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It can be challenging to ask questions especially if there's a chance of being rejected, belittled, alienated, or insulted for asking. Luckily, we serve a God who isn't afraid of our questions, and who is always ready to answer them with grace, love, and compassion. To close out the final Chi Alpha of the semester, Bri, TJ, and Cody answer questions submitted by you--the students. They look at how to love people who hurt us, how do we reconcile what the Bible says with what modern science tells us about the earth's age, how can I know if I'm operating in the correct gifting, and is the devil omnipresent?

We've all experienced the feeling of being offended at one time or another. Whether it was something a professor said, a family member did, a troll commented, or something we read in the Bible--we've felt it. Depending on the level of offense, it can be really difficult to move on from it. This week, Jonathan and Kristi go through John 6. They discuss what the root of offense really is, the types of offense, and how we can work through it in a Biblical way.

It can be really easy to make a big commitment when conditions are easy; it can also be really easy to break that commitment when we no longer "feel like it." Many of us have agreed to plans with friends or family only to bow out at the last minute when the time arrives to make good on our commitment. Unfortunately, this tends to happen in our relationship with God as well. This week, Bri and Tehya look at Jesus' question "Do you love me?" (Matthew 26:32-35; Luke 22:54-62). They talk about the significance of this conversation between Peter and Jesus, what it means for us, and how we can practically grow in our love for God.

Who are you? If someone were to ask the people in your life who you are, what would they say? Would they give the same answers? Now think about Jesus. If someone were to ask you who Jesus is, what answer would you give? This week, Cody and Jared take a look at Matthew 16:13-18 where Jesus poses this very question to his disciples: "Who do people say I am? Who do you say I am?" They discuss the importance of truly knowing who Jesus is and how we can take practical steps to know him better.

Anyone who is alive had to be born, and each of us has a unique story to tell regarding our births. Whether you were born late, early, easily, with a lot of complications, in the morning, through C-section, etc., the basic facts are the same: you were formed in your mother's womb, she gave birth to you, and now you are here. Now that we are adults, we obviously can't undergo that same process again, so what did Jesus mean when he said we had to be born again? Nicodemus asked the same question of Jesus in John 3:3-21: "How can anyone be born again when he is old?" For our special Easter edition of Chi Alpha, TJ goes through the Scripture and breaks down what it means to be born again. The clip shown during this sermon is from The Chosen and can be watched here: https://youtu.be/_p2XIUK9VgA The song played during the sermon is "Is He Worthy" by Shane & Shane and the lyric video shown can be watched here: https://youtu.be/1pBeDoSlUnU

Doubts are often treated as something we should hide or be ashamed of, but what if it didn't have to be that way? What if the way we handle our doubts is more important than the doubts themselves? This week, Ally and Nicole sit down to discuss this very idea. "Are you the one?" is a question posed by John the Baptist in Matthew 11. Ally and Nicole take a look at the surrounding Scripture, share a bit about times when they've had doubts, and provide insights into the best way to move forward when faced with them.

We never really grow out of our curiosity, but we do become more hesitant to voice the questions that stir in our hearts and minds. Luckily, Jesus is completely unafraid of our questions; he even welcomes them. This week, we're switching things up by answering questions submitted by YOU. Ally, Bri, and Jonathan sit down to answer your questions about social media, why there are so many rules to following Jesus, and how to deal with politically extreme family members.

Everyone has a different idea of what makes good food, entertainment, etc., but what does it mean for someone to be called "good?" This week TJ and Ryan take a look at this question found in Mark 10:17-31. They unpack some context and discuss the significance of this interaction between Jesus and the rich young ruler. Reflection Questions: 1) Where do you find yourself stealing credit from God in your ministry, life, and salvation? (ex. Success of life group, your devo time, your personality, your skills, etc.) 2) Where do you feel the most pressure in your life? Do you believe (in your heart, not just your head) that God can relieve that? The video played during the sermon is a pole vaulting fail compilation and can be found here: https://youtu.be/F8lEM-JX47c

Have you ever found yourself thinking, "Well, if I don't worry about it, who will?" Sometimes it feels like worry is an unavoidable part of life, but when we take a look at Scripture, Jesus has a clear stance on the subject. This week, Johnnie and Bailey take us through Matthew 6:19-34 to find an answer to Jesus' question, "Why do you worry?" They discuss the importance of temporary and eternal treasures and practical steps for dealing with worry in our lives.

Our past experiences with authority (whether negative or positive) will inevitably influence the way we interact with people in positions of authority. It can also greatly affect our ability to understand and accept Jesus' authority in our lives. This week Jonathan and Alex talk through Mark 11 and what it reveals about Jesus' authority--where it comes from, what it does, and how we can accept it.

We all have neighbors, but the relationships we have with them can vary...a lot. In some cases, neighbors make really good friends, while in other cases, they tend to only stir up conflict. So what exactly does it mean to "love your neighbor as yourself?" What if your neighbor is a grouch or lives their life completely differently than you do? What if they don't deserve it? This week, we're taking a look at Luke 10:25-37, where Jesus answers the question, "Who is my neighbor?" Bri and Micaela break down the significance of the parable of the Good Samaritan, as well as discuss practical ways we can love those around us.

We're switching things up with a semester long series called "Q+A with Jesus." Each week, we'll be examining difficult questions found throughout scripture in a conversational style between two people. This week, Ally and Ashleigh kick things off by diving into Mark 4:35-39. A raging storm in the middle of the Sea of Galilee leads to the disciples asking Jesus, "Don't you care if we drown?" In the same way, the storms in our lives can make us wonder if Jesus even cares what's happening, but Ally and Ashleigh remind us that Jesus gets in the boat with us.