How is the world going to come to an end? Do you think we'll be destroyed by a meteor from outer space, like some people think, or do you think we'll destroy ourselves -- perhaps with a nuclear war or some other man-made disaster? What does the Bible say about this?
I'm really scared because I just got the results from my medical tests and I've got inoperable cancer with less than a year to live. I've always avoided thinking about death but I can't dodge it any longer, and I know I'm not ready to die. Is it too late to get ready to meet God?
I think people's guilt feelings are just a psychological hang-up. We feel guilty because we don't do what others expect of us. But if we'd quit worrying about that, our guilt feelings would go away. I don't buy what you preachers say about our need for forgiveness.
Have you ever asked yourself what God wants to do in your life? And how your church should fit into His plan? Frankly, if you don't know why God wants you there, you'll probably never gain much from it.
But God has a plan for us -- and life's greatest joy comes from discovering what it is, and then following it. What is it? Let me put it this way: God's plan is for us to come to know Him, and then to grow in our relationship with Him. To know... and to grow -- those are the key words. The Apostle Paul put it this way: "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings (in my life)" (Philippians 3:10).
Is this your goal? Do you know Christ as your friend and constant companion -- or does He seem remote to you, someone who lived 2,000 years ago but doesn't mean much to you today? Be honest with your answer. Then, if you have never done so, by a simple prayer of faith ask Jesus Christ to come into your life -- and He will, because He loves you.
Then are you growing in your relationship to Him? How do you do this? By spending time with Him -- in prayer, discovering the Bible, and having fellowship and worshipping with God's people. Before you enter church this week, ask God to speak to you through every part of the service -- the sermon, music, prayers, etc. -- and draw you closer to Himself.
Our daughter has turned her back on everything we ever taught her, and it's breaking our hearts. Now she's moved in with a man who's only taking advantage of her (for example, she has a job, and he won't get one). She'll barely even talk to us. What did we do wrong?
Some of the best people I know aren't Christians, and in fact they aren't even religious. On the other hand, some of the most selfish people I know claim to be Christians. How do you explain this, if Christianity is supposed to make a difference in our lives?
Does anybody really believe in the devil anymore? You wrote something in your column recently that made me think you did, but I thought that kind of thinking went out with the Middle Ages.
My girlfriend just told me she's pregnant. Would it be wrong for me to pray that she'll be open to getting an abortion? She's pressuring me to get married but I'm not ready for that.
I don't fear death like most people, because I firmly believe that when I die I'll come back to life again, maybe even on another planet. I think you ought to give reincarnation some thought.
Who wrote the Bible, and how can I know that it's true? I've kind of messed up my life, and I think maybe I need to find a new direction or something.
Our son just graduated from college, and since he can't find a job he's talking about going to graduate school. We don't really have the money for that, and anyway, we aren't convinced he knows what he wants to do with his life. What advice should we give him?
This summer, our church's youth group is going on a mission trip overseas for a couple of weeks. They'll be doing some construction work for a church there, but do trips like this honestly do any good? What can a bunch of unskilled teenagers do that the local people can't do for themselves?
