“By the time you get this I’ll be finished with high school, and I don’t have any idea what to do next. My parents are pushing me to go to college, but to be honest I’m tired of school. Do you have any advice?”
“My neighbor is the nicest person I know, and she’ll do anything for anyone who needs help. And yet she isn’t at all religious, and says she’s never found any need for God. How do you explain this? I thought only religious people were supposed to know what it means to love others.”
“My aunt almost died last year, and she claims that when she was at her worst she had a vision of Jesus welcoming her into heaven. The only problem is, she'd never had any use for God, and she didn't even believe in life after death. What do you think happened to her?”
“Are some races or ethnic groups better than others? My father-in-law is a very prejudiced person, and he says the Bible teaches this. I'm not sure anything can change his mind, but is he right that this is what the Bible says?”
“I heard a sermon the other day about loving God, and it got me to thinking. I've always believed in God and been respectful toward Him, but I can't honestly say that I love God. After all, I think it's hard to love someone who is as strict as God is. What am I missing?”
“Our daughter (who's in her 40s) has had lots of problems—divorce, alcohol, unable to keep a job, you name it. The problem is, she blames us for all her problems, saying we were bad parents. We always end up arguing. What can we do? We feel like such failures.”
“I've tried to confess my sins to God so He'll forgive me, but I'm sure I don't remember everything I've ever done wrong. This worries me, because I know I need to have all my sins forgiven before God will let me into heaven.”
“We have a son who is almost 4, and I wonder if you think he's too young for us to try to teach him to pray (like when we put him to bed at night). He's beginning to ask us questions about God, but we're not sure he really understands what we say.”
“Is money evil? I've heard that the Bible says this someplace, but does this mean it's wrong to have a good job and have a nice home and try to make your family financially secure?”
“My boyfriend and I have been living together for a couple of years, but last month he announced it was over and told me to get out. This has been devastating, but when I moved back home with my parents, they told me I got what I deserved, and God was punishing me. Are they right?”
“Why are some people always trying to get people to believe exactly like they do? One of the guys I play golf with is what I guess you'd call a born-again Christian, and he's always trying to get me to go to his church or get involved in a Bible study or something. He's a great person but sometimes I wish he'd just back off.”
“I know Jesus told us not to worry about the future, and I wish I could obey that, but our company is laying off people right and left and I can't help but worry. Sometimes I wonder if Jesus was being realistic, but on the other hand, I wish I could stop worrying. Any advice?”