Is Cosmetic Surgery a Sin?
First, we must clearly state that there are legitimate uses for plastic surgery. As a former police detective, I have seen several people that have been disfigured by accidents, crimes, fires, etc.…
Marriage vs. Celibacy
For many centuries, the church has basically taught that singleness is better than marriage, but that not everyone has the "gift of singleness." That is, the church has taught that Paul thought…
Should we pray the EXACT Lord's Prayer?
First, the Lord's Prayer is called such not because it is a prayer that Jesus needed to pray (he never sinned), but because it was one he taught to his disciples and thus his church to pray. It may…
May a Believer Initiate Divorce and Remarry?
Thanks for the question! We need to draw a clear distinction between an invalid divorce and an invalid/illegitimate marriage. From the sound of it, your wife did not have biblical grounds to leave…
Marriage, Divorce, Children, and Heresy?
I am grieved to read of your difficult circumstances, the behavior of your husband, and the troubles you and your children face. I have prayed that the Lord will give you wisdom as you seek his will.…
Predestination v. Prayer
You certainly should continue to pray for your children. As odd as it may sound in light of predestination, prayer really is effective. There are two doctrines that it is often hard to balance. The…
How is a Christian to deal with a spouse who has no interest in sex?
This is a very complex question with several different possible things to address, thus, I may only make general comments. As most are aware, a husband and wife should not "defraud" one another…
Women in Secular Leadership
The Bible indicates that women may hold leadership positions over men in many areas of life. Restricting the office of elder ordinarily to men, and affirming male headship within marriage, are the…
No Kids for Me!
In Scripture, children are a primary blessing of God's covenant with his people (Deut. 28). When God offers something as a blessing, he indicates that it is a good thing that he values. And to speak…
Can His Presence be Lost?
For the true Christian, it is essential to stress in answering this question that God is ALWAYS present (Ps. 46:1; Acts 17:26-27). He is near enough to see us: The eyes of the LORD are everywhere…
Warm Fuzzies
It's true that the Bible sometimes seems to portray marriage in terms of a business transaction. Nevertheless, in many cases whatever business takes place is secondary to the motivations to marry.…
Modern Worship: I'm Okay, You're Okay?
Many churches are moving to services that meet the perceived desires of a great many church-going Christians. This often results in shorter sermons that one used to hear years ago and more music. The…
Men not in Leadership
I wish I knew why specifically men were not fulfilling their duties in the church, community and home, but I'm afraid I don't. Probably, there are many different answers to this question. In my own…
Worship on Days Other Than Sunday
If you're looking for information that shows the legitimacy of worshiping multiple times throughout the week, the early church model found in Acts may be helpful (e.g. Acts 2:46-47; Acts 6:1; perhaps…
Does Prayer REALLY Change Things?
I'm sure we can agree that there are many examples in the Bible where people pray, and in response God changes the circumstances of their lives. God even changes his own [b]providential[/b] plans…
Mate or Mission?
There is no universal easy answer to this question. God's plans for each of us are different. Marriage is a high calling, and so is ministry. At times, it is worth sacrificing one for the other. For…
A Mystical Calling
Thanks for writing. Calling is a very difficult question in my mind. We protestants believe in sola Scriptura, but Scripture does not tell each individual what he is called to be or do. So there are…
Preaching the Gospel to the Church
It's true that the Bible teaches that everyone who trusts in Christ alone as his or her savior, not in personal works or merit, is saved. At the same time, the Bible tells us in many places that not…
The Desires of My Heart
First and foremost, please let me encourage you always to approach God boldly. You need never fear that going directly to God in prayer is too drastic. Regarding the Bible's teaching on the desires…
Christian and Pagan Feelings
"Would you agree that a believer's and non-believer's experiential life substantially overlap, i.e., they often feel the same things when they are placed within a common situation?" Obviously some…
Is Disobedience a Sin?
Much of this answer is dependent on where you live and what the general rules are where you live. Some wilderness/natural land is not prepared in such a way to be mowed and should in my opinion be…
Secular Counseling
Well, of course I agree that secular counseling embodies some common grace insights, and we should be humble enough to benefit from those. You say you disagree with my statement that it cannot change…
Foolish Martyrs
First, on the subject of martyrdom, I don't think most ancient martyrs were foolish. Most of them were really suffering for the sake of the witness of the gospel. Many other martyrs throughout…
Marks of a Transformed Life
There is no way to give a thorough answer to this question because we attend different churches, have different families, and work at different jobs. But here are some general things, however…