Ask Dr. E

Latest Episodes:

How Do We Steward Our Inheritance in Line With Proverbs 13:22? Dec 15, 2022

Show notes

I have a question specifically about the verse Proverbs 13:22 which reads a good man leaves his inheritance for his children’s children. This verse is haunting to us as we are in the middle of restructuring our living will here in Tennessee and our grown son is not wise with money and has no wherewithal or interest. Basically, we are leaving our legacy to the church. How do we grapple with this verse? Our son is not married and has no inclination toward getting married anytime soon with the way his lifestyle is. Help!

Find the full blog post here.

Call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.

Is it a Waste of Time to Speculate Over Biblical Archaeology? Dec 08, 2022

Show notes

Question: I’ve always been fascinated with biblical archaeology. Is it a waste of time to speculate over such things?

Resources Mentioned

J. Randall Price and H. Wayne House - Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology

The Bible and Spade Magazine

Biblical Archaeologist

Read the full blog post here.

Can We Be Cast Out of Heaven? Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

Q: If Satan was cast out of Heaven, can we (being believers after death and during our eternal lives in heaven) also be cast out of Heaven? If we struggle with pride, selfishness, and greed now, what’s to say we are or aren’t going to be capable of falling like Satan?

Read the full blog post here.

Call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.

Can You Test God With Your Offerings? Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

Q: Could you explain the concept of "testing God with your offerings"? Does God "return favors" to us? Where is the line with the prosperity gospel in regards to offerings?

Resources Mentioned:

Joyce Baldwin- Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi

Lewis Sperry Chafer- Systematic Theology

Craig A. Blaising, “Malachi,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

Read the full episode blog post here.

Call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.

Is The Great Commission a Command For All Believers? Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

I’ve often heard churches and pastors tell believers that the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) is binding on all believers. It is often the explicit or functional mission statement of churches. That all seems good. But I have wondered…

If this is the case, why is it so difficult to find any Epistles clearly repeating this command or commanding Christians to evangelize and baptize disciples directly?

We see passages like 1 Peter 3:15 calling for a life of faithfulness that provokes outsiders - and to be prepared to defend our hope. But in my reading, it is difficult to find one verse from Paul or Peter compelling people to evangelize to make disciples actively. Instead, most of what I read focuses the believers on loving one another and living and suffering well in the world.

Maybe I’m missing something, but I’ve wondered if the Great Commission is incumbent upon all believers in every local church - why didn’t Paul and the other writers clearly command us?

Call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.

Read the full blog post here.

Why Do We Practice Corporate Communion? Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

Q: I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where after the description of Jesus sharing bread and wine during the Passover meals that it says that this should become a ritual… As in something that you do in church or at a gathering. I’ve often wondered why we don’t just do this at home every day. It’s like when we break bread at suppertime and have our drink why don’t we just say it and remember that Christ died for us broke his body and shed his blood for us. Does it have to be something that we do in church? When did communion and church become a thing? And how do the Scriptures support what we do?

Call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.

Read the full blog post here.

Proverbs 31 Isn't About a Woman?! Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

Q: You always say we must take the word at its word. We don’t add or take away. You say not to worry about what we “think” it means, but what it does mean. A few weeks ago you mentioned that the Proverbs 31 woman was not really about what a woman should want to be but was about wisdom. This was a little surprising to me because since I’ve read it as a little girl it seems very cut and dry. It’s a lot less ambiguous than some of the verses and books of the Bible. I never looked at this passage as a burden. I always loved the fact that God took time to show us this amazing reflection of what I believe so many women do and are.

The ‘woman’ is used as a personification throughout wisdom literature. Solomon is using this personification of wisdom to teach his son, and us, what it looks like to choose wisdom or wickedness. It would not be a negative thing for a woman to dedicate herself to living out Proverbs 31, but this is simply using wisdom.

Call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.

Read the full blog post here.

Should we use people's preferred pronouns when it's counter to God's truth? Oct 27, 2022

Show notes

Question: What do you think of Christians using pronouns for themselves and others who demand we address them with their preferred pronouns? I feel like by using pronouns for myself and others; I'm conforming to the culture and, in turn, humoring those individuals that identify as they/them and other opposing pronouns that don't line up with their biological sex. I don't want to make them feel disrespected, but at the same time, I don't want to conform to their false truth. I want to tell them the truth in love.

Read the full blog here.

Call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.

Was Sexual Desire Present Before The Fall? Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

Before the fall, God invented sex as a form of intimacy to be a blessing within marriage. Therefore, we have always been sexual beings. It is important to know that within God’s purpose, it is not sin, but outside of this purpose, it is sin. Sexual intimacy is a gift of God to a husband and wife, and it is a wonderful blessing.

Check out the blog post here.

Resources Mentioned:

Ed Wheat- Intended For Pleasure

Sandra Glan and Bill Cutrer- Sexual Intimacy In Marriage

Call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.

Why Do We Pray? Oct 13, 2022

Show notes

Q: If everything happens for a reason, and things are predestined to happen, then why do we pray? How does prayer change things? I struggle with this area in my Christian life, and I think partly because I don’t understand and don’t know if my prayer makes a difference.

Resources Mentioned:

The Handbook To Prayer By Ken Boa

Andrew Murray- With Christ in the School of Prayer

Arthur G. Bennett- The Valley of Vision

Michael J. Easley- Interludes

Call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.

Check out the blog post.