A few weeks ago a congregation of more than 300 gathered for a church service in Germany – with a twist. The service was AI-generated; the sermon was written by ChatGPT, and delivered by a virtual avatar. Of course, a computer can’t do anything on its own: 29 year-old theologian Jonas Simmerlein from the University
Vitamins are a wonder of God’s creation – organic compounds which are essential for our normal physical growth and nutrition. Most people can get the vitamins they need by maintaining a healthy diet. B vitamins (there are eight of them) are particularly important; they help our bodies get or make energy from the food we
This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth. 1 Timothy 3.15b (NLT) The Church of Jesus Christ was established in 30 A.D., meaning that this spiritual organism is nearing 2000 years in existence. Jesus declared that He would build His church, and said that “all the
Time markers are unavoidable: Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and new years. We celebrate all of them, but when the party’s over, we’re reminded that life is short, and how we invest it is so important. The psalmist puts it this way: Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom
If there is no God, nothing matters. If there is a God, nothing else matters. H. G. Wells The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14.1 …he who comes to God must believe that He is… Hebrews 11.6 One of the most important tasks of church leaders is explicitly stated
Phil Congdon, May 3, 2019 The unexamined life is not worth living. About 399 B.C., the classical Greek philosopher Socrates was tried for impiety and corrupting youth. He was sentenced to death, and given the option, chose death rather than exile. It was at this point that he supposedly said, “The unexamined life is not
When I was growing up, America was immersed in the war in Viet Nam, and we had a military draft. When you finished high school, you were enlisted in the armed forces and served for two years. (While conscription ended after the war, 18 year-old men must still register with Selective Service.) Some countries still
Phil Congdon, NBBC, February 7, 2018 We are not throwing stones
Phil Congdon, New Braunfels Bible Church, November 9, 2016 With millions of other Americans, I watched in something approaching shock as Donald Trump was elected president of the United States on November 8th. Pollsters were so wrong in their predictions, and supporters of Clinton so sure of victory (including the vast majority of the news
Phil Congdon, New Braunfels Bible Church, March 4, 2016 Tuesday, March 1st. ‘Super Tuesday’! Millions of dollars were spent leading up to it, with candidates touting their qualities, and trying to outdo each other with promises on how they would fix all our problems, and give us everything we want for free! Honestly, it reminded
