nations great and guide them, but can also take away the understanding of their leaders and leave them wandering in a pathless wilderness (Job 12:23-24). The Bible promises that righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34), but also warns that all the nations that forget God will be turned into Hell (Psalm 9:17).
Our founding fathers were convinced that our frail young republic could not possibly succeed without the aid of the Author of history.
The simple prayer that was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1962 in the case of Engel v. Vitale read: “Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our Country.”
The ban on school prayer was soon followed by a ban on Bible reading (Abington v. Schempp, 1963). More recent Supreme Court decisions have forbidden the posting of the Ten Commandments in school (Stone v. Graham, 1980) and have removed benedictions and invocations from school exercises (decisions in 1985, 1986, 1989, and 1992).
In that fateful 1962 decision, the Supreme Court announced America’s intention to spurn God’s providence and guidance and make its own way without His assistance. No one has suffered more from that decision than our nation’s children!
Since 1962:
Morality:
1. Teenage pregnancies have increased over 400 percent since 1962-63
2. Birth rates for unwed girls 15-19 have gone up four times
3. Pregnancies among unwed girls under 15 have increased four times
4. Pregnancies of unwed girls 15-19 have increased six times
5. Premarital sex among 15 year-old students has increased almost tenfold since 1962
6. Gonorrhea among junior-high students 10-14 has increased almost 400 percent since 1962-63
7. The U.S. now has the highest incidence of teenage motherhood of any Western country
8. 80 percent of pregnant teenagers are not married
Violence:
1. Rapes by 13-14 year-old boys have increased 186 percent since 1965
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3. Murder arrest rates for 13-18 year-olds quadrupled since 1965
4. Suicides among youths 15-24 increased 253 percent since 1962-63
5. In 1962, suicide ranked twelfth as a cause of death among young people; in 1990, it ranked third
Education:
1. Scholastic Aptitude Test scores have dropped over 70 points overall, 50 for verbal and 20 for math
2. Prior to 1962-63, SAT scores had never declined more than two years in a row, but the 1962 Court school prayer decision was followed by eighteen consecutive years of decline.
Our court system’s ban on acknowledging America’s gratitude toward and dependence on God — our vain conceit that we can be good and great without His providence — is the cause of the crisis in our children and our families. To halt this destruction our nation must turn in repentance toward His goodness.
Poem
Without You by Emilio Holder
It was so clear, to me,
The day that I said “Yes, Lord!”
To do your will, to be Your child,
To praise You it all times.
The sins that once held me for ransom,
Were nowhere to be found, for a great
Price was paid that set me free.
How imperfect have I been in my walk
With You, Dear Lord, though
I had promised to be faithful till the end.
Only a few steps had I taken, before
I realized that, without You,
I could never follow You;
Without You, I could never serve You;
Without You, I could never love You!
Now, it has become clear to me…
Analogy
Jesus said in Mat 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”
Aphorism:
Many people have been told that they will never amount to anything. Some only focus on past failures. Failure depends on how you look at it: a .333 major league hitter fails twice before he succeeds.
Fact
The fastest growing marital status category was divorced persons. The number of currently divorced adults quadrupled from 4.3 million on 1970 to 17.4 million in 1994.
BODY
A. THE SOURCE OF MY FAITH My decision to believe in God is only possible by the faith that He gives to me. “Rom 10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” My actions are based upon not only what I have read, but also in the actions of others that are of like faith.
Childhood teaching Although my mother believes in God, she does not currently attend her local church. But in retrospect, one of the major contributions to my faith was that she insisted that I was apart of the local church very early in my life.
Reading and understanding God’s word Growing up in a Lutheran church only taught me religion. Through reading his Word and by allowing the Spirit of God to reveal himself to me, I have started to learn the attributes of God.
Others sharing their faith Previously, while in high school, a classmate shared with me her faith about Christ. At that time, I did not understand the effects of accepting Christ. Eventually many others shared the same faith message, which lead to the acceptance of the message of Christ found in the Bible.
Belonging to a local church The Bible says “Hbr 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some [is]; but exhorting [one another]: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Being apart of a local church that preaches the Gospel of Christ, instead of religiosity, allows one self to be in a position to hear God’s Word.
Faith is reinforced in marriage Having a spouse that has also accepted Christ, not only reinforces my faith toward God, but it strengthens our marriage.
Teaching our children One of the many attributes of God is that he is a loving father. The Bible clearly shows us how our relationship should be with our children. Raising children with Godly principles not only lays a foundation for the children for the rest of their lives, it also builds a long lasting faith. “Pro 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”