Will my pet be with me in heaven? I’m really sad right now because my dog just died. We’ve had the same dog ever since I was a little kid, and I can’t even imagine life without him. I asked my mom if I’d see him in heaven and she told me to go ask …
Faith Q&As
What does it really mean to be a Christian?
Does God speak today, or only in the Bible? Since becoming a Christian a short time ago I’ve been doing my best to grow steadily in Christ and walk closely with Him every day. I really want to know what it’s like to hear His voice and carry on an intimate conversation with Him in …
Don’t Christians and Muslims worship the same God? Ever since 9/11 we’ve been hearing dire warnings about the “dangers” of “radical Islam.” I’m as concerned as the next person about threats to our national security. Still, I can’t help feeling that this kind of talk is overblown. In fact, it strikes me as being pure …
How can our church encourage its members to be better and more generous stewards of God’s money? I’ve heard that Christians today are giving less than at any time in recent history. Why is this the case, and what can be done about it?
Why should I trust the Bible? I’ve heard experts say that the “canon” of Scripture was actually patched together at a relatively late date by politically driven church councils and ecclesiastical leaders who had agendas of their own to promote. What led these people to include certain books and reject others (the so-called “Apocrypha”)? Why …
If these are the end times, why should Christians pray and get involved in social issues? Many ministries like yours say that believers should be spreading the gospel, praying for solutions to problems like hunger and poverty, and working to shape our country’s laws. I have serious problems with this. My study of the Bible …
Can I really “do all things through Christ?” Besides being a strong Christian, I’m young, full of energy, and enthusiastic about life. As a result, I have big plans and want to do great things for God. When I talk like this, my family and friends tell me I’ve got stars in my eyes. When …
Do unborn children who are aborted or who die in the womb go straight to heaven? Would this be true even if the parents of the baby were not saved?
How can someone claim to be a Christian while continuing in sin? Recently I heard the testimony of a Christian woman who had left the abortion industry to become a leader in the pro-life movement. Most of what she had to say was inspiring. But she made one statement that frustrated and confused me: she …
Can you give me any proof that God exists? I consider myself a practical person and a realist. Faith in God may be fine for sentimentalists, dreamers, and romantics who see the world through emotionally tinted glasses. But I’m determined to base my personal philosophy and my concept of truth on nothing but rock-solid facts. …
Does “willful sin” make someone lose their salvation?
Why is it taking me so long to grow as a Christian? I’ve been a believer for a while, and I have to confess that my lack of spiritual progress has really got me down. When I was born again, I thought life was going to be beautiful from that moment forward, but several years …
What is the best way to communicate the Gospel message to the “millennial” generation? Our church has committed itself to reaching out to this group, but I’m concerned about what I perceive as a tendency to “broaden” the Gospel’s appeal to twenty-somethings by watering it down and removing all references to sin, repentance, and judgment. …
Do we go straight to heaven when we die, or is there some kind of a “waiting period?” This is all very confusing to me. Christians talk a great deal about “going to heaven,” but Scripture never once indicates that anybody moves straight into the presence of God at the moment of death. Instead, it …
Why should I be part of the institutional church? I’m convinced that the modern church has completely lost its way. As a result I’ve embarked on a personal quest to rediscover the pure, original Christianity of the New Testament era. I recently left the church and started a small discipleship group in my home. It …
How can pain and suffering be good? It seems whenever Christians talk about this subject, someone always quotes Romans 8:28. Is this verse literally true? I’ve seen Christians go through the same kinds of sufferings as unbelievers, and in most cases nothing “good” has come of it, at least not from my perspective. Can you …
What is “The Apocrypha?” While discussing spiritual subjects with a Roman Catholic friend, I discovered that her Bible is different from mine. Apparently it contains several additional books. I have no idea what to make of this, but it raises unsettling questions in my mind about the formation of our canon of Scripture. Why have …