From the moment of creation and the Garden of Eden, through the salvation of the Israelites from Egypt, the time in the promised land, through King David’s reign and into Jesus’ ministry, God has sought to make a dwelling place among His people.

I am blessed to have the community here at Crestview that I now have, but it didn’t happen overnight. I want to share the steps I took and the lessons I learned as I sought the core value of community in Midland and at Crestview.

I remember watching the 2000 movie, Miss Congeniality, and laughing as every pageant contestant gives the same answer of “world peace” when the host asks what society needs the most.

It’s generally a pretty good question to ask. It’s an existential question that can go as deep as the observation of good and evil, or it can be a superficial question about spilled milk or a stubbed toe. The bottom line is, pain is real and we go through it. But why? Truly, it is the product of sin that we see guaranteed in the very beginning with the fall of man.

Throughout our series, “Arguing With Jesus,” we have looked at some key topics regarding what the Bible says compared to what the world says. Today, however, is the biggest question that we can possibly discuss: Which Jesus is the right one?

How much of a race would you run if you didn’t know where the finish line was? How far would you go? Would you even start? If somebody tells you to start running a race and then offers no end point or reward, how likely are you to start running? Now, I personally hate running if there is no goal in mind.

In our world today, as it has been for centuries, the Bible is fiercely opposed by nonbelievers, and even believers sometimes question its legitimacy or value. A common phrase or belief that is brought up in these skeptical conversations is that God is inconsistent in character across the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.