Randy Alcorn

Randy Alcorn spoke with Building Church Leaders on the importance of sexual integrity for churches, leaders, and families today.

Now, even when and where society legalizes homosexual marriage, this does not mean God recognizes it as a marriage. 

Worship involves more than singing and prayer. We’re commanded, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We know that God expects us to do many different things on Earth, such as work, rest, and spend time with our families. So if we are to be joyful, pray, and give thanks all the time, we must worship God even while doing other things. Same deal in Heaven.

Think about the person you would most want to spend time with. Who would that person be? Your favorite singer, author, or athlete? Your best friend who moved away? A family member who’s already died? Many Christians would say they’d want to spend time with Jesus. They’d want to see the Savior who created them, died for them, and made their life in Heaven possible—the one who loves them more than anyone else.

Consider the fantastic words contained in Romans 8:19-23: The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration [curse]... in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God....We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only ...

Question from a reader: On page 174 of Heaven you talk of the thrill of seeing Jesus in Heaven. You say, “Being with him. Gazing at him. Talking with him. Worshiping him. Embracing him. Eating with him. Walking with him. Laughing with him.” But how will millions of resurrected believers be able to do this? Do we take turns?

Question from a reader: The New Earth is going to be so amazing, wonderful, beautiful, breath-taking, tangible, relational, joy-filled (the list goes on and on) and is also void of pain, suffering, death, sin, and grief. In light of all that, how much will rewards really matter?

Minor characters come quickly, usually, as they may have only a few distinguishable features. You usually don’t need to develop them too much, though you can certainly make them memorable. Major characters are different, because they must be complex, with depth and substance. You don’t want them to disappear when they turn sideways. The bad guys must be in some ways sympathetic, the good guys must be flawed.

Truth is rooted in the eternal God who’s all powerful and unchangeable. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is Truth” (John 17:17).