How can I change my negative view of God? The picture of God that comes most readily to my mind is that of a harsh overseer, a rule-giver, a relentless judge, a dispenser of punishment. I know that the Gospel is supposed to be good news, but somehow it doesn’t feel like good news to …
Faith Q&As
Why are Christians always saying that God’s love is “unconditional”? I’ve become increasingly alarmed and distressed over the liberal use of this term. If God’s love is unconditional, why did Uzzah get zapped for touching the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 6)? What about Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5)? If God’s love is unconditional, …
Will I be reunited with my spouse in heaven?
Are “contemplative prayer” and other “spiritual disciplines” part of a “New Age” plot to subvert the church? Should I steer clear of these practices? My church recently launched a class in “spiritual formation.” I was excited when I learned of this opportunity because I’m hungry to know the Lord in a deeper, more personal way. …
How can we minister to my elderly aunt’s spiritual needs? She’s been a strong and dedicated Christian all her life. Now she’s living in a nursing facility and is frail, mentally weak, and increasingly withdrawn and uncommunicative. Do you have any practical suggestions?
How can I hold on to my faith in God when things go wrong? As a Christian, I know that I’m supposed to “give thanks in all things” and look to the Lord for my daily needs. Yet I’ve been through some devastating experiences over the past year. How can I be thankful and trust …
Is political revolution biblically justified? Recent events in the Middle East have raised this question in my mind. For the most part the evangelical Christian community seem to be sympathetic of these “revolutionary” movements, but I can’t help wondering whether the Bible supports this kind of activity. Isn’t it simply rebellion against the governing authorities? …
How can I uphold the truth of God’s Word without coming across as “judgmental”? I’m pretty vocal about my faith, and as a result, people are constantly challenging me on this point. Many Christians in today’s culture seem to think that you can do anything you want and still be saved through the Lord’s mercy …
Is an unemployed husband and father really “worse than an unbeliever,” as Paul seems to infer in I Timothy 5:8? I’m having a hard time understanding this. I was laid off my job eight months ago, and since that time my family has been getting by on my wife’s income. Even when I was working …
How can I know if I’ve been “chosen” for salvation? I was raised in the church by Christian parents, and I’ve always felt pretty comfortable with my faith. But I heard a pastor say that God elects or chooses certain people for salvation. Now I’m worried.
What would you say to a person who has been praying faithfully for the same thing for over five years and still hasn’t seen any change in the situation? I’m referring to myself, of course. How do I deal with this kind of disappointment? Does it reflect a lack of faith on my part? Some …
Isn’t Satan just a legendary figure – sort of a symbol of the evil in the world and in the human heart? I’m a fairly new Christian, and I can’t help feeling a little skeptical about some of the things I hear from other believers in this regard. What does the Bible really have to say …
I’d like to request prayer for a situation close to my heart. Can I send prayer requests to Focus?
How can there be such a thing as a single, integrated “Christian worldview” when Christians stand divided on so many issues? I’m forever hearing conservative evangelicals talk about the “Christian” or “biblical worldview,” as if that’s a term everyone recognizes, accepts, and understands. But I don’t think any such consensus exists. Everyone believes his or …
Has Focus on the Family reviewed William P. Young’s novel, The Shack?
Do you believe that God still performs miracles today? Christians who believe in “signs and wonders” say that we’re supposed to be doing the same works that Jesus did, “and even greater works than these” (John 14:12). Others claim that the era of supernatural intervention came to an end at the close of the New …
How can a nation that was built on slavery and that’s still full of racial discrimination today possibly have “biblical roots”? I’ve been hurt by racism in so-called “Christian” America, and I just don’t understand why so many conservative evangelicals say this country is based on “Christian values.” As an African-American who has faced racial …
Exactly what is “postmodernism?” I’ve heard a lot of talk about it lately. Supposedly it’s a great threat to Christianity in contemporary culture. Unfortunately, I haven’t found a comprehensive and easily understandable definition of the term. How would you describe the basic beliefs associated with “postmodernism?” Can you name some of the primary philosophers and …
Did God create evil? Some people say no. They argue that man’s free will is the source of evil. But didn’t God create free will? And doesn’t that make Him the ultimate source of evil? Doesn’t that make Him responsible for our sins? Is that why the Lord says in Isaiah 45:7 (KJV), “I make …
