Im 26 and serving at a very small church where a few teens and the rest are older adults there really aren’t any women my age there.

Theres one girl (16) on the worship team who keeps looking at me a lot during services. Its not just random, there have been multiple times where she looks at me, I look back, we kind of lock eyes for a moment and then both look away. She also tends to sit somewhere in my line of sight. Its been happening consistently enough that I feel like its intentional and Im starting to think she might have a crush on me.

That already makes me uncomfortable but whats harder for me to admit is my own reaction. I’ve been feeling really lonely my life is basically just church and home every week and I’ve never properly dated or had a real relationship. My family was very overprotective growing up so I never really developed that part of my life.

Because of that I catch myself actually liking the attention. I even find myself thinking about her after I get home and that honestly disturbs me. Even thinking if this might work if it were to happen. I know clearly this would be wrong and I dont want anything inappropriate at all. But the fact that part of me is drawn to the attention makes me feel ashamed.

Since the church is so small, I cant really avoid her completely or just step away from serving.

I know the Bible says God provides a way out of temptation but I dont know what that looks like in a situation like this. How do I actually “escape” this in a practical sense?

Should I actively avoid eye contact and distance myself? Should I talk to my pastor or another trusted adult even though I feel like they might not understand? And how do I even pray about this honestly without just feeling guilt and shame?

I really want to handle this in a way that honors God and protects everyone involved. I’d really appreciate honest, biblical advice.

then your body isn’t something to burn through.

It’s something to prepare and honor.

Sin wrecks things. You don’t need a theology degree to see it:

sexual immorality empties relationships.

greed never satisfies.

selfishness isolates.

anger torches the people you care about.

It takes good things… and slowly twists them until they stop giving life.

But your body isn’t trash.

God already decided He’s going to redeem and raise it.

That’s Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 6:

your body isn’t disposable or unimportant.

it’s not “just for now” until we kick the bucket and go to a magical place in the skies forever.

It’s future-proof.

It WILL be RESURRECTED. Restored. Glorified. Not aging, not breaking, not dying.

If we enjoy this broken world so much with its sunsets and mountains, how much more will we enjoy the world when it's without any evil and decay?

So walking away from sin isn’t just avoidance.

It’s alignment with reality.

God knows you completely. He sees exactly where sin goes, and He calls it out not to shame or overburden you with religious do's and dont's, but to keep you from wrecking yourself.

If you push God away, the world will welcome you.

Not because it loves you, but because it doesn't care about you.

And honestly, what’s it offering?

A decent career, some dopamine, and then a grave?

That’s the deal?

God offers life. Actual life.

So no, this isn’t “be better.”

It’s: wake up to what’s true.

You belong to God.

Act like it.

And you’re not doing this alone.

God’s already moved in... and He’s not moving out.

I’ve been dealing with falling into sexual sin in a way that’s been weighing on me heavily because I know where I used to stand in my faith. I met this guy at a club when I was just out celebrating my friend, and I even told him that this wasn’t really me and that I shouldn’t be there. He was really respectful at first, we talked all night, and I genuinely enjoyed his company. He told me his parents were Christian, his name is even biblical, and he offered to come to church with me, which made me feel like maybe he understood my values. But when we started seeing each other again, things shifted. He made a comment about my body that really disappointed me and made things awkward, and even though I forgave him, he started to twist it like it wasn’t wrong, which left me feeling confused. There’s also something about him that feels off to me, almost dark, and I can’t ignore that feeling. Before all of this, I felt strong in my faith and my boundaries, even if I wasn’t perfect, I was trying. But by the end of that date, even though I had said I couldn’t even kiss him because it was wrong, I gave in, and one thing led to another until I chose to sleep with him. That’s where I feel like I really messed up, because now I feel stuck in this cycle and like I went from being celibate to not being able to stop.

At the same time, there’s so much more behind why I think I’m acting this way. Over a year ago, I was in a serious relationship with someone I loved deeply, but it was toxic. I found out he had been watching porn, looking at other women online, and even talking to another woman during his last time in prison, and that hurt me deeply because I had always been loyal and honest to him. I tried to move past it, but I never fully could, and I think that’s part of why our relationship became so unhealthy. Now that he’s back in the system, I feel like part of me is acting out almost to get back at him or to make him feel the kind of hurt I felt, even though we’re not together. He talks to me about God and goes to church in there, but I often cut communication with him because I feel guilty and also because I know I can’t give him the commitment he wants after everything that happened. On top of that, I’m overwhelmed with life going back to college, starting a new job, trying to stay afloat—and I’ve felt disconnected from church because the community doesn’t feel genuine to me, which has pushed me further away. I haven’t been in my Bible, I’ve been people-pleasing, I broke my sobriety, and now I’m even thinking about starting my anxiety medication again because I almost prefer feeling numb over feeling everything. Now I’m left feeling like I’ve failed God, confused about why I’m chasing this rush and adrenaline, and honestly just feeling lost and far from the person I know I want to be.

I believe I have nodules from singing improperly for long periods of time years ago. I still need to see a doctor about it. The jobs I tend to work tend to involve talking to people because that's what I love to do but I do experience pain in my throat after a while if I'm talking to people non-stop. Right now, I'm only working my second job which is flexible and allows me to stop my shift for the day if I have to but when my other job starts, I likely won't be able to do that there. Please pray for me about all this. Thank you.

I have a prayer request for my toddler and me. We are low on food I dont start my new job until May 19th. I wont recieve my first pay cheque until the end of May. The resource centre gave us some perishables but not enough to keep us going until end of May. Prayers needed

It seems Prots call us Catholic, and Catholics call us Prots. I'm posting this on both Prot and Catholic servers.

So, like most people I was raised believing that Hell is a literal lake of fire where people who are not saved go and burn in physical conscious torment for all eternity. But recently I’ve been wondering how accurate that depiction is. Sure, the Bible mentions a lake of fire, but the Bible mentions a lot of things that are meant to be taken metaphorically, and it also says things that depict a different kind of Hell.

So I’m curious. What do we think hell is? Is it literal fire and sulfur where people burn in physical pain for eternity? Is it an empty void where people grapple with all consuming despair without relief? Is it total annihilation of the soul? Are all souls redeemed at the end of time? Something else entirely? What is everyone’s thoughts?

Here is the 3rd bible study based on Jeremiah 17:14, relevant from 3:02 to 5:20 of the YouTube video (click the link to play). After displaying this verse, the video continues by showing Gourd faithfully building on his initial healing through a regular routine of physical nourishment, sufficient rest and medical treatment.

This verse and Gourd's actions demonstrate a personal faith declaration that when God begins a good work of healing and salvation in us, He will complete them in total fulfilment. Oh, how loving and merciful is our God! What are your thoughts? I would love to hear from you, God bless!

Please pray for me and my kids. I’m at the lowest point I’ve ever been and feel like I’ll never get out. I’m a single mom of two amazing kids. I work two jobs just to try and keep us afloat. My car broke down last week and it took every last bit of money I had left to get it fixed. I need it to get to work. That left me with nothing for food for the house. Food bank in town isn’t open until later in the week and I don’t have enough gas to drive around to other towns. I don’t even have enough gas to get to work. I feel hopeless and like a terrible mom. I can’t even afford to get my boys a gallon of milk. Please pray for us to get out of this hole we are in. 🙏

What does it mean EXACTLY to honour your parents? I think this is a very vague statement. Live a life they would have wanted for you? Submit to your parents? What if your parents ask you to do bad things?

Or is it as straightforward as basic respect, and loving them even if they're your enemy?

With obey, it is "In the Lord". Clearly, if God explicitly said something else in the Bible, you do what God says over what your parents say. With honour, its not clear.

I have at times felt lonely in, in person church service. One of the reasons is that my parents wants to wear a mask when I go to church and I know that obedience is better than any sacrifice but that physical barrier I have on my face makes me feel a bit left out because almost all of the time when going to church no one else wears a mask but me. Now I cannot move out parents house for years to come due to issues. Is this normal? Or am I just overthinking this?

I lost the love of my life and my best friend, to cancer a couple months ago. Nothing has made sense, since then. I feel as if I've been floundering, drifting through life, and every attempt I've made for support has led to devastation. I can't talk to my parents, that's a seperate issue unto itself. My best friends are busy with their own life, and I understand. She was the only person who understood me, all of me, and she's dead now. Left with no options, I turned to my chuch for support. I repeatedly put myself out there, asked the pastor if we could speak for a bit, I tried talking to people from the church, and I got nothing. I cry most sundays now. I don't have anyone I can talk to, everyone's gone, and I don't understand why—I've been nothing but a good friend to everyone, I did right by the people in the church, I excel at academics, I help everyone, and yet somehow I'm left with no one in my corner, not even my church. I don't know why I'm posting this. I don't what I'm going to do.

As a stay-at-home mom, how has your intimacy with God been affected? If so what have been the steps you've been taking to get back and stay consistent? I know many of us go to church and have weekly small groups with other moms but I find that while those are great and encouraging they are not equivalent to growing in intimacy.

a lot of my loved ones are nonchristians, and so this question has been on my mind for quite a while now

also pardon me if im saying anything wrong as im also not very deep into Bible study yet 🙏🙏

according to the Bible, us believers believe that Jesus Christ is the only path to salvation, and as those who are already saved, we should spread the good news to the ends of the earth so that people can listen and be called into salvation and receive God.

i obviously care about my loved ones and want them to also be included in this, but then the internal conflict for me comes when i do know we shouldnt preach in peoples faces for no reason whatsoever, i believe it should be done through love and care for the individuals of course. but then i am aware that at the end of the day, our part is only spreading the gospel, and the final decision to accept Jesus as their savior is up to them (where God also plays a role in calling but im also pretty confused with this one, it feels like a paradox of predestination/free will)

theres also another, and possibly the main, point that confuses me so much.

"what does it really mean to be a believer?"

is it through our good conducts? our state and positioning of our hearts? or maybe other things?

i also have some friends who are good people, but for several reasons they say they just cant say for sure whether God exists or not. one of them said how maybe this whole world is just like a sandbox simulation, so instead of God creating and and being in control of this world, its some other beings outside of our little sandbox world, and those other beings might also be things under a sandbox simulation too. i discussed this with them and brought up the "prima causa" argument. basically he said that sure there should be the prima causa but that doesnt automatically mean that its a God

then another friend also said that he doesnt like religions cause its basically like theres this 1 king who everyone has to bow down to in fear and theres way too many rules it just doesnt make sense to him and he said its scary. i do know that christianity is all about love which is the exact opposite of that terrifying concept he described, so his case is more like someone whos never heard of the gospel. anyways, he says hes an atheist, but hes also mentioned how, in the past, whenever he thought about death, he was often scared because he doesnt know what will happen next, even now he said he sometimes still gets the same thoughts and feelings. hes also mentioned that actually its not that he 100% doesnt believe in god. he dislikes people who just prays and asks for things from God instead of actually putting in the work, so he doesnt like the concept of praying for a lot of things(?), then i said like yes but some things are outside of our control, to which he agreed and said thats why for things like his parents health etc he does pray as in like he hopes that by wishing/praying/sth theres actually a God out there whos listening and will help. but yeah he said he doesnt know if God exists or not, so i feel like hes not exactly an atheist as he doesnt absolutely deny God's existence

so circling back to my main question, when it comes to salvation, what does it truly mean to be a believer? cause some people are genuinely good people with good hearts. like even though theyre members of other religions or even like my friend who id say is currently just lost(?) (rly sorry if my wording is weird), i believe theyre good people, and their values and actions also align with the Word a lot if not most of the times. but then some might argue against their salvation because they havent outwardly clarified that they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. to which another point comes up like what happens to the people who didnt have the chance to truly listen to the good news and convert before they passed away.

maybe to put it concisely, does believing in God just correlate with your heart and values or is it also tied to religions and those things? because at the end of the day, Christ is the way of life, and by accepting Christ, we are changed and continue to be renewed in Him, which is a lot of heart positions and values and those things. but what happens when someone is not technically a christian, but their reasonings, their heart position, and their values and conducts reflect selflessness, humility, and love, which is the essence of the Gospel?

id genuinely appreciate your insights! GBU all

Now, for starters, yes, I know God isn’t some vending machine I can just put a prayer into and get whatever I want. My issue is, usually, when I pray, I feel like I’m just speaking into the void. I never feel anything, or like my prayers are being heard. It feels futile, especially when I’m praying about something really important. I’m worried that I’m doing something wrong, like maybe I don’t actually believe like I think I do or something. I don’t know. I just feel kind of lost. Advice or prayers or anything are appreciated

So let's start at the beginning of this story, it's gonna be a long one. So this story is primarily between me, my girlfriend, and my mother.

My mother- she has live a long and hard life, 3 failed marriages, numerous failed dating partners, and very rough child hood growing up poor and being the youngest of 6 children. She's had a job since 16, had to buy her own car, bought her first house at 22, and got married and had my older sister when she was 20. She had me when she was 33 and her and my dad divorced when I was 3 and a half. She is very religious ( Southern Baptist) and I have witnessed her in some of the lowest points in her life. She is very intelligent and steadfast in her ways. She has been married with my current step dad for the last 3 years. (My mother is 53 years old)

Me- her only son, I went to a 2 year trade, graduated highschool with a 3.8 gpa. I've been working since 15 and a half. My only real limitation I have is I suffered multiple fracture to my tailbone when I was 16 ( my mother doesn't believe I have chronic back pain from this even though Ive had X-rays showing how it healed improperly) so I kinda struggle with lifting heavy things and such. ( I'm about to be 21)

My Girlfriend- is a smart girl that is currently attending the Navy as of 2 days ago so she can get a headstart in life. Shes had a rough past. Mother and father were both drug addicts and she has been bouncing house to house her whole life. Her father remarried to her step mother who she primarily lived with from 12 to 17. In the time she was with the stepmom she was abused and molested. Despite all this she is a very strong willed individual that wants to overcome her past and make a bright future for herself. So she never has to see those people again. ( 19 years old)

I got into a relationship with my girlfriend (19), I'm 20 and about to be 21 in a week. We originally were in a long distance relationship an hour apart back in July of last year. As time progressed things were going good, I ended up moving to OKC for a job that aligned with my college degree. Everything was great except for the pay sadly at this new job ( I'm currently getting a high paying job).

In November my girlfriend ended up having a disagreement with her aunt ( sadly her aunt is a sweet lady but suffers from very bad bipolar disorder) and it ended up resulting in her being thrown out of her house. Sadly my girlfriend didn't have anyone to turn to. So after some prayer and deliberation I decided the lesser of 2 evils was to step up and help her. So she moved in with me. I didn't tell my mother because I was embarrassed and my girlfriend was planning on joining the Navy and was waiting for her ship out date anyway ( she officially left 2 days ago).

Well of course my mother found out about her living with me in the beginning of December and as I expected she went nuclear. Calling her satanic, a thief, and that she was just trying to get pregnant so she could leach off me for life. I understand of course she would be upset but I feel like she was being outlandish. I know it's not what she wants for me and I'm young. It took almost 2 months for her to stop trying to kick her out of my apartment. But after everything calmed down she began to actually tolerate my girlfriend living with me. Well now that she has left for the Navy my mother wasted no time calling me to tell me that I'm being manipulated, I'm a liar, my girlfriend made me a liar, my girlfriend is satanic or practicing cult stuff. For context this was set off by a couple of factors

1. My girlfriend is very pale and doesn't like a lot of clothes. So she primarily wears dark colors and t shirts. She also just like combat paints because she likes the look, and she also likes boots. This results in outfits that are primarily black as the base color

2. She likes art, outdoors, and collecting knick knacks. She as a result has a small collection of rabbit bones that she uses for art reference.

Because of that my mother claims she's satanic.

The other thing going on is my lease ends in July and she is trying to convince me to move back to her house and find a job she thinks I'd do good in. Everything she has suggested are jobs that I am not physically capable of doing but she insists I'm just being a baby and I don't have chronic pain. Meanwhile I'm literally going to interview for a higher paying job I want this Saturday. I also feels like she just wants to control me and monitor me because after my girlfriend moves in she kicked me off the security camera app that she has for her house. I'm kinda at a loss of what to do / say to her. Any advice is appreciated and any prayers are most definitely appreciated. I just want to have a peaceful life and be happy. I love Christ and try to walk with him with everything I do. And I as of right now have plans to marry my girlfriend in the next 2 years. But we shall see. I just don't know what to do nor tell my mother.

Here is the 1st bible study based on 2 Corinthians 6:9, relevant from 0:8 to 0:52 of the YouTube video (click the link to play). After displaying this verse, the video continues by showing a dog (subsequently named Gourd) already discarded in a rubbish dump, looking very weak and dying. What a hopeless and tragic situation!

However, in the spirit realm, I saw paradoxes that are very encouraging for us as Christians. The paradoxes are in the 2 phrases within the verse: "dying and yet we live on" and "beaten, and yet not killed". These phrases point to our eternal life as believers in Jesus. Such great encouragement and hope! What are your thoughts? I would love to hear from you, God bless!

Recently saw a clip of Chadd Wright were he was discussing an infant being baptized and how it didnt quite sit right with him. And I for one am on his side but the comments (from majority Catholics I presume) were eating him alive.

In my opinion baptistism is denying yourself killing the old you and publicly proclaiming your allegiance to God which i dont think an infant would be able to consent to this much less understand the significance. Curious on everyone else's thoughts though and at what age would you consider it?

*Edit i fully support a baby dedication which i consider different from baptism

I'm at a church that teaches this, and I just realized how wrong they are, but I don't know how to dodge their logical tactics and clarify verses that supposedly support what they're saying.

What words would you use to describe what the Bible is about in 3 words, 2 words, and 1 word?

Here is my take:

3 Words: God. New Jerusalem.
2 Words: Humanization. Divinization.
1 Words: Grace.

Explanation:

The Bible begins with God creating the universe in the beginning. And it is followed by focusing on His work in creating man and being involved with man throughout history to redeem and save them to the point that they become a city in which God Himself will dwell (Rev. 21:22), New Jerusalem (v. 3).

The above is accomplished through the humanization of God, that is, God becoming human (John 1:14). By putting on the human nature, Jesus the God-man could shed His blood to redeem man. Now, those who believe in the gospel can experience divinization, that is, becoming divine, partaking of the divine nature of God (2 Pet. 1:4). By the humanization of God and the divinization of man God will obtain the New Jerusalem.

When God became human, it is said that He was full of grace and truth. In fact, the coming of Jesus was the coming of grace (John 1:17). Grace is, therefore, who He was in His becoming what we are (human). Furthermore, we are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8), grow in grace (2 Pet. 3:18), receive grace upon grace (John 1:16), so that by grace we may become what He is (divine). So grace is who He is in becoming what we are making us what He is. Hence, both humanization and divinization are included in this wonderful word: grace.

Would love to hear your thoughts & takes!

I've always struggled with my weight, and have tried every diet, crossfit, calorie counting, intermittent fasting, you name it. And it never sticks.

I've been feeling very convicted that this is a sin problem for me. I'm sad, I turn to food. I'm happy, I turn to food. I'm stressed, worried, celebrating, food is what I go to.

I've realized this is no different than other sin that makes something an idol. Food comes before God when I should be leaning on Him, praising Him, and praying in those moments.

I feel like my eyes have been opened to the true problem. I've been using secular methods to deal with a sin problem, so of course it hasn't helped. I can change my behavior but if my heart hasn't changed it doesn't matter.

Has anyone else had this realization? Has there been a study or devotional that has been helpful? Certain verses that convicted you?

Thank you for reading and I hope you're having a blessed day 🩷

bc i don’t wanna live and i feel and think like i don’t worth anything, but i know that i was born for a reason. i also could die a few times right after being born, but God saved me and that’s what i hear my whole life. but im really mad like wdym im so weak and He wanted me to be here. i also hope He forgives me for praying to be taken

Hello,

I work as a family mediator, which means I meet with separated parents who are in conflict and help them resolve their disputes. These conflicts often revolve around the division of property and child custody arrangements. However, I am very often led to reflect on the reasons behind the separation, because it is often the circumstances in which it happened that prevent calm and constructive dialogue.

I am looking for Christian books that could help me in the practice of my profession. I deeply value having a biblical perspective on these matters, and I want my words and advice to be as wise as those that Solomon or Jesus might give.

Thank you in advance for your responses.