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Questions

Questions

Questions and Answers

Exploring God

I Have More Questions About: 

  • God

  • Jesus

  • The Bible

  • Other Religions

  • The Afterlife

  • Science and Faith

  • Doubt and Faith

  • Relationship with God

  • Racial Reconciliation

God

God

How we perceive God determines how we perceive ourselves and how we live our lives. How can we know God’s true character? Some of us see God as a traffic cop, aiming the radar gun at everything we do. Some of us see God as a standoffish stranger, satisfied to leave us alone as long as we just don’t bother Him. Others of us aren’t sure there is a God. Too often, the Church has been a stumbling block for people coming to know who God really is. We don’t have to allow hypocrites or cultural Christians to keep us from the One who created us, loves us, and wants a relationship with us.

Additional Resources

Messages Books Articles Podcasts
Messages

Get a New God: God Has a Name
John Burke • Feb 11, 2018
To fire God is not to kick the one true God out of your life; it’s to eliminate the false image of God we all have in our heads. You know the one we mean. Maybe it’s God as a traffic cop, aiming the radar gun at everything you do. Or maybe it’s God as a standoffish stranger, satisfied to leave you alone as long as you just don’t bother Him. How we perceive God determines how we perceive ourselves and how we live our lives. How can we know God’s true character?


Trust Me If You Can: Trust God If You Can

Dr. Eric Bryant • June 27, 2021
Too often, the Church has been a stumbling block for people coming to know the real Jesus. We don’t have to allow hypocrites or cultural Christians to keep us from the life God has for us. Followers of Jesus can develop a genuine faith that transforms us and enables us to create the community He desires.

Books

"Not God's Type: A Rational Academic Finds a Radical Faith"

By: Holly Ordway

"The Reason for God"

By: Timothy Keller

Articles

Articles Coming Soon

Podcasts

God With Us: God Trusts Us

John Burke • Mary loved God and was faithful to him. God honored her faithfulness and he also honors our faithfulness. When we are willing to let God lead us into uncomfortable situations, he begins to trust us with more and more. What will you let Him lead you to today? • December 2022

God is Compassionate & Gracious

John Burke • Often times the picture we have of God is one that has Him condemning us for any mistakes and temptations in our lives. We fear such condemnation, which may lead us to try to hide from God. But the true nature of God is one of compassion and mercy. He loves and understands us, but He also wants what’s best for us. How can embracing the graciousness of God rid us of the heaviness of shame and turn us toward a better version of ourselves? • February 2018

Jesus

Answer for Jesus

Many consider Jesus to be a great teacher, a prophet, or even a great example. When we look at the actual words of Jesus, he made significant claims about his true identity. At one point he asked the people following: “Who do you say I am?” Each of us needs to answer this question for ourselves. As C.S. Lewis has pointed out, Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or he is Lord - the One who gave His life for us that we might truly live.

Additional Resources

Messages Books Articles Podcasts
Messages

Who Is Jesus, Really?: "The Bread of Life"

Dr. Eric Bryant • Feb. 28, 2021

Jesus claimed to be able to meet our greatest needs. What if you find yourself in a pandemic, a winter storm without power or water, in an unjust world, or all of the above all at the same time? Discover how a relationship with God reveals God’s provision regardless of life’s circumstances.

Who Is Jesus Really?: The Good Shepherd

Kenny Green • March 14th, 2021

Jesus claimed He can protect those who follow Him. What if the news is filled with tragedy, and the world feels unsafe? Discover how a relationship with God helps us connect to the One who can bring us peace and protection in the midst of life’s challenges.

Books

"The Case for Christ"

By: Lee Strobel

"Simply Jesus"

By: N. T. Wright

Articles

Articles Coming Soon

Podcasts

Thread of Hope Series

In one of our most popular teaching series, we discover some of the most compelling reasons to follow Jesus. Dive into this 4-part series to see how ancient prophecies point to Jesus as the Savior of the world.

Part 1: The God of History
John Burke • When I was young my parents would take us to church, but I’d sit there thinking, “How do you know Jesus is the Son of God? How do you know this isn’t just a myth?" I wanted to believe, but it didn't make any sense at all. When there was no room left to ask tough questions, and no one could explain I left.

 

Part 2: At Just The Right Time
John Burke • God does remain hidden, but He also put fingerprints throughout history in the forms of prophecies written down 500 to 1500 years before the birth of Jesus. This week, John Burke discusses how events and prophecies in the Old Testament point directly to Jesus.

 

Part 3: The Suffering Servant
John Burke • When I was still a skeptic, I would ask, “Well, how do you know God was behind the writing of the Bible?” And they’d say something like, “Because it claims to be from God!” But how do you know it’s telling the truth? “Well…because God can’t lie.” Yeah…but that’s the point, how do you KNOW God inspired its writing?

 

Part 4: The Great Exchange
John Burke • The past three weeks were an intellectual dive into the reasons to believe Jesus is who he said he was. We’ve looked at strong evidence to believe God foretold through the prophets exactly what he would do. And we’ve demonstrated through history that Jesus did fulfill these prophecies. Now we move on to the bigger question: "Why does this matter for my life?"

The Bible

The Bible

When we need clarity, wisdom, peace, comfort, or rest, we have ancient wisdom which can guide us towards what we want. Unfortunately, many of us have given up on the Bible or consider it irrelevant to life. It is true, the Bible has been misunderstood, misinterpreted, and even used for the agenda of people who did not have the heart of God or were a product of their times. When we come to the Scriptures with an open heart and open mind, we will discover God waiting to speak to us and ready to meet even our deepest needs.

Additional Resources

Messages Books Articles Podcasts
Messages

How Big is Your God?

John Burke discusses what the beauty we find in the world around us reveals to us about who God is. Feb 12, 2012

Is there an Unforgiveable Sin?

Rick Shurtz. July 17, 2011

Books

"Bearing God's Name"

By: Carmen Joy Imes

"Scripture and the Skeptic: Miracles, Myths, and Doubts of Biblical Proportions"

By: Eric Huffman

Articles

Articles Coming Soon

Podcasts

Epic: God's Love For All People
Eric Bryant • We’re drawn to stories and the characters within them, because our lives were placed into an epic narrative. The epic begins with a telling creation story where we learn of God’s great love for all of humanity and his plan to restore all things. • August 2015

Coming Soon
Eric Bryant • October 2021

Other Religions

Other Religions

We live in a pluralistic society. Some of us come from Catholic, Baptist, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, New Age, or irreligious backgrounds. Some of us have tried all of those experiences or made up our own. Discover the differences and similarities between these worldviews and God’s heart for all who have struggled with religion. God wants us to know His true character rather than think He can be represented in idols or even man-made ideas. Instead, He creates the opportunity for us to experience a genuine relationship with Him.

Additional Resources

Messages Books Articles Podcasts
Messages

Religiously Diverse Backgrounds

John Burke • April 18th, 2021

We live in a pluralistic society. Some of us come from Catholic, Baptist, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, New Age, or irreligious backgrounds. Some of us have tried all of those experiences or made up our own. Discover the differences and similarities between these worldviews and God’s heart for all who have struggled with religion. God wants us to know His true character rather than think He can be represented in idols or even man-made ideas. Instead, He creates the opportunity for us to experience a genuine relationship with Him.

Do All Religions Say the Same Thing?

John Burke • April 26th, 2015

Gateway Church members Puru Agrawar, Andy Gordon, Sarah Alemoush, & John Monger join Pastor John Burke to form a panel discussion on Christianity and other world religions, answering the question, "Do all religions say the same thing?"

Books

"The Case For Faith"

By: Lee Strobel

"What's Wrong With Religion?"

By: Skye Jethani

Articles

Articles Coming Soon

Podcasts

Is Christianity Too Narrow?
John Burke • Explore God was a citywide conversation in Austin, a life-changing experience with billboards, discussion groups, and 350+ churches during a sermon series.• September 2013

Questions Are Real
Camille Hall and John Burke • Gateway campus pastors answer your questions about faith, the Bible, and God in live Q&A sessions. Work through the following questions and Scriptures on your own, and get together with your running partner, life group, or friends and family to talk through what you are learning.? • May 2019

The Afterlife

The Afterlife

What will heaven be like? Does it even exist? Scripture tells us that heaven is going to be more beautiful, more alive, more exciting, and more real than anything we’ve ever experienced. That can be hard to fathom, but God is trying to get our attention and help us understand that He’s prepared a place. Heaven is not unlike what we can see, smell, and touch here on earth, but is exponentially more intense, breaking into new dimensions of time and space.

Additional Resources

Messages Books Articles Podcasts
Messages

Beauty in New Dimensions

John Burke • April 19th, 2020

What will heaven be like? Does it even exist? Scripture tells us that heaven is going to be more beautiful, more alive, more exciting, and more real than anything we’ve ever experienced. That can be hard to fathom, but God is trying to get our attention and help us understand that He’s prepared a place. Heaven is not unlike what we can see, smell, and touch here on earth, but is exponentially more intense, breaking into new dimensions of time and space.

The City of God

John Burke • May 24th, 2020

Can life truly be eternal? What will that be like? Many who have had a near-death experience speak of the “City of God.” Will it have art, music, or film? How will we experience life in such a place? Are pets allowed? This week wraps up the What’s After Life? series by answering some of these questions. Before we begin, consider the day you step from this life into the next. Don’t let fear or anxiety take over your mind at this thought. Instead, imagine how great that life will be in the City of God.

Books

"Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises, and the Exhilarating Future That Awaits"

By: John Burke

"Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church"

By: N.T. Wright

Articles

Artices Coming Soon

Podcasts

 

God of Light and Love

There’s something strange about the intense desire we all have to love and be loved, yet it can be difficult at times to give or receive it. Why is that? C.S. Lewis, an Oxford scholar, once said “creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists.” What do you think will ultimately satisfy our desires? All across the globe, people who clinically die and then resuscitate come back to talk about a God of Light who satisfies the deepest cravings to be known, seen, accepted, and loved—like finally being home with ultimate belonging. But who is this God of Light? • April 2020

Relationships Last Forever

The relationships you have with your children and those around you are important to Jesus. In fact, loving relationships are truly meant to last forever. Those who have experienced heaven speak of great reunions and a love that matters more than we can imagine. Knowing this can propel us to be better parents, spouses, and friends! • May 2020

Science and Faith

Science and Faith

Throughout our lives, we are inundated with different perspectives concerning how the universe came to be, how long it’s been in existence, and how different people of different faiths and standpoints might view such matters. Many of us have been made to believe that the Bible and science contradict each other. But is that really true? Are faith and science incompatible, or do they fit together just as God intended?

Additional Resources

Messages Books Articles Podcasts
Messages

Why God? Why Science

John Burke • April 30th, 2017

Throughout our lives, we are inundated with different perspectives concerning how the universe came to be, how long it’s been in existence, and how different people of different faiths and standpoints might view such matters. Many of us have been made to believe that the Bible and science contradict each other. But is that really true? Are faith and science incompatible, or do they fit together just as God intended?

Why God? Why Science

John Burke • April 12th, 2015

Pastor John Burke & Walter Bradley PhD dive into the question of does being a scientist exclude having faith in God?

Books

"The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief"

By: Francis S Collins

"The Fingerprint of God: Recent Scientific Discoveries Reveal the Unmistakable Identity of the Creator"

By: Dr. Hugh Ross

Articles

Articles Coming Soon

Podcasts

Science is Real with Dr. Fazale Rana

Biochemist and former skeptic Fazale Rana shares about the powerful scientific evidence for God’s existence and the reliability of the Bible. • April 2019

Why Science?

Throughout our lives, we are inundated with different perspectives concerning how the universe came to be, how long it’s been in existence, and how different people of different faiths and standpoints might view such matters. Many of us have been made to believe that the Bible and science contradict each other. But is that really true? Are faith and science incompatible, or do they fit together just as God intended? • April 2017

Doubt and Faith

Doubt and Faith

Are you a doubter? Do you struggle with believing things that seem too good to be true? Many followers of Jesus have struggled with doubt in the same way. We can welcome doubt in a way that leads us to a deeper sense of faith.

Additional Resources

Messages Books Articles Podcasts
Messages

Questions are Real

John Burke • May 5th, 2019

John Burke answers submitted questions about Doubt and Faith.

Why God? Why Suffering?

John Burke • April 23rd, 2017

One of the most difficult questions many of us confront in our faith journey is how a loving God could allow so much evil and suffering if He has the power to stop it. In the face of sickness, loss of a loved one, financial ruin, war, abuse, etc., we are left wondering what the purpose was, whether God cares, and how to find hope in the midst of pain. What truths might we learn about suffering when we ask God the tough questions?

Books

"The Myth of Certainty: The Reflective Christian the Risk of Commitment"

By: Daniel Taylor

"Faith and Doubt: Embracing Uncertainty in Your Faith"

By: John Ortberg

Articles

Articles Coming Soon

Podcasts

Cold Case Christianity with J. Warner Wallace

Ever wanted to be a detective? Follow the evidence? That’s exactly what Los Angeles County homicide officer and former atheist, J. Warner Wallace, has done to examine the claims of Christ. Using the skills and strategies of a hard-to-convince criminal investigator, Wallace approached the New Testament like he would a cold case and recorded his findings in his book, Cold-Case Christianity • July 2020

Overcome Doubt

John Burke • Are you a doubter? Do you struggle with believing things that seem too good to be true? Thomas, a follower of Jesus, struggled in the same way. But in the end, Thomas became a powerful messenger for Jesus, sharing His teachings wherever he went. How can we welcome doubt in a way that leads us to a deeper sense of faith? • April 2018

Relationship with God

Relationship with God

God created us for a relationship with Him. The Scriptures describe our relationship with Him as “closer than a brother,” “a friend,” and even like a loving spouse. Just like any relationship, we will drift apart if we are not intentional in growing in our relationship with God. Discover how to experience the presence and peace of God and the adventure to which He is inviting us to experience with Him!

Additional Resources

Messages Books Articles Podcasts
Messages

Vintage Faith: Beginnings and Failures

John Burke • January 10th, 2021

A new year gives us a fresh start to find ourselves by connecting with the One who created us and connecting with others in a meaningful way. When we are overwhelmed and lacking hope, we can borrow it from someone else. Discover how we can use moments of failure to actually help us move forward.

Vintage Faith: One Love Forever

Dr. Eric Bryant • January 31st, 2021

God offers us unconditional love, peace, and joy. Too often we settle for glimpses of these good gifts. We can experience the fullness of God’s transforming love on this side of eternity. Discover how God heals our hearts so we can live more fully in the mystery and wonder of who God is and help others do the same.

Books

"God, Do You Really Care?"

By: Tony Evans

"True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In"

By: James Choung

Articles

Articles Coming Soon

Podcasts

The Voice

John Burke • Do you believe God speaks? Although we may not hear an auditory voice from God, we can know His voice. The Bible is a record of His words. His words were the genesis of all that we see. He is the word. We have nothing else but His words and faith that He is who He claims to be. So how then can we hear His voice? • September 2016

The Response

Ted Beasley • A joyous, intimate, fulfilling, exciting life with God — many of us want it desperately, but we often feel as if it is unattainable. We crave His guidance for our decisions, comfort in our pain, provision in our need, companionship in our loneliness, and inspiration in our search for purpose. As we make an intentional effort to invite Him into our lives through the 60/60 experiment, perhaps we’ve had an encounter with God that requires a response. Are we willing to take a risk by obeying His voice? • September 2016

Racial Reconciliation

Racial Reconciliation

Racism is real, injustice is real, and we are called to be a healing community that walks toward solutions rooted in God’s Kingdom as we humbly listen to one another. God invites us into a new multiethnic family in which we are called to learn, grow, and repent of our own blind spots and biases because ultimate justice and reconciliation are rooted not in politics, but in the heart of God.

Additional Resources

Messages Books Articles Podcasts
Messages

Misfit Community: Ethnically Diverse

John Burke • May 2nd, 2021

Gateway is a diverse community racially/ethnically as well with over 60 nationalities represented – just in our Austin campuses alone! When we include those connected across the United States or globally, it is even more remarkable. God’s heart has always been for all people of various tribes, tongues, races, and ethnicities, and the Church has always had to learn to see each other across cultures. In a divided world, we are uniquely called and equipped to be the unified community the world needs us to be.

A Diverse Community

Dr. Eric Bryant • February 24th, 2019

God’s hope is to bring people from all nations, tribes, languages, and ethnicities together into one family. It’s why Jesus came to die for all of us. But oftentimes, this harmonious diverse community is not at all our experience. What leads us to issues in our diverse communities, and how can we overcome the barriers that plague us?

Books

"Building a Multiethnic Church: A Gospel Vision of Love, Grace, and Reconciliation in a Divided World"

By: Derwin L. Gray

"Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey"

By: Sarah Shin

Articles

Articles Coming Soon

Podcasts

Love Where You Live: Beyond Ethnicity

Tasha Morrison and Eric Bryant • In our broken world, we are raised with prejudices that result in biases. Our views of others may be the result of our family of origin or where we grew up. The true message of the Bible, however, is all people are made in God’s image and should be treated with the dignity that status affords them. So how might we learn to love each other the way He loves all of us? • May 2016

Hope for the Nations: Loving Your Neighbor

John Burke • Jesus’ birth and the sacrifice He made to make us right with God give us the hope we all need. But it’s important for us to share the hope we have with others, even when it means great sacrifice, as we see in the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Are you willing to be radically unselfish in order to help others see the hope we can all have? Will you be an agent of change for the world around you? • December 2019

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