Frequently Asked Questions

Does God care about my pain?

Yes! The Bible tells us God wants us to “(cast) all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you”(1 Pet 5:7). When God came to earth and walked as a man, He was deeply touched by the troubles of everyday people like us. When He saw the mourners at the tomb of Lazarus grieving, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). God knows the number of the hairs of our head (Matt 10:30), and is not only interested in our pain, but longs for us to give our cares and wounds to Him. There is help, strength, and relief from the pains of life to be found in Jesus Christ!

What must I do to be saved?

We need salvation because we have sinned before God, and sin brings eternal death (Rom 3:23, 6:23). Because God loved us, even though we were “enemies” and “without strength”(Rom 5:6, 10), He sent Jesus to be a sacrifice for our sins (2 Cor 5:21). To receive His sacrifice, we must believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God and trust that He will save us (John 3:16, John 8:24). Because we believe Him, we must obey His command to change our lives, or repent, to do His will rather than our own (Luke 13:3, Acts 2:38). Our faith must be great enough to declare it before others and confess what we believe (Rom 10:9-10, Matt 10:32-33). Jesus further commands that those who believe in Him be immersed in water in order to be forgiven (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16). At this point we are forgiven of our sins! Yet we must continue to follow Him as obedient disciples—not going back to our old lives of sin—in order to be saved (1 Pet 1:14, Matt 28:20, Heb 10:36). It is as Christ’s disciples that we have agreed to work and worship together as a congregation.

Do I really need to go to church?

Many in our time are disenchanted with the idea of “church,” and sometimes with good reason. Many churches have been involved in hypocrisy, scandals, materialism, and sinful practices. However, we must not let the failures of some men discourage us from something God established and expects from us. Jesus declared, “I will build My church”(Matt 16:18), and He is the Savior of His church (Eph 5:23, 1:22-23). Christ’s church is not a building, but is composed of all His faithful disciples. Yet God wants those disciples to meet with other disciples to “consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together”(Heb 10:24-25). We need other Christians to strengthen and help us as we live for Christ (Heb 3:13). The Campbell Road church is composed of faithful disciples of Jesus who assemble in just such a way. Though we may be disappointed at the fall of some churches, we know that it is still right to assemble together and worship God the way He commands.

How do I strengthen my marriage?

God’s word has help for struggling marriages! God insists that marriages be permanent, rather than the modern view that it is disposable. He says “the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives”(Rom 7:2). This foundation of faithfulness and security is essential to a successful marriage! Both husband and wife must also recognize their God-given roles and responsibilities in the home (Eph 5:22-33, Titus 2:4-5, 2 Thess 3:10). Often marriage problems stem from mates unwilling to do what God has commanded. Further, marriage is bound together by the glue of love and understanding (Titus 2:4, 1 Pet 3:7). As we face difficulties together, we are committed to being together, loving one another, and serving God. Though these things are easy to say, they require true dedication to achieve. We are devoted to these principles from God’s word about marriage, and strive to teach and practice God’s pattern for happy, stable homes.

How can I be a better parent?

Parenting is an incredibly difficult challenge that often leaves us feeling inadequate. It is natural for us to turn to God, the Father of us all, for help in parenting. God’s word stresses the need for discipline in the lives of our children to guide them in the right way—and tells us that this is the responsibility of parents. Children are not born obedient, and need to be trained (Prov 22:6, 15; Prov 29:15). We need caution in disciplining our children to be certain it is consistent, proportionate, and soaked in sincere love for them. Paul warns fathers, “do not provoke you children to wrath”(Eph 6:4), which unfair punishment would do. Rather, God desires that we “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord”(Eph 6:4). Parents are charged with more than having their children complete their schoolwork or learn the ins and outs of life—they are charged with their children’s spiritual instruction. Better parenting comes with keeping the perspective that the most important part of our children’s training is whether we teach them to know, respect, and obey God. At the Campbell Road church, we strive together to be the best parents we can be, taking encouragement from one another in this great effort. It is our great joy to see our children come to faith in Christ as they mature and to join us in living for Him.

How do I know God exists?

The Bible presumes the existence of God, but how can I be sure that He is? David says “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork”(Psalm 19:1). The celestial beauty and vastness of planets and stars—all in perfect order and orbit—speak to more than random chance. Our planet is perfectly suited for life of all kinds, and is placed in just the right order of the solar system, at just the right tilt, with just the right amount of water for us. Is this simple chance? Paul declares that God “did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14:17). God expects us to look at nature and His earth and deduce that He is behind it. One must admit that nature and chance do not “do good,” yet God does—giving us all we need to survive and far more. Our world also hinges on natural laws—which science exists to uncover. Doesn’t the existence of laws demand a lawmaker and a law enforcer? Perhaps the greatest evidence for God’s existence is in the nearest mirror. David praises God “for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Our brains are far more powerful and versatile than the greatest computer—yet do computers just happen? Our eyes are far more sophisticated than the greatest cameras—yet do cameras just happen? Can we praise the creator of the inferior invention—and say the greater invention just sprang into being? These facts do not teach us what God wants, but they easily convince us that there is a God—which points us to the Bible, His will for our lives.

Who is Jesus?

Jesus is a familiar historical figure throughout the world—but who is He? What makes this man—who lived 2000 years ago—relevant today? The Bible declares that Jesus is God. “In the beginning…the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”(John 1:1, 14). God took on flesh and lived as a man (Phil 2:5-8). He made spectacular claims about Himself—that He came down from heaven (John 3:13), that He is equal with God (John 10:30, John 5:18), that He is eternal (John 8:58), and that He is the only way to God (John 14:6, 8:24). What will you do with His claims? Either Jesus is truly the Son of God and these claims are true—or else He is a liar and an impostor! He cannot be anything else! Jesus lived a perfect life, never sinning before God (Heb 4:15, 2 Cor 5:21), and offered Himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins (Heb 9:26). On the third day He rose from the dead, and He ascended to heaven, where He now reigns at the right hand of the Father until He comes again (Acts 2:33). We believe in Jesus and His sacrifice has set us free from our sins. We now worship and serve Him with our whole heart from love and appreciation for what He has done for us.

Why do bad things happen?

This is a complex question, and there are no easy answers. Ultimately suffering in our world can be traced to the introduction of sin into the world, which caused man to forfeit the blessings of living in Paradise with God (Gen 3:16-24). Sometimes we suffer because of our sins. When we serve jail time because of our crimes, or we contract a sexually transmitted disease due to our promiscuity, or we must live with the guilt of something done under the influence of drugs—this suffering can be traced back to our sin (Rom 1:27). However, not all suffering is due to sin. Sometimes we suffer because of natural events. Tornados, hurricanes, and earthquakes are part of God’s natural order, and when we feel their effects—and suffer because of them—this may just be attributed to nature. Sometimes we suffer for doing right—what the Bible calls persecution. “But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God”(1 Pet 2:20). This was the cause of Jesus’ suffering. The truth is that sometimes we just don’t understand why we suffer. This was Job’s situation. Throughout the book of Job, he wrestles with the question of why, and many false ideas are thrown out. Ultimately God speaks with Job and His message is clear: it’s not your business to know why everything happens(Job 38-42)! This may seem a harsh answer, but we must recognize that at some point our intense curiosity approaches judging God’s handling of the universe.

The good news is that there is help for our suffering in Christ, and the promise of a better world where there will be no more suffering. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away”(Rev 21:4).