How important is it for Christians to observe the Sabbath? I know that this is one of the Ten Commandments, but is it still valid for believers who are now living under grace rather than the law? And while I’m at it, how did the Sabbath get switched from Saturday to Sunday? Where in the …
Family Q&A
How do we explain God’s command to slaughter the Canaanites in the Old Testament? There’s a lot that I find attractive about Christianity, but I have serious problems with certain parts of the Bible, especially those sections of the Old Testament that record incidents of divinely authorized genocide and “Holy War.” When the Israelites captured …
If all Christians believe and accept the same truth, why are there are so many denominations with different concepts of God? If the God Christians worship is Love, why can’t they all get together?
Should Christians avoid fantasy literature? I’m a teen girl who loves this genre, especially the works of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and George MacDonald. But recently I stumbled across an article that has caused me to wonder whether I’ve been mistaken in this regard. The author said that Christian fantasy/fiction is an …
Is it wrong to defend myself if someone attacks me? What does Jesus mean when He says, “I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew 5:39). I’m really confused about this. Am I supposed to take this verse literally?
What’s going to happen to people who have never had an opportunity to believe in Jesus? Will they simply be condemned? All my life I’ve been taught that faith in Christ is the only path to a saving relationship with God. I still believe this, but the older I get the harder it becomes to …
Is it possible that God hates me? In Malachi 1:2-3 the Bible says that God “loved Jacob but hated Esau.” This really upsets me. For one thing, if God hated Esau, how do I know He doesn’t hate me? For another thing, if God is Love, as the New Testament says in I John 4:8, …
How can I find the right person to become involved with in a dating relationship? I’m a Christian high-schooler who is anxious to please God, but my past experiences with members of the opposite sex haven’t been very positive. What can I do to avoid this in the future?
How can I get over the anger I feel about being forced to leave my school, my friends, and my entire life behind as a result of my family moving to a new city when my dad was transferred? My parents keep telling me to snap out of it, but I can’t. In fact, there …
I’ve just become a victim of rape. I desperately need help and don’t know where to find it – what should I do now? So far, I haven’t told anyone. I’m ashamed to admit this to friends and family, and I’m afraid I’ll only make a bad situation worse if I go to the police. …
Are there resources available to help elderly people afford the rising price of health care? My mother has died and my dad is retired and living alone. He has a number of medical issues, and he’s desperately afraid that his money won’t hold out if he’s hospitalized or forced into a nursing home. How can …
What are the tell-tale signs of alcoholism? I’m worried about my husband, but I’m not sure if I have grounds for insisting that he do something about his drinking. When football season comes around, it’s five months of him and his friends sitting in front of the TV drinking beer. That doesn’t happen every night, …
Do you have any suggestions as to how I can come alongside someone who is grieving the loss of a spouse? A dear friend’s husband just died. My spouse and I would like to be available to comfort her in any way we can. How can we best support her during this time of loss?
What do you think about references to wizardry, sorcery, spells, and magic in storybooks, films, TV shows, and various other forms of entertainment? It seems our children are being bombarded with this, not only in Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit, but even in relatively innocent Disney movies. To complicate matters, …
What do we need to do to make our home as safe and comfortable as possible for my elderly mom? She’s not coping well on her own, so we’re arranging to have her come and live with us. Can you offer any suggestions, especially when it comes to preventing falls?
Do you think there’s something wrong with a senior citizen who doesn’t enjoy the freedom of the so-called “golden years?” After decades of looking forward to retirement, I find the promised carefree lifestyle isn’t quite what I expected. I worked hard to attain this goal, and now I’m struggling with discontentment. What do you suggest …
How much time should I devote to my work? My job requires me to put in long hours every week. As a result I’m not able to give as much attention to other things — including my family — as I’d like. In your opinion, how much time is too much time for work? Do …
Can you help us understand why our 5-year-old son sometimes goes out of control for no obvious reason? He was adopted from a background of trauma and abuse, but we’ve done everything in our power to make him feel loved and secure. Still, he’s developed serious behavioral problems. We’re treating him for ADHD, but so …
Is it possible that mental problems might be behind the erratic behavior of our 6-year-old son who we adopted who we adopted through the foster care system? His behavior is maddeningly unpredictable. He alternates between tantrums, running away, hiding, aggression, and wild hyperactivity. To top things off, he seems to regard us with feelings of …
How can we encourage our child to cooperate and follow his preschool teacher’s instructions? He becomes defiant when there’s a change in the schedule or when the teacher asks him to switch activities. He wants to do things his own way and on his own time. How do we break him of this?
