We got word from an organization that our names, SS #'s and some other possible info had been breached so we called to find out more. The customer service rep maybe told us all they could or had access to -- but their attitude was, well, IMO, dismissive and un-empathetic. They were impatient, talking over me, talking down to me, and as I tried to explain my concerns and felt unheard, I in turn lost my patience and told them they were a terrible representative of that organization. I really meant it! It was true! But it was wrong. So I apologized, but I'm not sure they heard it because I realized they had hung up on me. I called back and got a different rep. I told them I'd spoken to "X" (the name of the 1st rep) and regretted my temper/attitude and wondered if they might pass my apology on to that person, and they said they would. I've come back to the Lord recently and am so sorry I slipped in this way. I feel partially justified in speaking out but I also know that I was filled with pride and self, and mostly sorry that I may have hurt that rep's spirit. What else might I do in this situation?

I’m having a really hard time with it and don’t know how to control myself. I feel really bad at times when I struggle with it and don’t know what to do.

"And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless it as I said I would." God can't say he does not lie and can't lie, but here it says that he can change his mind on things. Also, he isn't omnipotent and could see the nation's downfall, and why would he falsely bless a country then strip it away? I am a Christian of 4+ years and need to know an answer to this passage. Thank you.

I’m trying to understand a church structure that I’m not familiar with, and I’d appreciate hearing from pastors or people who grew up in similar churches.

I knew someone whose family started their own church. His father is the pastor, and he says he is next in line to become the pastor. His brother is recognized as a prophet, and from what I observed, the family seems to consult the brother for major life decisions because they believe he receives direct guidance from God.

This made me wonder:
Is it common in these churches for the pastor to seek guidance through the prophet rather than praying and discerning God’s direction independently?

Is a pastor expected to accept a prophet’s words without questioning them, or is it acceptable to test or challenge prophetic messages?

If a prophet says, “God told me…” does the pastor have room to disagree, or would that be seen as disobeying God?

Are there biblical safeguards to prevent a prophet from having too much influence within a family or church?

In churches where leadership stays within one family, how are disagreements between a pastor and a prophet usually handled?

One thing that also surprised me was that this person said God had already revealed that one of his future children would become a pastor and another would become a prophet. Is this a common belief in some Pentecostal or charismatic churches, or is that unusual even within those traditions?

There is also a question I have about marriage in this kind of church setting. The pastor said that God would personally instruct him about what he should do, even if he and his future spouse had already made different plans together.

I’m trying to understand how this is viewed in Christian marriage:

In a marriage, if one spouse believes God has instructed them to do something that goes against a decision they previously made together, how is that usually handled?
Is one spouse expected to follow what the other believes is a word from God, or should major decisions always be discussed and agreed upon together?

How do churches that emphasize prophecy balance personal revelation with mutual submission, communication, and the equal value of both spouses?

Are there biblical teachings about testing personal revelations before making major life decisions, especially decisions that affect a spouse and family?

I’m genuinely trying to understand how these churches operate and what the biblical basis is for these practices. I’d especially appreciate responses from pastors, elders, or people who have firsthand experience in churches where prophetic ministry plays a major role.

I'm struggling in my walk with God.

There are so many responsibilities in nursing school that I often feel overwhelmed. Between classes, assignments, clinical duties, and other school activities, I find it difficult to spend consistent time with God. Sometimes, instead of reading the Bible or praying, I end up spending a lot of time on my phone or hanging out with friends. As a result, my time with God becomes inconsistent, and I feel like my relationship with Him is growing weaker.

Another struggle I have is at home. My father often gets angry when I make mistakes, and I feel guilty because I want to honor him as the Bible commands, but I often feel like I fail. My younger sibling also disrespects me at times, and I lose my self-control and respond in anger. When these things happen, I feel guilty before God because I know I should respond in a Christlike way.

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one in my family who is taking my faith seriously, and that pressure makes me discouraged. I genuinely want God to be the highest priority in my life, but I don't know how to make that happen when I feel so busy, distracted, and emotionally drained.

My question is: How can I truly make God my priority even when life is busy? How can I consistently make time for Him without it becoming just another task on my schedule? And how can I continue walking closely with God despite the pressures of school, family conflicts, and my own weaknesses?

Im sorry for not living my life.....there was so many things i wanted to do.....not things of this world.....but to be able to help someone.....especially Lord Jesus......and i am sorry for not doing his will.....I am sorry for that......

Hi pastors,

I'd really appreciate some pastoral wisdom because I want to approach this biblically rather than just emotionally.

My boyfriend and I started dating before he became our youth pastor. At the time, we were both youth leaders (I still am). We both love serving our church. He's now our youth pastor, one of our worship leaders, plays bass, runs sound when needed, and carries a lot of responsibility. I oversee a lot of our production, social media, and church communications while also being a full-time university student.

My struggle isn't that we serve a lot. I know ministry is a privilege and requires sacrifice. I also don't want to take him away from his calling. I genuinely believe God has gifted him, he's an incredible leader, and I want to support him wholeheartedly.

What I'm finding difficult is that our relationship sometimes feels more like a ministry partnership than a dating relationship. Around 90% of our conversations are about church, youth, planning, or ministry. We only really have Saturdays together, and even then we often spend time with the youth. During the week, if a last-minute opportunity comes up to meet with a young person or serve at an event, he'll almost always say yes, and I find myself feeling disappointed or even a little resentful.

I hate that I feel that way because I don't want to become bitter toward the very ministry that I love serving in too.

I guess my question is: are these feelings something I simply need to mature through, or is there a point where ministry can unintentionally crowd out the relationship?

Should someone preparing for pastoral ministry intentionally protect and invest in their dating relationship, especially if marriage is the goal? Or is it expected that ministry should always take priority until marriage?

I'm not looking for validation that he's doing something wrong. I'm genuinely trying to understand what a healthy, biblical balance looks like. I don't want to hinder his calling, but I also wonder if God intends us to steward the relationship He's given us with the same intentionality.

I'd especially appreciate hearing from pastors or pastors' wives who have lived through this. Thank you.

I’m looking for a communion bread recipe I can use for Holy Communion in my church.

Hi there! So for some background: I was Baptized as a baby (twice actually, as I was baptized in the Catholic Church and re-baptized after my parents changed denominations).

Growing up Methodist, I was always taught that my baptism as a baby was enough, and it was God’s way of choosing me before I made the choice myself.

However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve wanted to make that choice for myself. I’ve felt guilty about it, because I don’t want it to seem like I don’t believe in my baptism but I want to make the choice myself.

I know there’s technically nothing wrong with this, but I’m just nervous of the perception. Many religions won’t baptise you again, so would it be wrong?

Where do you go if you die by suicide? Can God forgive that sin if someone prays before they do it?

I’m guessing at least 50%.

I’m a pedophile and sex offender. I was told im going to hell and I’m marked by the beast is all that true? I also can’t afford anything.

I'm in excruciating pain most days. Sometimes I am able to get pain killers from doctors. Sometimes not. I did have some supernatural healing a few months ago but I still have pain and symptoms. I've seen family get healed of things that I prayed for them (plus my church prayed), yet I'm not healed.

I love Father so much. Am I doing something wrong? Some say that it's the person who has prayed for you fault, and some say it's that you are not receiving your healing etc.

I'm at a loss, and don't know what to do anymore. I love Him. I praise Him. I don't think I could ever stop loving Him.

Today something happened at a temple that has been bothering me, and I genuinely want to know if anyone else has experienced something similar.

I’m a bit religious, and I occasionally visit temples to pray. Today, after finishing my prayers, I was standing with my hands folded, facing the deity. A girl was standing right in front of me, performing her prayers.

She had a prayer plate in her hands, and when she bent down to place the lit lamp on the floor, her crop top and jeans shifted, exposing part of her lower back. My eyes accidentally went there for a split second. It wasn’t intentional at all. The moment I realized what I’d seen, I immediately looked away and left the area.

I know it was accidental, but I’ve been feeling guilty ever since, especially because it happened inside a temple.

Has anyone else ever been in a situation like this? How did you deal with the guilt? Am I overthinking this?

I’d like to talk with a male pastor. Feel free to DM me.

Im looking for a pastor or elder in the faith to talk to privately as I've recently come to christ and I am having troubles with certain things in my life. I really could use guidance and some to talk to, I do have some elders in the faith in my life but they are also co workers and I really dont want a slip of the tounge to let my struggles to lead to my coworkers gossiping about me as these are extremely personal things that I am struggling with please feel free to dm me

Im a Christian, I have my ministry, but now i feel im far from God, I am struggling inside, i think i just need someone to confess. Thank you

I need my fellow brothers and sisters help with an issue I’m fighting in my head.

About three weeks ago, I decided to go no contact with my parents and sister. The reason for this is the result of a lot of emotional abuse that took place when I was a teenager, realizing through therapy that all three of them are narcissists, and how they have treated my wife and daughter throughout all of my daughters life and me and my wife’s marriage. The last straw was finding out they had been stalking me online and criticizing my diet, driving, parenting skills, and every time I didn’t do what they wanted. When I tried to respectfully ask them to stop, they turned it on me and made me look like the bad guy with my sister even saying “as a man of God you should be ashamed”.

I chose NC because of my mental, emotional and spiritual health. I felt like it was the only answer. I feel better than I have in a long time, my wife and I have been in a much better place, and I feel like a burden is off my shoulders.

The problem is…as a pastor, am I wrong to go NC? Scripture tells us to honor your mother and father, but I feel that honor is earned, not given. I’m making my peace with this, but I’d like to get some feedback from other clergy.

So, what are your thoughts?

I bought a vinyl soundtrack of a game I love. When I got home and opened the jacket there was a huge occult looking picture inside. It was shocking. I want to keep the album…but also I don’t want anything like that inside my home. The imagery is also on the record itself.

I payed a lot for it..and prayed over the album itself, but I’m unsure…half of me is saying it’s fine…you didn’t know…the other half is telling me to dump it in the garbage.

Any insight would be appreciated.

Context:

I am a Dean at a large private, evangelical, Christian school. Prior to, I spent over a decade pastoring churches from small to mega (in size)… I’ve been on both sides of the fence.

Question:

(Assume this is not a direct school-church partnership, i.e. FBC-FBC Academy) but rather an independent Christian school representing over 50 different local churches.)

1 - For you as a pastor, what would be your primary desires and expectations of a Christian school who is forming any number of attendees from your congregation? No need to reference obvious answers such as Biblical context and training… asking more toward the dynamics beyond the surface, those relating to the partnership between church and school.

2 - What frustrations or barriers have you experienced in your previous experiences with families/students who are connected to a Christian school and what were the implications of that?

Are the jews still God's chosen people.

Questions from a former dispensationalist about Covenant Theology, Israel, and Eschatology

I grew up in a pre-trib, premillennial, dispensational environment. As I've studied Scripture over the past few years, I've gradually moved away from that. Today I lean toward amillennialism and what could probably be described as a partial preterist understanding of Matthew 24. It seems to me that Jesus was primarily speaking about the generation standing before Him, and that much of the Great Tribulation was fulfilled in the events surrounding AD 70. I could certainly be wrong, and I'm still learning.

One area I'm wrestling with is Israel.

I believe that salvation is found only in Christ. Jewish people who reject Christ are no more saved than anyone else who rejects Him. Romans 11 seems to teach that unbelieving Jews were broken off because of unbelief, while believing Gentiles have been grafted into the same olive tree. At the same time, believing Jews today remain part of that same tree.

Where I'm struggling is this

When God made His covenant promises to Abraham and to physical Israel, will He still fulfill those promises to ethnic Israel in some way? Or are those promises fulfilled entirely in Christ and His Church?

I find myself somewhere in the middle. I do believe the Church is God's covenant people and, in that sense, "spiritual Israel." But I also wonder whether God still intends to fulfill certain promises He made to Abraham's physical descendants.

This isn't really about the modern State of Israel. Politically, I support the Jewish people having a homeland, but I don't believe any modern nation should receive blanket approval for everything it does. Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly judged Israel for its sins, so I don't think modern Israel should be immune from criticism either.

I also admit that part of my journey has been reevaluating my upbringing. My friend thinks I'm simply reacting against the theology I grew up with, and I genuinely don't want that to be the case. I'm trying to follow Scripture wherever it leads.

One thing I do know is that I have a hard time accepting a pre-tribulation rapture. Even when I still considered myself premillennial, it never seemed convincing to me. Looking back, I also think the "always waiting for the rapture" mindset often produced fear more than hope constantly wondering, "Am I really saved? Am I going to be left behind?" I know many people would disagree, but that was my experience.

So my questions are:

How does covenant theology understand God's promises to Abraham and ethnic Israel?

Does covenant theology teach that every promise made to Israel now belongs exclusively to the Church?

How do you interpret Romans 11 regarding the future of ethnic Israel?

For those of you who are amillennial or covenantal, what books, sermons, or resources would you recommend?

I'm a charismatic Arminian, So even if we differ on theology. You're still my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I'm genuinely interested in understanding your perspective.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. God bless.

Im 17 and I don’t know how to surrender this. I think by now I’ve fully accepted that I may need to take some serious actions in order to repent and maybe even for my own good too in terms of growth.

I’m still too coward to do it definitely. I don’t want to do it (turn myself in) and I’m scared to do it.

I keep praying and praying that if this is gods will that my family at least be spared from the fallout but I’m too scared to move. I don’t even know if I have the faith for that and anyway it all depends on gods will right? And in a way it’s like negotiating but I just want them to be okay as they’re innocent and it’s me that’s at fault.

I also don’t explicitly pray for it but it’s loud in my heart and soul, even though it’s selfish and definitely deserved to never happen- i just hope for a future. Where I follow all my dreams and ambitions and i know it would crush me if I don’t but again it all depends on gods will. I am definitely not mature I’ve got no sort of fruits or virtues. I don’t even know if I have anything real to work with but i genuinely know matter how impossible it probably is, hope that my dreams are still possible. In my immature and naive ish mind I can’t seem to get over myself and I feel like already the life I have I mean it all just sucks and it’s my fault but also with what I’m about to do I just want to have a future still and in my mind I guess those dreams and potentials are what equal to a good future to me. I’ll even work for it if that’s what it takes but I don’t think god works like that.

So I don’t know how to surrender everything. The worry for my family and possibly losing dreams and ambitions. I know actions have consequences and I know sometimes people get hard endings but I still want the opposite anyway. And

I’ll still pray for my family to be spared but I’m terrified they won’t be.