NorthStar Church Blog

Digging Deeper: Are There Bald People in Heaven?

Curt Bowen on September 9, 2026

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”

John 20:27 (ESV)

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Philippians 3:20-21 (ESV)

ARE THERE BALD PEOPLE IN HEAVEN?

It’s been said that passages like Luke 7 show Jesus’ resurrection was nothing unique. The widow’s son sat up in his bier. Lazarus walked out of his tomb four days dead. Jairus’s daughter got up and ate a meal. Depending on how you count, seven or eight people in Scripture died and lived again. So why is Jesus coming back to life any more significant than theirs?

The answer is that theologians distinguish Jesus’ resurrection from revivification. Lazarus, Jairus’s daughter, and the widow’s son all came back to the same body they left. And all of them died again. Lazarus is in the ground somewhere.

Jesus isn’t. Moreover, the body He rose in was different. A glorious body, as Paul puts it (Phil. 3:21).

As you read the Gospels, do you notice that people tend not to recognize Jesus at first? Mary Magdalene takes Him for the gardener. The two on the road to Emmaus walk seven miles with Him and never place Him until He breaks the bread. The disciples fishing at daybreak don’t know who’s calling to them from the shore.

And yet it’s unmistakably Him. He tells Thomas to put a finger in the nail marks and a hand in His side. The wounds are still there. Whatever a resurrection body is, it carries a history—it isn’t a replacement.

And we’re promised the same sort of resurrected body. Paul says Christ will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body. Different, glorious, and physical. Not angels on clouds. Not minds uploaded to the Matrix. New resurrected bodies.

Which raises some deep theological questions. What age will we be? Will amputees have their limbs? Or the deeper question: Will I have hair in heaven or remain bald?

I suppose you could ask whether being bald is an infirmity to be cured. My wife says it’s a feature, not a defect. She also laughed at me in the mirror this morning, so I’m not sure she’s a reliable witness. I say all this in jest, as I’ve come to terms with it. Although my barber hasn’t. He still insists on charging full price for what I see as half the work.

But beneath the silly questions is a remarkable promise. Whatever is broken in us now will not remain broken forever. If Christianity is true, then death is something to be excited for. Disabilities, disease, and aging do not have the final say. God does.

Ask Yourself:

What would you like restored in the resurrection, and what would you want kept?
Jesus kept His scars. What does that suggest God might do with your history?

Curt Bowen is a husband, father, and group leader who loves engaging in apologetics, theology, and good BBQ. A thrill-seeker at heart, he enjoys roller coasters and has an appreciation for snakes—just not the conversational type.

When All is Lost

Marlin McPhail on September 9, 2026

¹²As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. ¹³And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

Luke 7:12-13

WHEN ALL IS LOST

During my coaching days years ago, I was involved in one game I’ll never forget. My team was on the road and playing a doubleheader. This meant a long day at the field! Getting down 7-0 early just deflated the team. You could see them looking ahead to the 2nd game. However, we still had to finish Game 1. In our final at-bat, with 2 outs and an 0-2 count on our hitter, something changed! That hitter reached base, and the next and the next….. and before we knew it, we were on top 9-7 and won the game! I do not remember the outcome of Game 2!

What changed? How did this happen? I can attest to one thing: I heard from the dugout (I was coaching 3rd) someone say, “We can still do this!” What, why now? Where did his HOPE come from? With each hitter having success, HOPE rose, JOYFUL noise could be heard, BELIEF grew, and the results were something no one would forget!

In Luke 7:12-13, all hope was lost. The mother’s only son was dead, and she was already a widow. What hope did she have? She had no future! There was no one to take care of her. She was destined to beg for a living. Well, Jesus happened! He had just entered the town and witnessed the funeral procession. Jesus felt compassion for her! He saw, he felt, he acted, and raised the boy and gave him back to his mother!

Don’t miss this: Of course, Jesus knew the ramifications of this boy’s death meant to the mother. No one asked Jesus to act. However, his actions spoke volumes to the witnesses. He continued to confirm his authority and build his identity. They could see he was empowered by God.

When you coach at any level, the players will look to you for inspiration, confidence, and positivity. How you walk, talk, act, react, and simply lead your team will determine just how much influence you will ultimately have with them.

Compassion for each individual and their stories is a good place to start.

Compassion was an underlying theme in all Jesus’ miraculous acts!

What better way to lead a team but with the character of Christ flowing through you!

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Blessings,

Marlin

Marlin McPhail worked in professional baseball for 44 years before retiring in 2025. He played ten years with three different teams in the minors and then spent his final 34 years with the New York Mets as a Minor League Coach and Amateur Scout. Marlin resides with his wife Terry in Irmo, S.C. and has two grown children and five grandchildren.

Digging Deeper: The Man in the Mirror

Curt Bowen on September 8, 2026

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:16 (ESV)

Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:8

THE MAN IN THE MIRROR

As I walked past the mirror this morning, I stopped to look at myself.

“You are one handsome man,” I said out loud.

My wife laughed, crushing any confidence I previously had. I think it’s a guy thing to be overconfident in our looks.

But aside from aesthetic delusions, as you look into the mirror, there’s a thought experiment to consider. Think about the man or woman in the mirror you’re looking at. As I see my reflection, I’m now thinking about the man in the mirror. And I can think about the man thinking about the man in the mirror. In fact, I could keep going ad infinitum.

When you think of something, you’re thinking about something. The technical term is states of intentionality. Nothing else has this characteristic of aboutness other than our minds. In fact, our minds have all sorts of unique properties, such as free will, self-awareness, the ability to reason toward truth, and a sense of being the same you who was seven years old, even though not a single cell in your body from that year still exists.

From these phenomena, there are some philosophers who have concluded the same thing Christians have said for millennia: that the mind is distinct from the brain. What philosophers call the mind, theologians call the soul. And perhaps if the power shuts off to the brain, the soul continues to exist independently. Like a song that continues to be even if the record player stops.

If that is the case, then when your body is buried, something continues to exist beyond the funeral.

Which means the person in the mirror is more than the face looking back at you. The reflection will age. The body will weaken. One day, it will die. But the you who has been looking out through those eyes all these years may not die with it.

And if something survives the grave, the next question is what God intends to do with it.

Ask Yourself:

What is it about you that has stayed the same since you were a child?
When you think about you, do you think of your body, your mind, your soul—or something else?

Digging Deeper: In the Ground

Curt Bowen on September 7, 2026

Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and “God has visited his people!” And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country.

Luke 7:11-17 (ESV)

IN THE GROUND

The patio was muggy, and the air smelled bitter from cigarette smoke. A line formed around the coffee pot where people conversed. It was before cell phones, at least the kind you constantly checked, so conversation was normal, and big questions tended to come up at this place. The sort about God and life and meaning.

I distinctly remember one sitting under the awning in some recliners. An attorney much older than me struggled with the concept of finding a higher power. He was smart, as far as I could tell, but he had the strangest idea for his higher power.

“Mine is a light bulb,” he said when asked.

At the time, I didn’t have a personal relationship with God, but I knew what God was. But a light bulb? My roommate asked him a follow-up: Where do you think we go when we die? And even though it was close to thirty years ago, I still remember every word of his response.

He lowered his hardback book, looked over the rims of his thick glasses, and said:

“In the ground.”

While I admire his bravery, that thought did and does trouble me. There are so many thoughts about death that emerge from it. They’re the questions we’ll wrestle with this week.

Where do we go when we die?
Is there something about us that survives when our bodies don’t?
If we’re raised again, what exactly are we raised as?
If everything eventually dies, does anything we do now really matter?
And what happens when these questions stop being philosophical and death comes for someone we love?

And finally, who has the correct answer? Is it the Buddhist who says there is no permanent self and seeks liberation from the cycle of rebirth? Is it the Muslim who expects resurrection and judgment before God? Or maybe the atheistic answer is the correct one: that all that happens is we end up in the ground.

I think for us as Christians, we do have something to feel a little more confident in. In Luke 7, Jesus walks up to a funeral procession, touches the bier, and tells a dead man to get up. And he does. Jesus didn’t just offer an opinion about death; He demonstrated authority over it.

And ultimately, we lean on the answer of someone who not only raised others from the dead but experienced death Himself and came back to tell us about it.

Ask Yourself:

What do you believe happens after we die, and where did that belief come from?
When death comes to mind, do you sit with it or change the subject?

Digging Deeper – Help My Unbelief!

C.A. Phillips on September 4, 2026

And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Mark 9:23-24 (NLT)

HELP MY UNBELIEF!

Let’s just keep it real. We’ve ALL had circumstances – MANY circumstances – when we struggled in our ability to trust that God was going to come through for us. Or maybe you trusted that He would come through but were despondent and anxious in a season of waiting. You do your best to will yourself to believe, but deep down, you just aren’t sure things will work out.

That’s why I’m so thankful this story in Mark 9 was included in the Bible. This dad is wrestling with his unbelief in the very presence of Jesus.

This man’s son has been possessed by a spirit that would make the boy deaf and mute. From a very young age, the spirit would throw him down – sometimes in fire, sometimes in water – and would also make him foam at the mouth and grind his teeth. Like any father, this man is distraught and desperate to find healing for his son. He’s already asked Jesus’ disciples to cast out the spirit, to no avail. The man is perhaps a bit reluctant to press in on Jesus. So, he softens his request by saying, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

In his apparent exasperation, Jesus responds, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” Feeling somewhat ashamed, the father replies, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Never has there been a more honest expression of the tension between faith and doubt! I am right there with this dad – I DO believe, and yet part of me wonders if Jesus will choose to do something to help me in my present circumstance.

Some have referred to me as a pessimist. I like to say I am a realist. A friend recently told me, “That’s what all pessimists say.” In any event, the political pundit George Will once uttered one of my favorite quotes of all time: “The great thing about pessimism is that you’re either constantly proving yourself right, or you’re pleasantly surprised.”

When it comes to faith and doubt, it’s really easy for pessimism to rear its ugly head. However, we don’t see any examples in Scripture where pessimism is lauded or when it has been an effective strategy for coping with the unknown. Instead, we’re told to seek God’s Kingdom and to live righteously – and that God will provide all we need (Matthew 6:33).

Like so many things in life, it’s simple but not easy. But, as Mike Linch says, when we continue to lock eyes with Jesus daily, the Spirit ministers to our minds and hearts to give us wisdom and direction for what lies ahead, even when we can’t see what’s coming.

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy.

Digging Deeper – Feeling Stuck

C.A. Phillips on September 3, 2026

And we are sure of this, that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we really know he is listening when we talk to him and make our requests, then we can be sure that he will answer us.

1 John 4:14-15 (TLB)

FEELING STUCK

This has been a year fraught with difficulty for our family. It began quite literally on January 1, when we had to take my mom to urgent care. She had been under the weather – likely a nasty virus of some sort – when she found herself on the floor two consecutive mornings. Because she suffered from vascular dementia, she couldn’t even tell us what happened. She was extremely weak from dehydration and lacked the strength to get on her bed or to climb back up in her recliner.

She got some IV fluids, which perked her up some. But, for the next few months, things simply weren’t the same. She would barely eat, and her existence was just that – sitting in a recliner daily from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. She kept saying, “I just wish I would feel like myself again.” Unfortunately, she never would.

Meanwhile, I was burning up the roads from Kennesaw to Cartersville several days each week to check on her, help her, force-feed her, clean her house, walk with her, and encourage her to use her mind in various ways. I was exhausted, frustrated, and distraught. Each day I would begin my day with the same prayer: “Lord I need your help. Please give me the strength and attitude to help Mom.” At the same time, I was pleading with God on another level. “I pray for mercy and compassion for Mom. She is your child. Show your lovingkindness to her.”

Mom was ready to meet Jesus long before she would be taken home. She would get frustrated with her cognitive decline and say, “I wish I’d go to bed and not wake up.” Other days, she’d state it more plainly: “I wish I would just die.” I don’t have to tell you how disheartening it is to be faced with those sentiments day in and day out.

What I learned in those dark days was something Mike Linch covered in his message this past Sunday: Hold onto Jesus’ promises, even when I can’t see the evidence. Even in those challenging months – a season I genuinely thought might never end – I clung to what I knew to be true about my Savior. That he would never leave me or forsake me – or Mom (Deuteronomy 31:8); that He loves His children (1 John 3:1); that He has my best in mind (Romans 8:28); and that His thoughts and plans are far greater than mine (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Jesus called Mom home on May 6, 2026, less than two weeks before her 86th birthday. There was sadness at her leaving us, but mostly there was a profound peace that she is whole once more and in the place she always longed to be. I now see those months of anguish as a blessing; God gave me many hours with my mom that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.

Amid all of this, my wife, Amy, accepted a new position in February, and we now face another season of uncertainty. We’ve had our house for sale since the spring but have not yet sold it. Amy has a 3-hour-plus daily commute, and she is weary. We’re ready to begin the next chapter in a new home, in a new community. But just like with my mom, it’s all in God’s timing. We’ll keep holding onto His promises, despite our inability to see the evidence of His work behind the scenes. That’s what you do when you feel stuck. You hold onto the hope you have in God’s Word. One of Mom’s life verses comes to mind:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

Digging Deeper – Authority Over All Things, Even from a Distance

C.A. Phillips on September 2, 2026

…just before they arrived at the house, the officer sent some friends to say, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself by coming to my home, for I am not worthy of such an honor. I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

Luke 7:6b-8 (NLT)

AUTHORITY OVER ALL THINGS – EVEN FROM A DISTANCE

Jesus had already agreed to come to the home of the Roman officer to heal his slave. Remember, the Jewish people had begged Jesus to do so because the Roman had treated them so well. But what we see here is even more remarkable: the officer – knowing Jesus is coming – sends others to him with a message that surprises even Jesus!

In essence, the officer has such utter confidence in who Jesus is and what power he has that he requests that Jesus heal the slave from where he is. The officer understands that proximity does not matter when it comes to Jesus’ healing abilities.

There are 37 distinct miracles of Jesus that we can read about in Scripture. Of those, only two of them involve Jesus not being physically present: this encounter captured in Luke 7 and another captured in John 4:46-54. A royal official’s son was extremely sick and near death. When he heard that Jesus was in Galilee, he found him and begged him to come with him to heal his son. But Jesus simply told the man, “Go back home. Your son will live!” On his way home, some of his servants met him and told him that his son was alive and well.

We know that word about Jesus’ miracles spread far and wide. Chronologically, the miracle we read about in John 4 happened well before the one in Luke 7, when Jesus heals the slave. While we cannot be certain, there is a chance that word of Jesus’ healing powers – even from a distance – had reached this Roman officer. Either way, the officer understood that when it comes to true authority, distance isn’t an inhibiting factor.

What’s the lesson in this for us today? Do you believe who Jesus says he is? Do you believe he has the power and authority to do what only God can? Does distance limit his ability to move mountains even today?

It all comes down to faith. When we push all our chips to the center of the table on Jesus’ ability – and not the circumstances we face – that’s when he does his most profound work in our lives.

While I give the Roman officer mad props for his faith and humility, there’s one thing I’d change if it was me in the story: even knowing full well that Jesus can heal from anywhere, I’d still want him to come to my house!

When My Faith is Weak

Kevin Burrell on September 2, 2026

“Just say the word from where You are, and my servant will be healed.”

Luke 7:7

WHEN MY FAITH IS WEAK

In Luke 7, a Roman officer had a guy dying — basically his MVP. He sends the local leaders to Jesus with a résumé: “He deserves this. He’s earned it. Look what he’s done for us.”

But when Jesus gets close, the officer stops him. He doesn’t lean on his record. He just says, “I’m not worthy — just say the word.”

That’s the flip we need too. We spend our lives building résumés: wins, rankings, and reputations. And that’s not wrong. However, when we come to Jesus, we don’t come with our stat sheet. We come with our need. Just like that officer did.

Then he says something remarkable: “I get authority. I say ‘go’ and they go, ‘come’ and they come. I know how command works — and I know You have that kind of authority over my situation.” He wasn’t looking at the odds. He was looking at who Jesus is.

That’s our second reminder: don’t coach your circumstances — trust Jesus’ authority over them. The scoreboard, the injury report, the analytic numbers, the tough matchup — none of it is bigger than Jesus.

And here’s the finish: the officer believed before he saw the healing. He trusted the word before he saw the evidence. Jesus said, “I haven’t seen faith like this.” Then the servant was healed.

Listen Closely: So here’s what to carry into today:

Bring your need, not your credentials.

Trust His authority more than your circumstances.

And hold onto His promise even before you see the outcome.

Your team, your program, your day: it may be beyond your control. It is never beyond His authority.

Love God. Love People. Live Sent.

Be Worth Being.

Kevin

Kevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 45 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.

Digging Deeper – My Faith is Strengthened Knowing Jesus is One of Us

C.A. Phillips on September 1, 2026

“So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)

MY FAITH IS STRENGTHENED KNOWING JESUS IS ONE OF US

A couple of years ago, I began my foray into the world of travel – as an advisor with a large agency. I must admit it was rather intimidating entering an arena I had very little knowledge about. As I began to share with others that I had completed training and was now certified as a travel advisor, I started receiving inquiries. The problem was that, while I had traveled some, I had not traveled extensively – especially outside of the United States.

This is when I learned a valuable lesson: lean on those who know far more than I do, have traveled further than I’ve been, and have been doing this for much longer than I have. And the more I sent emails, texts, and Facebook messages to fellow advisors, the more trust developed. They had been where I hadn’t and had experienced and achieved what I had yet to.

Eventually, I learned that the Founder and President of the agency and I had some common ground: we each began knowing nothing. Nearly 15 years later, after taking his first step towards a dream he couldn’t imagine, Adam Duckworth (a former student pastor from Michigan) leads a world-renowned travel agency with more than 2,700 advisors – and growing! But what’s so reassuring about hearing Adam share his passion with others is this bottom-line truth: he is one of us.

As I read stories in Scripture like the one in Luke 7, I’m always encouraged – not only because I relate to the soldier’s initial feeling of inadequacy in approaching Jesus with his plea, but also in knowing that Jesus cares deeply – because he, too, is one of us.

The Apostle Paul stated it perfectly in his letter to the Philippians:

Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ, who, though he was God, did not demand and cling to his rights as God, but laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men.
Phil. 2:5-7 (TLB)

As a human – like you and me – Jesus experienced the same emotional and physical highs and lows we do. He certainly felt joy and elation – but we tend to focus on the persecution and torture he endured. This, not surprisingly, is when we lean on him most – in our seasons of discouragement, sorrow, and pain. However, as Hebrews 4:14-16 states, we can confidently approach Jesus, knowing he has been where we’ve been – and to the extreme.

Because of his firsthand familiarity with humanness, Jesus advocates for us to our Heavenly Father! He can say, “Yeah, I remember how it felt to be disregarded. I know what it’s like when Satan is after you. I’m with you.” How incredible!

The next time you hesitate to take that load you’re carrying and lay it at his feet, remember he’s been there. He knows your pain. In fact, he wore it. And he wants nothing more than to offer you the grace and mercy you need to keep running your race.

Digging Deeper – My Faith is Strengthened by Intercessors

C.A. Phillips on August 31, 2026

At that time the highly valued slave of a Roman officer was sick and near death. When the officer heard about Jesus, he sent some respected Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his slave. So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. “If anyone deserves your help, he does,” they said, “for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.”

Luke 7:2-5 (NLT)

MY FAITH IS STRENGTHENED BY INTERCESSORS

The relationship between Roman soldiers and Jews in Jesus’ time was tenuous at best. Essentially, it was the Roman Way or the highway. The Jewish people didn’t get warm fuzzies in their dealings with the men who heavily taxed them, forced physical labor, and punished and executed them when they took exception to the constant oppression they endured.

But here, in Luke 7, we find something rather unusual. A Roman soldier owns a slave – one who was a productive and valuable asset – who is on the verge of death. Initially, we read that the soldier has “sent some respected Jewish elders” to find Jesus and ask him to come heal the slave. It sounds as if he might have ordered them to do it. But we quickly learn this is not your normal Roman-Jew relationship. These Jewish men plead with Jesus on the soldier’s behalf.

We don’t know the history of the soldier’s love and appreciation of the Jewish people, but somewhere along the way, his heart was captured by them. Perhaps the Jews showed the man or his family undeserved kindness. Maybe the soldier simply witnessed the unselfish lifestyle of God’s chosen people loving and serving one another. Who knows? But the Jews tell Jesus that the soldier loves them and has built a place of worship for them. No small thing!

The Roman soldier doesn’t know Jesus personally (yet). But he knows someone who knows him. And through the interaction with the Jewish people, he has come to understand that Jesus has the power to heal! However this relationship developed over time, it illustrates perfectly that we need others in our corner – especially in dire circumstances.

These Jewish men are advocating for the man and interceding on his behalf – directly with Jesus! They implore Jesus to come with them to heal the slave. The soldier needed others to plead with Jesus – just like you and I do when our backs are against the wall.

Building community with other believers is critical for our journey – and incredibly helpful. When we’re reminded that we cannot carry heavy burdens, these brothers and sisters in Christ carry it for us – and carry it TO the one who is equipped to handle it.

Who are your intercessors? If you don’t have a tribe of people who can pray for you, what might be a step you can take to find community with other Christians?