“We moved last year and got involved in a new church that's more formal in its worship than our old church. Now they are preparing for what they call the "advent" season, and I'm too embarrassed to admit my ignorance and ask someone what it is. Maybe you can explain it to me.”
“My heart is broken because my son has been in and out of prison most of his life, and he just gets angry whenever I try to help him or give him advice. Where did I go wrong? I feel so guilty. I pray and pray for him, but I'm at my wit's end. What can I do?”
“Every year, we give some money to our grandchildren for their birthdays, and we've never received a note or even a call from them thanking us. Why aren't people as grateful as they used to be?”
“How can any intelligent person take the Bible seriously? I guess it’s great literature, but people then didn’t have the scientific knowledge we have, and I can’t see how anyone could base their life on a bunch of myths and legends.”
“Why is it so hard to be a Christian? I made a decision for Christ several years ago, but it's been an uphill battle ever since trying to keep my feet on the straight and narrow, and I can't say I've always won. Why is it so hard to do what's right?”
“My husband and I have been married for three months, and the last few weeks all we've done is argue. Now I'm wondering if we made a bad mistake by getting married. If that's true, wouldn't it be better to get out now instead of letting it go on and on? I'm really crushed over this.”
“I am 7 years old. Will God hear my prayers, or does He just hear my parents' prayers? We always pray at the dinner table before we eat, but when it's my turn I'm afraid God won't hear me.”
“I started reading your column recently, and I've noticed that you often tell people they need to make a commitment to Jesus. What exactly do you mean? Is this kind of like getting married, or something like that?”
“Now that fall is here, I'm already dreading Christmas, although it's still months away. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but it's always such a stressful time. Do you have any suggestions for avoiding this?”
“For many years I managed to forget a lot of the bad stuff I did when I was young, but now I know I don't have much longer to live and it haunts me. I've prayed and prayed for God to forgive me, but I feel just as guilty as ever.”
“Our son turned his back on us several years ago because we didn't approve of the way he was living, and we lost track of him. But the other day he called and said he wanted to come home for Thanksgiving. We'd love to see him, of course, but as far as we know, nothing has changed in his life. What advice would you give us?”
“A friend of mine became a Christian a few months ago, and he's about to drive me crazy because he's always trying to convince me he's right and getting me to become one also. I tell him he needs to back off and respect my privacy but so far it doesn't do any good. Maybe a word from you would make him more sensitive. He's giving religion a bad name.”