20 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 1)

Every Friday at 1pm PT! Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 Introduction 1. 0:47 Since there is no marriage in Heaven, are married couples going to be strangers in Heaven? 2. 5:11 If I’m not mistaken, you hold the view of conditional election, prevenient grace, and total depravity (though maybe not to the extent of the Calvinist). ​My question is, if Christ dies for all people and all sins, why does a sinner have to overcome the sin of unbelief on their own? 3. 8:38 A friend, at age 12, signed his soul over (in a blood pact) to Satan, in an at-home ceremony. He was a kid, but he now feels that he cannot be saved. Please comment on this deal with the Devil. 4. 10:01 What are your thoughts on Proverbs 16:4? Does that passage suggest that God created (perhaps predestined) the unsaved for judgment or condemnation? 5. 13:40 You inspire me to study my Bible verse-by-verse, but I don't know where to start! I was wondering what study resources you use or would recommend for someone not familiar with the original languages. 6. 18:16 How should I speak to someone who is going to die because of cancer, while another Christian got her hopes up that her cancer wouldn't return, claiming that "God said" it wouldn't? And how should I speak about evil & suffering to her? 7. 22:31 You mentioned, in Part 2 of your Mark series, that John the Baptist was the one setting the way for the Lord (Yahweh). Why, then, did you use the word "Yahweh", when Logos displays the Hebrew word there as "kyrios"? 8. 24:32 Verses like Jeremiah 29: 11 are quoted a lot to us, and I get confused while trying to understand whether God was speaking only to a group of people back then specifically, or whether we can still apply those verses to us personally today. 9. 28:18 I go to a liberal Christian university, and the Bible teaching here is untrue. Scripture and the Gospel are undermined consistently. How do I properly address these issues in my Bible class? 10. 30:40 Why does Paul teach that we are saved by faith alone and not by works, but Jesus teaches that works (like obeying the commandments) are necessary to get into the Kingdom of God? 11. 32:06 How does Matthew 28: 18-20 apply to each individual Christian, and how does one make a disciple? Is it just evangelism and baptism of a lost person, or is it overseeing their growth? 12. 35:28 Could you please share your testimony, and the struggles you may have had as a new believer? 13. 36:57 It is said that Jacob fought against God in Scripture, but the text refers to a fight with an angel...Is God the Angel of the Lord? 14. 39:20 Can someone who commits suicide go to Heaven? I’ve heard it argued that if they were true believers who just happened to commit that act in a moment of weakness/confusion, they are still saved. Is that biblical? 15. 42:53 I don't understand the biblical idea of "the elect"...Does that mean some people cannot be saved, no matter what? 16. 44:06 My husband grew up Catholic, and his family keeps telling us we "aren't really married" because we were not married by the Catholic Church. How can we lovingly respond to them with biblical truth? 17. 46:31 What if someone gets an unbiblical divorce, but their ex-spouse is already remarried, making reconciliation impossible? Are they free to remarry? 18. 47:41 I have a question about 1 Timothy 2: 12-15...Due to the text, does this make co-ed bible studies unbiblical? what about women's ministry? 19. 50:50 How do I address a lack of plurality in leadership? We have one pastor who teaches every sermon & every class, and no elders. How do I bring up this issue with the church, when we're relying too much on one person? 20. 53:11 Why do we, as Christians, not keep the Sabbath, even though it is part of the moral law? It is written by the finger of God in stone, not just spoken to Moses like the Mosaic Law. Shouldn't we keep it? 21. 1:01:05 In 1 Samuel 28, Saul talks to Samuel and asks for his help. I think it's sinful to pray to the de