Do you take it literally as it’s written or is it metaphorical language with deeper meaning behind that, something beyond God being mighty and the creator of the universe, something more profound, less obvious?

im not trying to offend anyone, I’m really curious

i’m 23 (f) and getting married in 36 days and i don’t think i can do it.

i was raised in a christian home with very clear expectations of what a godly woman looks like, proverbs 31, submission, being a good wife very trad wife, the whole thing. i do believe in God. that part isn’t fake. i’ve tried to take it seriously.
i got into this relationship partly because friends pushed me toward it. we get along fine. there’s no big drama, no abuse, nothing wrong on paper. he loves me. i know that. i just don’t love him the way you’re supposed to love the person you’re about to marry. i’ve never felt that pull.
i’m going through with it anyway because some part of me keeps hoping that if i do the right thing, if i keep the commitment, if i try to be the wife i’m supposed to be even when my heart isn’t in it, god will see the effort and give me some kind of grace for it later. like maybe the feelings will come, or maybe he’ll just cover the gap.
all my peers who are the same age have already been married for at least a year and a half and most of them already have babies. i feel so behind and so stuck at the same time.
has anyone else ever felt this way? like you’re walking toward something everyone else is excited about and you’re just trying not to throw up?

Hi all,

I’m currently dealing with some mental health issues. And I was wondering if you knew of books about christian psychology. I have a hard time connecting to God because of severe mental issues and trauma. I want to avoid the books that will just tell me to forgive and that God will heal me without really any understanding about psychology. I also don’t mean books that will tell me to just trust God blindly. I mean christian books that deal with trauma and paychology.

Thanks!

Edit: I’m already in therapy, and I also see a PTSD specialist. I go to support groups as well.

Hi!

I am a believer of the Lord Jesus Christ, I love helping people and I love serving my community with acts of service. I have been in healthcare for over 13 years. I recently was given an opportunity to work with people with intellectual disabilities/down syndrome/on spectrum… my father he’s very very religious and deep in Christian faith very conservative I told him about this opportunity and he said to not work with “those kinds” of people because they hav demons and have spirits that are bad… I don’t believe what he says truly but I want to know what other Christians think and if something in the Bible says anything about this? What about people in psychiatric hospitals as well.

Thank you for everyone’s input.

I'm currently on my yearly read through the Bible again, this is like my 5th or so time, and I'm on 1st Chronicles again and I just do not enjoy it.

For the most part it's just a genioligy of a ton of people that before this, the Bible didn't speak much on and after this doesn't bring up most of them ever again. There is a part that Recaps the Kings a bit but then it goes right back to giving a geniology of nearly every single person who was either in the military or a Levitie.

I dunno if it's my autism but I have such a hard time not blending names together when they throw them at you one after another and I just get lost on who was who and also care less about it because of that.

Additionally, outside of the recap of the Kings, we get almost nothing in reguards to God and His teachings which is what I really want to hear.

Sorry for the negative post, God bless.

I am a believer and have been saved earlier this year my husband has not been saved..he believes in god and Jesus but has not been saved yet. he is constantly judging me and it is affextinf the growth of my faith. I get embarrassed because he is constantly judging me and making weird faces when I watch a Christian show or paint a Christian picture etc. I know my role it to show him through action to grow his faith but it’s very discouraging when he is constantly judging me. if he was some random person i wouldnt care but he is my husband….i am scared its going to stunt my faith growth because I am constantly biting my tongue or avoiding certain things to not freak him out.

So I'm posting this because I'm confused as to why this isn't preached enough. I can think of some reasons why but I've only heard one pastor in my life ever preach about this and I happen to watch it on YouTube. It's sooo essential with our walk with God. If you don't have the fear of God, then you will most likely fall away from the faith and maybe even hate God. That's how serious it is. So from watching that pastor talk about the fear of God to watching and hearing other pastors on YouTube, and what I've learned from God, this is what I've learned

**The fear of God is:**

- To make God your one and only treasure

- A committed relationship with God

- A mature faith

- The beginning of wisdom

- How the joy of the Lord is found

- God's delight & treasure

**To commit to God, you:**

- Do your best to follow Jesus and yield to the Holy Spirit to do the rest. Start small if you can

- Correct every thought or feeling that goes against the Word of God, and realize they're from satan or your flesh

- Be accountable when you do a sinful act. Apologize and reconcile if it's against someone

- Process your feelings with God

- Accept your imperfection and the sovereignty of God

- Let go of yourself and let God be everything you need

- Bond with Christ with your suffering

This note I made for myself has revealed something in me that I never knew or experienced with my walk with God. I have a deeper relationship with God and I have the joy of the Lord. I've learned to accept myself for who I am and found contentment in where I'm at in life. God is my confidence. **Fear the Lord!**

i wanna say this but i dont know if i will be welcome, i get this feeling that God is way too righteous for me and hes just so good and i could never be like him.
i pray, i try hard, i do things with the intention of making him proud but i feel like its not enough, like im not welcome in his house. i genuinely pray and tell him about my day when he knows all of it, and i pray about struggles and my joy. i dont know how to feel about “im going to heaven”

Like, in the recent episodes when they discuss the ruach of God, I'd love to be able to put that in and find other places where it's at in the bible and see not only it's definition but how its often translated. Something easy to use, and easy to understand for someone who doesn't know the languages. Sorry if I spelled that Hebrew word wrong, that's just how the Spotify app said it was spelled, it had closed captioning displayed the whole time they talked all through the episode.

I just don't have the money for some expensive program right now. I also need online content or ebooks/audiobooks because I'm vision impaired.

Do you think it's a sin to lust in our dream?

So I had a dream of me fighting with a invisible force I recognized as the devil. He was touching me sexually and removing my clothes. And first I tried to fight it but for some reason I gave into it. Then when I woke up I was SOOOO happy that it was just a dream because that was disgusting. So is it a sin?

I’m posting this because I genuinely need some outside perspectives. I’m not looking for people to simply tell me what I want to hear. I want honest advice, especially from people who understand strict church environments and complicated relationships.

This is going to be long because there is a lot of context.

There are three people involved in this story: me, a girl, and a guy who is one of my close friends. I won’t mention anyone’s real name.

All three of us have been part of the same small church since childhood. Our church is quite strict when it comes to relationships and dating. Because it is a small church, almost everyone knows everyone, so personal matters can become church matters very quickly.

I have liked this girl for a very long time. Honestly, I think I started developing feelings for her when we were young. I always found her incredibly attractive, and over the years those feelings never completely disappeared.

But I never told her.

We barely talked while growing up. Even now, we don't have much of a personal relationship outside the things we have to do together at church. So my feelings have mostly been something I kept to myself.

Then there was my friend.

He confessed his feelings to her, and eventually they started talking. They ended up having a relationship that lasted around six years.

The strange thing is that their relationship was almost entirely through WhatsApp. They didn't really talk to each other at church, they didn't go out together, and they didn't even regularly call each other. It was mostly messaging.

At one point, my friend even started following her to her college, and she told him not to do that because she didn't like it. But they continued talking privately.

Eventually, someone in the church found out about their relationship and told the pastor and pastor's wife. Because of the church's rules and environment, they were forced to separate.

My friend is very close to me. We have done a lot of things together over the years, and I've always considered him a good friend.

The important thing is that he never knew I had feelings for her.

Neither did she.

After their breakup, they stayed away from each other. At the same time, she apparently still tried to be friendly with him. She wished him on his birthday through WhatsApp and tried to talk or smile at him sometimes, but he completely avoided her.

Several years passed.

Then, about a year ago, the girl became part of the church team I work in. I've been involved in this team for around four or five years, so suddenly I had to work with her regularly.

And that's when things became much harder for me.

I had managed to keep my feelings under control when I didn't have to interact with her much. But once we started working together, I started falling for her again.

We have to communicate and work together because we're in the same team. She has her responsibilities and I have mine. Sometimes I'm playing keyboard while she's involved with the choir, so we're naturally in the same area.

And honestly, I struggle with myself.

Sometimes I'm playing keyboard and I'll unconsciously look toward her. The moment I realize I'm doing it, I immediately look back at the keyboard. I don't want to make her uncomfortable or give anyone the wrong impression.

But people started noticing.

Some girls in the church began saying things like I was interested in her or that I was "looking at" her.

And because everyone already knows about her previous relationship with my friend, the situation became even more awkward.

People started making connections like, "He likes the girl who previously dated his friend."

I haven't confessed anything to anyone.

I haven't told my friend.

I haven't told her.

I haven't even told anyone in the church that I have feelings for her.

But somehow people have started talking.

At one point, even our pastor gave a sermon where he indirectly talked about things like looking at or watching other people. He didn't mention my name, but because of everything that had been happening, I felt like people knew what was going on.

That made me feel extremely embarrassed.

There were also times when the girl, my friend, the pastor and I would all be together during prayer. Some prayers were also made about situations involving boys and girls developing feelings for each other.

Being there while all of this is happening inside my head has been incredibly uncomfortable.

There was also something that happened with Snapchat.

I had Snapchat, and she actually added me there. At first, I assumed she was simply being friendly. She would send snaps occasionally, but I didn't really send much back.

Then, after a few weeks, she suddenly blocked me.

I have no idea why.

There was also a weird situation where my phone was left at church and someone apparently used it and blocked her on Snapchat as well. I felt extremely embarrassed about the whole thing because I don't even know what she thinks happened.

Now I'm stuck.

On one side, I genuinely want to focus on God, my church responsibilities and my own life. I've repeatedly told myself that I should just let these feelings go.

Sometimes I think, "Okay, I'm going to stop thinking about her. I'm going to focus on God and move forward."

But then I see her again.

And all those feelings come back.

That's what I'm struggling with the most.

I don't want to disrespect my friend.

I don't want to interfere with something that happened between them.

I don't want to make the girl uncomfortable.

I don't want church members gossiping about me.

And I definitely don't want to create drama in a small church where everyone knows everyone.

At the same time, I can't simply switch my feelings off.

I've never even had a proper romantic relationship with this girl. We've barely talked outside of church responsibilities. So part of me wonders whether I'm actually in love with her, or whether I've built an idealized version of her in my head over many years because I never got the opportunity to actually know her.

That's something I'm trying to be honest with myself about.

I also don't know what her behavior means.

She has been friendly toward me at times because we're working together, but I don't know whether that means anything beyond normal friendliness. I don't want to interpret ordinary kindness as romantic interest.

So I'm asking Reddit:

What should I actually do?

Should I completely distance myself emotionally and just treat her as a teammate?

Should I try to get to know her normally, without any romantic expectations?

Should I tell my close friend about my feelings, even though he and this girl have been separated for several years?

Should I ever tell the girl how I feel, considering the strict church environment and the history between her and my friend?

Or should I simply accept that this situation is too complicated and move on?

I know nobody here can tell me exactly what she thinks or feels. I'm mainly looking for perspective from people who have been through something similar.

Please be honest with me, even if the answer is something I don't want to hear.

And please don't attack the girl, my friend, or my church. I'm not trying to make anyone look bad. I'm just genuinely confused and struggling with my feelings, and I need some outside perspective.

Here is my clearer reasoning.
Am I a sinner for thinking that the Lord has a favorite child? Or for not being content with what I have?
I grew up prayerful and loving. I also grew up kind, though sometimes arrogant. I was a child who was content with whatever life gave me. Whether it was small or big, painful or pleasant, or whether the challenges I faced were difficult or easy, I used to believe I could overcome them. Especially because I had a mind full of love and eyes that always looked for the good. Even when the burden was heavy, I would force myself to carry it. But as I grew older, the challenges given by the world became harder, too.
My eyes were also opened to the possibilities and circumstances of life. There are people whom the world seems to bless first. No matter how big or small their sins may be, they are blessed, even when they already have more than enough. It even reaches the point where they pray for something just once, and God gives it to them immediately. Sometimes, they do not even have to pray for it, yet God gives it to them anyway. But there are others who could pray ten million times to receive something, and the Lord still would not give it to them. Is the amount of time they have waited still not enough? Was it truly not meant for them? Or does God simply choose to give His blessings earlier to His favorites?
Every week, I pray to Him. Every week, I attend Mass. Every week, I ask for forgiveness. And every week, I offer Him sincere and heartfelt prayers. Yes, I know that everyone has their own timing and that each of us has our own story. And yes, I know that everyone has their own right time. But I still do not understand. If we all have our own timing, is it only natural that some people receive theirs earlier than others? But you know in your heart that you have been waiting longer. They say that the longer you wait, the better it will be. Or perhaps God has a greater plan for you.
But why is it like this? Why do some people have to experience so much pain and suffering just to receive a moment of happiness? Yes, there may be a story you will carry with you because of that trial, but you may also carry wounds that are difficult to heal. If we all have our own struggles and stories in life, is it only natural that some people experience more happiness than suffering? Or perhaps more suffering than happiness?
There is something else I have heard: “Just keep praying for it, and at the right time, the Lord will give you what you prayed for.” But I have prayers that I have been praying for such a long time, prayers that I have offered to Him so sincerely and constantly. Yet in the end, He still did not give them to me. Why did He let me pray for them for so long if He already knew that He would not give them to me? Was it to test my faith in Him? Because if so, it hurts to think that this is what He will always let me experience.
Sometimes, I feel so hurt and disappointed with the Lord. If He can make the impossible possible, then He can also make the possible impossible. Am I not praying enough? Or am I simply not one of His favorites?
I want to share my experience during the past two months. I fought many times to become an officer, whether in clubs, the student council, or simply in my classroom. And what is funny about it? God closed every one of those doors for me. For many years, I prayed to be transferred to another section, ever since I transferred to STC, because I knew that greater opportunities might open for me there. And as painful as it was, even that door was closed by God. I also had plans before the school year began—things I wanted to achieve or experience, things I prayed would happen for me. As tiring as it became, the Lord still did not give them to me. Instead, He gave them to others. But what hurts the most? For those others, it was not a loss. But for me, it was something I had prayed so hard for. Who would not feel disappointed with God after that?
There were many nights when I cried alone. I cried so much that my eyes and body hurt, but it was just so painful. It is so painful to trust and wait for God’s plan. There are things that have happened in my life where the resentment I buried inside me was greater than the happiness that replaced it. There are days when I question Him. Will the happiness I find at the end truly heal the pain left by the past? Or perhaps, sometimes, the only thing waiting for us at the end is the end of our suffering. Maybe all we carry with us are the lessons we have learned along the way.
There were nights when I questioned my faith in Him so deeply. And I know that He has answered me and is helping me heal, but sometimes, when the wound left by fate hurts too much, I become blinded and overwhelmed by my emotions.
I pray that at the end of the darkest chapter of my life, and during the hardest moments when trusting in my faith feels impossible, I will be with Him and finally see Him. I pray that my mind is wrong for thinking that God has a favorite child. I pray that at the end of the hell I am going through now, there will be happiness and laughter that will fill the lips that were once covered in pain from crying. I pray that my eyes will shed a different kind of tears.
May the wounds and pain I am experiencing now become an inspiration for me to help others who are also going through the struggles I once experienced. And may my faith in God live in my heart again. May I learn to say the words, “Thank You, God, for letting me experience that.”
And I pray that I will eventually reach the destination I long for—not by rushing toward it, but by holding on to the hope that the hardships and sorrows I am grieving through now will eventually come to an end.
And I hope that when the food I have been waiting for is finally placed in front of me, I will still have the appetite to eat it.

Hello everyone, I was just wondering something. When i was younger, I used to play a ton of a game called "Diablo 2". While the game has demons in it, it is about slaying demons basically. Is the game considered christian friendly and is it okay for me to play it?

Wordy Wednesday is back!

Each Wednesday we're asking the community to share something about what you've been reading or studying this week. Tell us what you're learning, what you're digging into, what you've found challenging, interesting, encouraging or entertaining.

Which words have struck you this week? Feel free to share an excerpt or a quote.

Hi All,
I am looking for an ecumenical theology book that mentions theology views from different denominations, example humans inherit sin (western) vs humans inherit the consequence of sin (eastern) or Calvinism vs Arminian Predestination.

I’ve recently felt so lost. Lost in life. Lost in addiction. Questioning everything. The other day, I sobbed because I felt like I’ve lost my relationship with the lord because I haven’t put my faith in the front seat with me for so many years.

It’s been so long.

For context, I was raised Southern Baptist but haven’t been to church in about 8 years.

Can anyone provide tips on how to pray, pastors to listen to, and to further my relationship with the lord and what to seek out to find out how to live a life led in God’s light?

I feel like it’s a heavy question, but man, I’ve felt the pull so deeply. If anyone lives in the DFW area and could suggest any Baptist/non-denominational churches too that would be great. Smaller ones preferably

Any advice helps. Thank you.

​

Did you want a different book? Do you get more harsh words than words of encouragement?

For some context, I'm 22, living at home right now, and my sibling is 18. We both are at home, I work remotely and she is in college now. I have my own schedule because I work, my mom does not work and neither does my sister. I grew up SDA but I have left the religion and identify as a Christian just like the rest of you here. I left Adventism because of the false doctrines and unbiblical teachings, and I am rediscovering the true gospel today.

I am quite busy with work during the day despite being remote. Yes, my schedule is more flexible given that I'm not bound to an office environment, but that means I create a schedule for myself. I have 20-30mins every morning of my own devotion/worship. During this time I pray and study a chapter of the Bible. This time of my day is very renewing and has brought me closer to Jesus, teaching me more of the gospel and true Christianity. I also like to read a little bit of my Bible before bed and pray. I spend this time with Jesus twice everyday and it's one of my favorite times of the day.

But every day my mom wants my sister and I to sit in the living room with her and have worship time. We pray, sing a hymn, and either read a paragraph from a devotional or the Bible. She will discuss the passage a little bit, but then she will go on a tangent about something else not related to what we read. She will talk about real life events we have gone thru, and I guess it is a time for her to connect with us and talk to us about God. But she will throw in a lot of her Adventist beliefs, which I don't align with anymore. It can be hard when she adds in those things because I have to pick and choose what to believe from her and what not to believe. The focus of the conversations isn't entirely on God also.

I just feel like a lot of times it takes up the time I spend working. I have my own times with God and I'm an adult now, responsible for my own faith. I understand she wants us to remain close to God, but things have changed. Its not that I dont want to have worship sessions with her in the morning, its just that I dont have time for it anymore. To tell her I dont have time will hurt her and make her think that I don't care for God's things when thats not even true. She believes me having my own devotion time which is not a quick thing is not enough. When we dont have the worship time, she thinks we are straying from God and that we will not be blessed because of that. My dad doesnt even join because he is working upstairs (remote). In the evenings sometimes we have family prayer and discussion time, I think thats normal. But its different in the morning, when everyone has their own daily tasks/work/school and what not.

I (23F) grew up Christian, no surprise given how my parents were missionaries in Asia. I've never really doubted God's existence or the Bible's validity, and truth be told, I really do love studying the Bible, and I have a very deep interest in theology as well. I was fortunate enough to find a really great community at university, and we've had some really interesting discussions about faith and religion and the Bible.

But as much as my knowledge of God and the Bible deepens, I find myself growing further away from God spiritually. Faith has long stopped feeling personal, and I'm growing more and more apathetic about my spiritual health.

My parents are really traditional--like SUPER conservative, and naturally they imposed a lot of rules when I was younger (and still now). Like we have services every morning and evening, and don't really do anything that isn't explicitly "Christian." Don't get me wrong, they were great parents growing up, never abusive or anything, but just quite controlling in that aspect, I guess.

And I've always struggled with lust ever since I was ~12 and accidentally stumbled on some explicit content on the internet, but I kept that part of me hidden really well (and still do, to this day). My parents aren't exactly the most understanding when it comes to issues like this, and I have no idea how I would even bring it up.

But going to university away in a different country and just growing up, I've developed my own opinions and views on the Bible and Christianity that are definitely less conservative. For example, I got a septum piercing, and when my mom found out, she freaked and then made me take it out, and then gave me a whole lecture on how I was destroying my body, which was the Temple of God and whatnot. Now, I don't necessarily see body piercings as inherently sinful, but I also didn't want to fight with my parents (and trust, she quoted Ephesians 6:1). But it's not only that, it extends to things like drinking, the way I dress, the stickers on my laptop, the charms on my bag. They're very black-and-white on EVERYTHING and even when I try to coax them into deeper conversations, they just shut me down.

There's a HUGE part of me that is perpetually ashamed and guilty for still not being able to overcome my lust, and now I basically hide every aspect of my life from my parents. I drink, I smoke, I consume explicit sexual content, I re-pierced my septum and keep it hidden. And there's a part of me that knows I'm spiralling down the slippery slope that is sin, but there's something inside me that wants to go against my parents. That probably sounds so juvenile and immature, but the Christianity that my parents demonstrate always makes me feel so ashamed all the time. But I love my parents, and I know having a "delinquent" daughter would break their hearts (not to mention their image as missionaries), so I keep pretending to be the Christian they want me to be, but I also feel so conflicted about my devotion to God, because I feel so terrible for pretending in church and whatever when I'm not really sincere--it feels very hypocritical.

And I'd like to think that God would rather I be in church and worship sincerely with a tattoo than be tattoo-free and pretend to worship. But everything just feels so confusing and overwhelming, and it makes me want to actively avoid God and reading the Bible. So I just become so apathetic towards everything Christianity-related, and it's basically become like a performance for me, so that my parents are appeased, and their colleagues and friends still view them as the "perfect" Christians.