“A friend of mine claims the Bible says that God is violent and angry, and He takes pleasure in punishing people when they get out of line. Is this true? I'm not sure I want to believe in God if He is like that.”
“Every year we say we're going to focus on the true meaning of Christmas, but then we get busy with shopping and entertaining and everything, and it never happens. How can we celebrate Christmas the way we should and still make it a fun time for our children? Or is it possible?”
“We had a high school class reunion recently, and someone I hadn't seen since high school was wearing a cross around her neck. She never struck me as a religious person, and when I asked her about it she laughed and said it was her good luck charm. Is this a good idea?”
“I went to the funeral of a friend the other day, and to my surprise it was a very inspiring and joyful service. Later, her daughter told me that her mother had planned the whole service several years ago. Have you ever heard of anyone doing this?”
“My sister is retired, and says she no longer goes to church because of her health. But I think the real reason is because she just doesn't want to go to all that trouble. She does watch a service on TV, but how can I convince her she needs to get back in church?”
“My parents got very upset with me when I decided to leave our old church. The reason I did it is because last year I gave my life to Jesus, and the church I'm going to now is really helping me grow spiritually. How can I explain this to them? I don't understand why they're so upset.”
“We've been married for three years, and the only thing we ever argue about is money. Now with the economy getting worse and my husband's job in danger we're arguing even more. How can we avoid this? It upsets us to argue, but it's becoming a real habit.”
“My boyfriend says that if we truly love each other, then it’s not wrong for us to have sex. I wasn’t brought up this way, but I’m afraid he’ll drop me if I keep telling him no. What should I do?”
“I have a serious problem with buying things I can't afford or don't need. I guess I'm a compulsive shopper, and I just can't get it under control. My husband gets very upset when the credit card bills come in and says I just need more will power, but nothing seems to work. Can God help me?”
“Several months ago, you answered a question from someone with a mild learning disability who has a hard time reading their Bible. I have the same problem, but recently my niece gave me a set of CDs with the Bible in spoken or audio form. It's helped me greatly and maybe it would help this person also.”
“My husband and I are upset because our church is talking about a campaign to raise an enormous amount of money for a new building. We think the old building is sufficient for our needs. The first Christians didn't even have church buildings, did they?”
“Where did the devil come from? Or has he always been around? I have a hard time understanding why God even allowed the devil to come into existence, since the devil's whole purpose seems to be to oppose God.”