SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) ?

 “I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy.” Isaiah 54:16.

In June of 2023, hundreds of worshippers packed into St. Paul’s Church in Bavaria to experience a new kind of church. This was a first. This congregation watched as an avatar of a man with a beard appeared on the church’s video screen above the altar and began to guide the church through worship: “It is an honor for me to stand here and preach to you as the first artificial intelligence.” The entire service was mostly constructed by AI, including the pastor.

We live in an era of  “artificial” intelligence. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a broad field of study within computer science, designing systems that think and act like humans—from playing games to driving vehicles. We recognize that behind many of these questions is a general unease or fear of the unknown. We fear uncertainty. Christians are wrestling with questions about what AI is and how it’ll change life as we know it. Many are asking profound and nuanced questions.

Should we as Christians, be concerned about AI? When Christians view AI solely as a tool, we can consider it how Christians have historically responded to technological development: tools are gifts from God, granted under common grace, to be used for good and wise purposes. If the printing press was a divine gift that accelerated the dissemination of God’s Word and biblical resources, could AI be just another tool? Is AI just another opportunity to be surprised and awestruck by God’s creativity in designing humanity?

AI has been around for a long time. It has a long way to go before it reaches anything close to a general, human-like intelligence, and no matter what, our faith gives us a foundation of hope and security.

God is the ultimate Inventor of everything. He allows men and women to discover what He has already invented. And if you want a verse for that, look at Colossians 1:16: “for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.” Or “God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him” (John 1:3).

Isaiah 54:16 says, “I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy.” AI can seem forbidding until we remember that God is in command. God has ordained that technological advancements increase throughout history, and that includes AI. AI technology (along with all other human achievements) doesn’t change God’s plan to glorify Himself in the salvation of sinners.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Does AI cause you concern? If so, why?
  2. How should we look at AI? 

THE GREATEST GIFT EVER GIVEN

Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” – 2 Corinthians 9:15.

Christmas is here. People worldwide will soak in this magical time with friends and family as we celebrate God’s greatest gift ever, His only Son, Jesus. As we celebrate this “gift” we need to pause and reflect on the birth of the gift.

Read the familiar passages of Scripture telling of Jesus’ birth, and let your mind linger on the verses of Matthew 2:5-6: “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.”

The Son of God was born in a stable, probably surrounded by livestock, to parents with no distinct social standing. No wonder the Jews found it difficult to believe He was the Messiah, the One sent to save them. They had suffered much and looked for a powerful leader who would deliver them from Roman oppression. But that isn’t what they got.

Jesus was born in a stable, was a carpenter’s son, and was a friend of fishermen, tax collectors, and prostitutes. He didn’t seem very royal. Jewish leaders rejected Him and demanded He be crucified as the ultimate imposter, “the King of the Jews.”

Jesus did not come to rule from a grand royal palace surrounded by servants, guards, and luxury. Christ came to serve, seek, and save, but for reasons and in a manner far beyond anything many Jews ever imagined or understood. Many Jewish people missed the greatest gift because they expected a particular king but were given another.

Jesus was sent to earth from the Father’s love to save humanity. Jesus came not to be served but to serve. He did not come for riches or to experience an easy life. Jesus came to save and redeem the world by sacrificing His life. He healed, preached, brought back to life, and changed the course of humanity. Jesus bore the weight of all sins and died on the cross. Jesus was the perfect gift to humanity in that He took our place, conquering sin and death.

A gift tells us something about the giver. When you want to give someone a gift, you start thinking about it beforehand. Hopefully, you will try to find what that person wants or needs. When God decided to give us the gift of eternal life, it wasn’t something that He just thought of on the fly. Long before there was a town called Bethlehem, a garden called Eden, and a planet called Earth, a decision was made in eternity that God would send forth His Son, born of a woman, to redeem those under the law.

So Christmas isn’t about those gifts that you open today. All of those things will be gone one day.  Life is about what happens beyond the grave. Life is about knowing the God who made you and who gave you the greatest gift you will ever receive.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is Jesus called the indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)?
  2. What will you do with this gift this week and in the new year?

God Is Love

“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” – 1 John 4:7-8. 

As Christians, we should understand and appreciate how unconditionally, irrevocably, and ridiculously loved by God we are. Just imagine: You are already loved by God. No conditions. No qualifications. No ifs, and, or buts about it. Whoever you are, wherever you’ve been, whatever you’ve done in the course of your life, you are already loved and accepted. 

When John wrote 1st John, he seemed overwhelmed with the reality of God’s love. Why else would he talk about it over 30 times? John discovered that God’s love is pure, the perfect motivation. His love has power. It casts out fear and overcomes worry, doubt, and anxiety. This love is forgiving and kind. It is practical and applies in every situation we face. Accepting God’s love transforms our lives.

God’s desire is to completely overwhelm you with His love. The love of God will guide you, establish you, empower you, and fully delight you. His love will free you, compel you, and sustain you. He longs for you to live a lifestyle of love because He knows that’s the absolute, most fulfilling, purposeful, and peaceful way of life for you. He longs to set you free from the burdens of living for your own gain. He longs to lead you to the path of abundant life. But it all starts with simply receiving His love.

Take a moment and read what Paul says in Romans 8: “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love?… No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)

Such love is beyond our ability to grasp with our minds, but it is not beyond our ability to experience with our hearts. The more we study it, the more we understand it, and the more we realize, that we will move steadily beyond our understanding. But it does not mean that we cannot have confidence in the fact that God unconditionally loves us. Know it, cling to it, and remember it; don’t underestimate the love of God for you.

If we understand God’s love, we realize that He is love. Motivated by that love, we love to please Him and fellowship with Him. We love to know His Word and show love to others around us.  

Focus your thoughts on God right now. Love Him, unconditionally. Thank Him for His love. And let that love flow you to people all around you.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is your definition of “unconditional love”?
  2. How often do you try to grasp the love of God?

A Christmas Message From Marty Martin, Lead Pastor

This time of year I usually write a personal letter to all of you and believe it or not, I look very forward to it. It is an opportunity to honor each of you and to wish you a merry Christmas.

During this season, we have been celebrating Christmas Classics, songs that have the messages of hope, peace, love and joy. I pray that our reflection on the classic Christmas songs would provide you with opportunities to reflect on your own faith and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church. Whatever it is that our hearts and souls desire, whether we realize it or not, our ultimate desire is Jesus Himself. For this reason, we are filled with joy at Christmas to know that all that we hoped for has been fulfilled in the person of the Christ Child.

In 1 Corinthians 15:57-58, we read: “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” That is my prayer for myself, my family and I pray the same for you. That we will stand firm and let nothing move us in our mission of helping the whole world find and follow Jesus.

As we celebrate the birth of our Lord this year, we also celebrate that the Lord brought all of you into our lives. This Christmas we thank you for being our family and our friends, and showing us relationally the power of God’s love. It is an awesome sight to see His love in all of you.

Thank you for your faithfulness and commitment to Northstar. As I look back over the year, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I’m grateful just to be a part of this community and to get to walk this journey with you. I feel so privileged to be part of a group of people who are honestly and passionately taking on the challenge to follow Jesus in all the trials, joys and complexities of modern life.

Thank you for serving sacrificially again this past year. Whether it’s leading groups; shepherding children; serving coffee; setting up for worship; playing music; or any one of the countless other (usually unseen) tasks that keep our church running, I am grateful. Thank you so much for all you do!

Thank you for giving sacrificially as you always do. Your generosity has enabled us to pursue our mission of helping the whole world find and follow Jesus.

And I just cannot praise God enough. This Christmas, as in all previous years, we celebrate “Emmanuel” (God with us). Without Christ’s presence among us we would be in trouble. Through God’s presence gently, sometimes not so gently, working within us, we are being transformed, made bold and seeing lives changed by His gospel. How can we praise Him enough? How can we contain God’s love without going out and sharing it?

From our family to yours, Angela, Andrew and Ashleigh and I wish you the very best that life has to offer, a life grounded and rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. May this be a Christmas that brings hope, peace, joy, love, and Christ richly and abundantly into your family. And may the grace and love of God surround, nurture, and keep you this Christmas Season.

Marty

Discussion Questions:
1. Pray for our church leadership that God will continue to guide us.
2. Pray for our church as we move into 2015.
3. Thank God again for the gift of His son.