Answers

Read thoughtful responses to a wide assortment of questions from Billy Graham’s My Answer column and other resources.

Where you get married is not as important as how well you build your life after the wedding

My fiancé and I deeply love each other, but we can't decide where to get married. His family belongs to one denomination and my family belongs to another, and, of course, they each want us to get married in their church. How can we keep everybody happy?

Committing yourself to Christ can be life-changing experience

My sister claims she's been "saved," but I don't understand what she's talking about. Our family always went to church and tried to do what's right. But now she's acting like we're misguided or something. What's going on?

You can learn to be a good example for your children

I know teenagers often rebel against their parents, but I admit I went overboard and have been a rebel ever since. I don't know why I'm writing, but we have two children now, and I'm scared because I realize I don't have any idea how to be a good father.

With God's guidance, you can renew your rocky marriage.

My parents got divorced when I was 8, and it was such a traumatic time for me that I vowed I'd never get divorced myself. But now my marriage looks like it's headed for the rocks. I can't believe this is happening. What did I do wrong?

You're wise to avoid any group that might be a cult

How can I know whether or not a group is a cult? A woman in my office keeps trying to get me to go with her to her religious assembly, but I don't know anything about it. I didn't come from a religious family, but I know I need God.

Turn to God for guidance, not astrology

My aunt gave me a book for Christmas about astrology, and how to tell the future from the stars. She's into things like that big time, but my mother says I shouldn't even open the book. I promised her I'd ask what you think.

Ask God to help you let go of negative feelings about your daughter-in-law

We spent Christmas with our son and his wife, and I came away wondering if she's really the right wife for him. She's so different from us, and we just didn't feel comfortable around her. They seem happy, but should I say something privately to him?

Though a humble carpenter as a youth, Christ was always a king

This past Christmas, I got to thinking about what might have happened to Jesus while He was growing up. Does the Bible tell us? I've seen articles saying He went to places like Tibet or India to learn about philosophy and religion. Is there any truth to this?

A negative, joyless Christian is a contradiction in terms!

You'll probably be offended by this, but I don't think I've ever met a Christian I really liked. Most of the ones I've met seem so negative and unfriendly and out of touch with real life. Why would anyone (including me) ever want to be like them?

Be on guard against a self-centered pride

What's so wrong with pride, which you preachers seem criticize so much? In my opinion, pride is a good thing, because if you don't have pride in what you do, you'll never accomplish anything worthwhile. Why is the Bible against pride?

What better gift could you receive than salvation?

I think I've heard you say that salvation is a free gift, but how can that be? Doesn't God expect us to try to get our lives in order before He'll let us into heaven?

We will be perfect and without sin in heaven

Will we be perfect when we get to heaven? I can't imagine being instantly free of all the things I know aren't right in my life. Maybe we'll just slowly get better and better in heaven, because we'll have more time to become good. Could my theory be right?