“This summer, we're putting in a swimming pool, and in my heart I know the only reason we're spending all this money is to keep up with our neighbors, although we can't really afford it. We do this kind of thing all the time, but we can't seem to stop. Maybe you have some suggestions about how to get off this merry-go-round.”
“My parents always made it clear that I was an accident and they didn’t really want me, and I guess that’s why I grew up with such a terrible self image. But just knowing this hasn’t made me get over my depression or feel any better about myself. Can God somehow get me out of these feelings? Or does He really care?”
“Where does our soul go when we die if we are believers? Does it go into some kind of sleep until the last judgment, or does it go immediately to heaven?”
“If God is in control of everything, why do bad things happen to us? I’d like to believe in God, but I just can’t understand this.”
“My husband never wanted anything to do with God, although he didn't mind if I went to church. But a few weeks before he died, he said he was giving his life to Jesus. Do you think God really forgave him after all those years? I long to see him in heaven, but I worry if he's really there.”
“Like a lot of people, I grew up in the church but left it all behind me when I left home and started my own life. Now, I wish I had a church to help me sort out my life (I've just been through a bad divorce), but I'm afraid I'll feel like an outsider. Can you understand my fear of being rejected?”
“I know as a Christian I shouldn't fear death, but I do. I worry about my health all the time (although the doctor always tells me there's nothing really wrong with me), and I just can't get these fears out of my mind. What is wrong with me?”
“What does the Bible say (if anything) about life on other planets? Or does it forbid us to believe there might be intelligent life elsewhere in the universe? I can't believe God would go to all the trouble of making such a vast universe and then not using it for anything.”
“Don't you think the world would be better off if we learned to follow the teachings of Jesus? Do you think that could ever happen?”
“What's the difference between the devil and a demon? Maybe it isn't very important, but I've always been curious about where evil comes from, and the devil, and things like that.”
“I know we're supposed to confess our sins to God in order to be forgiven, but I'm not sure I can remember everything I've ever done wrong. I've also probably committed sins that I didn't even know about (such as bad thoughts or motives). Does this mean God hasn't forgiven me?”
“I know there probably isn't any final answer to this, but our daughter is getting married in a few months, and we don't know how to react. Frankly, we aren't pleased with her choice of husband, and anyway they've been living together for a year (which we don't approve of). Should we attend the wedding or not?”