Intercessory prayer

The salvation of Lot and his daughters from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is credited as being carried out as a result of Abraham's prayer request. This is a very powerful and tangible example of intercessory prayer by Abraham. How have you practiced intercessory prayer in your life and how have you seen God answer it?

The Mark of the Covenant

Circumcision as a sign of the Abrahamic Covenant is often seen as analogous to baptism as a sign of the New Covenant. It is because of this apparent correlation that many churches today still practice infant baptism (circumcision was to be administered to infants who were 8 days old). Is this a fair assessment and is this practice a proper application of baptism as it is Biblically described?

To give or not to give

Many Christians suggest that Abram's encounter with Melchizidek is not only the first known example of offering a tithe of 10% to God (represented by the church as an intermediary recipient), it is the very precedent that all Christians are intended to follow. What are your thoughts as to what God has to say about offering and/or tithing in this and in other passages of the Bible?

God and Slavery

Although most of us would never condone slavery as we've most recently known it to exist, the Scriptural relationship between God and slavery has been hotly debated for most of history. What are your thoughts on passages of Scripture that speak about slaves and how do these passages speak of God's desire in regards to this institution? In short, what does God have to say throughout the Bible in regards to slavery?