Showing results by author "Dan Smith" in Christianity

Our beloved uncle, Morris Venden, regularly claimed in camp meeting sermons: “For sure I believe in ‘Once Saved, Almost Always Saved!’” The parable of the Prodigal Son promises assurance even to the confused and disaffected child. King David was not a lost soul even while committing the twin crimes of adultery and murder. What, then, would a rebel have to do in order to actually depart from God’s eternal kingdom anchored by Amazing Grace?

Emerging generations in the West are more diverse than ever—ethnically, socioeconomically, educationally, and politically. And as church attendance among younger generations declines rapidly, research shows that one of their primary sticking points is the lack of diversity in most churches. In Church for Everyone, pastors Dan Kreiss and Efrem Smith address this phenomenon head-on. In this research-based and theologically informed book, they explore the younger generations' expectations and disappointments with church and hold out a vision for true diversity taken from the pages of Scripture.

A biweekly dialogue between two veteran SDA pastors with world-class guests, talking about the church, issues in ministry, and theology. Pastor Dan is the interim senior pastor at the Moreno Valley SDA Church in California, and Pastor Jim is the senior pastor at the Tucson Church in Arizona. The two have been pastors for a total of over 90 years, and have been close friends for most of those!

Can the people of God still hope for an imminent Second Coming of Jesus? Dan and David Smith are cheerful, hope-filled Adventist men with Venden DNA coursing through their souls! Together they posit a larger question: Who cares? When life is decently abundant down here, when a golden retirement looms and vaccines have chased the germs away, do we still urgently want Jesus Christ to come and take us to a faraway destination known mostly for harps and 24/7 prayer meetings?

Most of us who are Christians have an unstated pride in our resumé: it’s actually not bad! We’ve worshiped the Lord for decades and done a lot of good in the world. Okay, sure, we’re thankful for Calvary. But it’s not difficult to imagine hearty applause as we approach the front door of heaven. “You did good! Come right in!”Jesus went to a party where the church’s head elder felt exactly like that. And our Savior told him a quiet story about two men who needed forgiveness.