What does it mean to “blaspheme the Holy Spirit”?
Faith Q&As
Does the Bible have anything to say about cremation? My spouse and I have been discussing our final will and testament, including our personal preferences regarding funeral arrangements. I feel strongly that cremation is the best way to go, but my husband says that it’s a “pagan” practice. He claims that the Bible condemns it. …
Is the “generational curse” real?
Maybe you have questions about your own spiritual journey. Or maybe you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior and want to be able to explain His love to someone else. We hope this article offers a helpful understanding of what it means to have a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
What is mindfulness?
Could the psychological and emotional struggles I’m going through be an attack from Satan and his demons?
I haven’t been a Christian very long — and I’ve read conflicting teachings that make it hard for me to reconcile God’s sovereignty with the idea of human responsibility and free will.
Do all people – even unbelievers – have the Holy Spirit? My theory is that He lives in everybody, but they don’t become aware of His presence until they accept Christ as Savior. I remember stealing something once when I was a child – long before I became a believer – and hearing a little …
What does genuine biblical “leadership” look like? “Leadership” in general is an idea that seems to be getting a lot of promotion these days. Whether I’m at church, in a bookstore, or at work, it seems the assertion that “everybody needs to be a leader” is always being pushed. I’m not sure if this is …
What do you think of Christians who adopt a “survivalist/off-the-grid” mentality? Who sell their homes, move to remote desert or mountain locations, stockpile food, grow their own crops, live like “pioneers,” and strive to be as independent of the “system” as possible? I know several people who are moving in this direction. I don’t completely …
Why should I “submit” to a government that I believe is moving in the wrong direction? I love my country and want to cooperate with the political system, but I’m struggling to understand what the Bible says on this subject. How in the world can the apostle Paul tell Christians to submit to the authorities …
If I’m an atheist, does that make me a bad person? I believe strongly in the validity of the scientific method. I teach my children to approach the world from a scientific perspective, and I also try to instill in them deep-seated principles of compassion, kindness, generosity, and sensitivity to others. Does that make me …
Is it possible for a “backslider” to return to faith? Hebrews 6:4-6 seems to say no. I’m a returned “backslider” myself, so this passage of Scripture has always been painful and confusing for me. How can I be sure I am restored? Doesn’t the message of these verses cancel out everything the New Testament has …
Why are there so many different translations of the Bible? I find this confusing. Second Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” If that’s true, how did we end up with so many different versions of the Bible? Why do they all say different things? God doesn’t change, does He? I’ve …
What does the Bible have to say about poverty and giving to the poor? I want to have a God-honoring attitude on this matter, but to be honest, as a new Christian I’ve been confused by some of the differing opinions and ideas I’ve heard. Do you consider this kind of activity to be an …
Are Christians really obligated to keep the “law” of the tithe? I hear a lot about tithing from the pulpit of my church, and quite frankly it angers and frustrates me. How does all this fit in with everything Paul says about the new covenant of grace and the Christian’s freedom from the law? Why …
Is there any legitimate place for the arts within the biblical worldview, or is it simply a frivolous and “worldly” pursuit? How can we tell good and godly art from bad art? Our daughter is an art student at the university, and we’re worried that she’s just wasting her time and energy. More importantly, we …
I’d like to request prayer for a situation close to my heart. Can I send prayer requests to Focus?
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 …
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 …
