Few of us think that we have a problem with idolatry, even though we all have idols in our hearts that we love and depend on, without realising they enslave and will eventually destroy us. This series explains the danger of idolatry and how we can be set free.
As followers of Jesus Christ, rather than just doing church as we see fit, we need to seriously examine the implications of the fact that Christ loved his church to the ultimate extent of giving himself up for her. And to understand how we too can practically love the church he loves.
No other religious figure in history has made the same claims as Jesus. He did not say that he knew the truth, but that he was the truth. Not only did Jesus reveal to us a bigger reality, he showed us that only he can satisfy our deepest longings.
The rise of social media has paved the way for a recent phenomenon known as ‘cancel culture’. This practice, though it is premised on justice, has led to negative behaviours like shaming, boycotting, verbal abuse, and doxing. How do we develop a Christian perspective towards this culture in our world today?
We have seen how idolatry is a pandemic of the soul that afflicts and devastates everyone. God hates idolatry, and yet like a loving husband who keeps reaching out to his unfaithful wife, God yearns to bring us back to a true worship of himself. In the final message of this series, Pastor Tiak explains how God has graciously provided a cure.
Most people don’t see idolatry as a serious issue; certainly there are far worse sins like selfishness, racism or cheating. However, the truth is idolatry lies at the root of every sin we commit, every conflict we are involved in and every powerful negative emotion we feel. How can idolatry be so hazardous? Let’s learn the answers from the Bible as we hear Pastor Tiak deliver the second message of the series.
For most of us, the word idolatry refers to people offering sacrifices and praying to statutes. Since we don’t do that, we dismiss it as being of no personal relevance. We could not be more wrong. To appreciate how deep-seated and universal idolatry is, it is necessary to gain a basic knowledge of what constitutes idol worship and what drives us to engage in it. And that’s what Pastor Tiak speaks on in the introductory message of this series.
Another new year has dawned, and no doubt all of us have engaged in the same mind game, wishing and persuading ourselves that on the stroke of midnight of 31 December, things would somehow be better going forward.
Mani the parrot, an assistant to a fortune teller in Little India, became an international sensation after he correctly predicted all 4 winners for the quarter-finals in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Cultural norms are self-validating. Once an opinion or belief achieves widespread acceptance, there is no longer any need to defend it, let alone examine its validity through sound reasoning.
We live in an age where there is a significant amount of resistance, and even irritation, over what is perceived as the overbearing attempts of Christians to win others over to their faith.