#001 Podcast | Who is God?

Chapter 1 of Kickoff Ministry explores one of humanity’s biggest questions: Who is God? This powerful introduction examines Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, atheism, and agnosticism while exploring humanity’s universal search for truth, meaning, and purpose. Through Scripture, history, philosophy, and culture, this chapter explains why Christians believe God personally revealed Himself through Jesus Christ and continues to call every person into a relationship with Him.

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SPEAKER_00 0:00

Live from Las Vegas, that's the same city, where people lose sleep, money, and sometimes they're loving. It's kickoff ministry. But here you only win. And now, with no further ado, here is Roland Android.

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Hello everyone, and welcome to Kickoff Ministry. Across cultures and throughout history, many people, I'm sure, have wrestled with the question, who is God? Now, that's not only a religious question, but one that emerges from humanity's search for meaning, identity, and purpose. People approach this question in different ways. Some come as seekers searching for meaning and direction in life. Others come as skeptics looking for evidence, logic, and intellectual clarity. Some come as sufferers shaped by pain, loss, or unanswered prayers. Others come as observers influenced by culture, tradition, or the beliefs they were raised in. And some come as believers already convinced, yet still longing to understand God or the higher power that they follow more deeply. Yet beneath all of these approaches lies a common or identical pursuit, a search for meaning, truth, purpose, and ultimately someone greater than ourselves. Throughout history and across cultures, that shared pursuit has led people to different conclusions about who God is or who they believe God to be. People have described and understood God in many different ways. For example, as a Christian, I believe God is a creator of everything, a personal and loving Father who revealed Himself through Jesus Christ. Around this world, governments identify people through numbers, records, and official systems such as Social Security numbers, national IDs, biometric data, and even passports, just to name a few. But the God I believe in does not see us as a number. He knows us by our name. He knows our story. Like a loving father walking with his child. As his children, we are not only cared for, but also guided for, and when necessary, lovingly disciplined, even when we fall short, he does not turn away. Instead, in the greatest act of love the world has ever known, in my opinion, he gave his son Jesus Christ to save us. Calling God Father, he reveals his heart, a heart that protects us as his children, guides our steps, leads with authority, and loves us with a devotion that never fails. Just as scripture reveals from what I've read and studied, Christians, by my definition, are those who place their faith in God and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Though none of us are perfect, including myself. Believers seek to grow in faith, share the good news of Jesus without shame, and turn to God in prayer through both the trials and joys of life. Christianity is the faith centered on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, with the Holy Bible serving as our guide for truth, wisdom, and correction, and the promise of eternal life. Muslims call God Allah, the all-knowing, all-powerful creator who is completely singular and without equal. In Islam, Allah has no partners, no children, and no division within himself. He is beyond full human understanding. Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, highly honored, but not divine, and that Muhammad is the final and greatest prophet. They believe the Quran is Allah's ultimate and perfect revelation, correcting earlier scriptures that they believe were altered over time. In contrast, Christians believe in one God who exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Christians hold that Jesus is not merely a prophet, but God in human flesh who came to earth to redeem humanity through his death and resurrection. While both faiths emphasize worshiping one God and living righteously, Christianity teaches that salvation comes through grace, through faith in Jesus. While Islam teaches that salvation is earned through faith, good deeds, and obedience to Allah's commands. And if anyone around the world is scratching their head and wondering, is Jesus really God and human flesh, my answer is a confident and resounding yes. In mainstream Christian theology, particularly within Trinitarian Christianity, it is firmly believed that God came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ, taken on human form. So Jesus is not merely a representative of God. He is God, fully divine and fully human, revealing God's nature and bringing salvation to the world. Judaism believes in one eternal, all powerful God who created the universe, chose the people of Israel as his covenant nation, and revealed his laws through Moses on Mount Everest. Just kidding, Mount Sinai. The Jewish faith centers around living in obedience to God's commandments, studying the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, and maintaining a holy relationship with God through worship, ethical living, and tradition. Jews are still awaiting the coming of the Messiah, a future human leader who will restore Israel and bring peace to the world. In contrast, Christians also believe in the God of Israel, but hold that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah, the fulfillment of God's covenant, and through his life, death, and resurrection, salvation is offered not only to Israel, but to all people who believe. While Judaism emphasizes a direct covenant relationship through law and tradition, Christianity teaches that faith, faith in Jesus is the new covenant, offering a personal relationship with God based on grace rather than adherence to the law. Hindus Hindus believe in Brahman as the one supreme eternal reality that is the source of all existence. However, Brahman is revealed through many gods and goddesses, such as Vishnu, Shiva, and Devi, who represent different aspects of the divine. Hinduism embraces a wide variety of beliefs, including ideas of reincarnation, karma, the law of cause and effect, and the ultimate goal of moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth and union with Brahman. In contrast, Christianity teaches that there is one personal God distinct from his creation who reveals himself directly as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christians believe salvation is not achieved through many lifetimes or self-effort, but is a gift, a gift from God received through faith in Jesus Christ who offers eternal life with God, not absorption into a universal spirit. Atheists, atheists believe there is no God or divine being holding that the universe and life can be explained purely through natural causes, reason, and science without the need for a creator. Many atheists see religious belief as a human invention and base their worldview on evidence, logic, and personal experience rather than faith. Christianity is built on the belief that there is one true living God who created everything, reveals himself personally, and offers humanity purpose, meaning, and eternal life through Jesus Christ. While atheism rejects the idea of divine authority or ultimate moral accountability, Christianity teaches that true meaning, morality, and hope are found in a relationship with God. Agnostics. Agnostics believe that the existence of God is unknown or unknowable. They're not even sure if God exists or not. Some agnostics think that there may be something beyond human understanding, while others believe there is no way to know for certain. In contrast, Christianity confidently teaches that God not only exists but has clearly revealed Himself through creation, scripture, and especially through Jesus Christ, inviting people into a personal relationship with him. Across the world, people view God in many different ways. Some see him as a loving father, others see him as a distant judge, a powerful force, or an unsolved mystery. Even among atheists and agnostics who deny or question God's existence, there often remains a deep human longing for truth, purpose, and meaning, when exploring the beliefs of Muslims, Hindus, Jews, atheists, and agnostics alongside Christianity, the goal is not to criticize, but to understand. By examining these perspectives, we can better see how people throughout this world search for God, God's or ultimate reality through their own beliefs and traditions. But at the same time, this exploration highlights the uniqueness of the Christian faith, which proclaims respectfully that God is not distant or hidden, but has clearly revealed Himself personally through Jesus Christ, offering truth, hope, and salvation to everyone who seeks him. In the book of Jeremiah, chapter 29, verse 13, it reads, You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. This verse reminds us that the search for meaning and truth in every human heart is not ignored by God. He promises that anyone who truly seeks him, not casually, but consistently and wholeheartedly, will definitely find him. Trust me, I've tried reaching out in every way. I've tried calling, emailing, and even friend requesting on social media. Just kidding. But the best way to reach God without coaxial cables, without Ethernet cables, without fiber optic lines, and without IEEE 802.11 wireless standards is still through prayer. And yes, yes, he answers, but according to his perfect timing, not ours. It's funny, it's ludicrous, but historians have found that nearly every civilization in human history believed in some kind of God or higher power. Even in ancient ruins, there are temples, altars, and writings about gods. This shows us something deep. Humans are wired to worship. Social scientists study human societies, behavior, and cultural patterns. The sociologist Emil Durkheim argued that religion was created by human beings as a way to explain life and strengthen social unity. Christianity presents the opposite claim. God is not a product of human imagination. Humanity is the product of God's creation. We were made by Him and for Him. Our purpose, identity, and unity do not come from something humanity invented. They come from the one who invented us. Modern sociologists, psychologists, and religious scholars have studied what happens when traditional religious beliefs such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam decline in certain societies. Interestingly, they learn that even when people rejected organized religion, they often still seek something spiritual. This can include belief in a higher power, spiritual experiences, meditation practices, or vague ideas about the universe's meaning. Researchers call this phenomenon SBNR, spiritual but not religious. Church attendance has dropped sharply over the last fifty years in Western Europe, in countries like the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, North America, especially the United States and Canada, is also seeing this trend, particularly among younger generations. Australia and New Zealand reveal similar patterns. The evidence speaks for itself. Surveys and polling data reveal that while formal religious affiliation is declining, belief in something bigger remains high. For example, Pew Research Center found that in the United States, about twenty-seven percent of people now identify as having no religion. But many of them still say they believe in God, a higher power or spiritual energy. In Europe, studies show that while fewer people attend church, many still believe in the soul, the afterlife, or some form of spiritual reality. Psychological research consistently shows that people are naturally wired to seek meaning, purpose, and connection beyond themselves. Even as traditional religious affiliations decline in many societies, individuals continue to pursue forms of transcendence through personal spirituality, deep relationships, creative expression, or a sense of belonging to something greater. This suggests that the desire for meaning is not simply a byproduct of culture or upbringing, but rather a fundamental aspect of human nature. Whether or not individuals embrace organized religion, the inner longing for significance, hope, and connection remains deeply rooted in our life experience. Throughout history, even influential world leaders have spoken about the role of Christianity in shaping society. George Washington, the first president of the United States, wrote in his farewell address of all the dispositions and habits which led to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. Queen Victoria of Great Britain once remarked, That book accounts for the supremacy of England. Referring to the Bible. After World War II, West German leader Conrad Adenart said, The basic principles of Christian ethics are the foundation of Western civilization. Each of these leaders recognized that Christianity has played a significant role in shaping cultures, nations, and civilizations. And it's not only these leaders who acknowledge its power. Even across other faith traditions like Islam, the Bible is respected as a holy book, though not accepted in the same way as the Quran, yet this only highlights the wide-reaching influence and lasting significance of what we as Christians believe is the Word of God.