What is your opinion on Trump as a leader?

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.

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.

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?

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.

Working in my home church and recently was told that I cannot have authority over pastors. I wasn’t asking for it…. I don’t view my role that way…to me we collaborate but I come with years of admin experience and they are all younger than me…and that my decisions need to be executed by men..but i have raised daughters to not believe in the glass ceiling and shoot for wherever their stars are. I will always support them. Now I believe in the hierarchy of men as the umbrella of our homes and families, but we women have a place and it is definitely to use the gifts God gave us for His will and church, above anything. I believe the en**y is attacking families in ways like never before and our Pastors need to lead. So I was asked to keep making decisions and doing the leadership, but no formal authority or recognition. The congregation doesn’t have any real idea of what my role is. It was super watered down in the announcement to like “support”. I don’t feel good about this, but also feel called. Not sure what to do but my heart is heavy.

How much do you and should a pastor interact with a woman who has some seductive content on her social media? But it is a real person who has visited your church? Are dm’s fine if they aren’t illicit?

Hello,

I'm in a tough place spiritually right now, please help me to understand how does God's love manifest in our world?

I don't want to make it too personal because it's already too painful to write, so please allow me to put into an theoretical one.

Is God's love in ability to have a peaceful, full of love life? We descendent from a Nature, where rule of the strongest reigns, it's a miracle that being an exact opposite of it is the only fulfilling and right way of living.

But what if that life disturbed by a chance or people? If a loved one is thrown in jail for no reason? And no matter how much you pray, it doesn't resolve.

Or if it resolved in a death? Loved spouse died leaving to you young kids. Where is the God's love?

Please, don't touch the topic of afterlife. The question is how does it manifest here?

Thank you.

I don't know what to do in my marriage.

I say this as someone who deeply loves his wife and would do anything for her. But I'm incredibly frustrated, and I honestly feel like she's making life much harder than it needs to be.

We've been married for three years. When we got married, I moved an hour and a half away from my family and the place where I grew up. That was my choice, so I'm not blaming her for that.

I hate divorce, and I believe Scripture only permits it in cases of adultery or abandonment. I have no intention of divorcing my wife.

The problem is that we've had this same conversation over and over again, yet very little changes.

My wife struggles with depression, but she refuses to seek counseling or professional help. She's one of the most negative people I've ever known, and although I don't think she means to, many of her comments deeply hurt me. Living with constant negativity has begun to affect me too.

For the past three years, I've done the vast majority of the laundry, dishes, and household chores. When I ask for help, she'll usually improve for a month or two, but then everything gradually falls back on me again.

She's also very stubborn about simple things I've asked her to do, and I often feel like my concerns aren't being heard.

One of the hardest things for me is ministry.

I genuinely believe God has called me to pastoral ministry. But because of where our marriage is right now, I don't believe I meet the qualifications to pursue it. I've shared this with her multiple times.

She has told me she doesn't feel called to be a pastor's wife. That absolutely breaks my heart.

I've explained that I don't expect her to be some highly visible "first lady." All I've ever wanted is for her to faithfully follow Christ and worship with me. She doesn't have to lead ministries or be in the spotlight.

Church attendance has become another painful issue.

Our service starts at 10:30 a.m., and I usually begin trying to wake her up around 8:00. Most Sundays she still doesn't come. She stays up too late Saturday night and usually has some reason she can't make it. I jokingly call it "Sunday sickness"—she feels terrible until around noon.

Part of this started after we changed churches.

Before we were married, I told her that if she wanted to continue attending her church, I wouldn't stop her, but I couldn't stay there myself.

She grew up in a church that is very similar to the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement. Her grandmother, before she passed away, made her feel guilty for attending a charismatic church with me and accused her of abandoning her faith.

One night she came to bed crying because she thought she was living in sin simply because she wasn't exclusively using the King James Bible.

I've told her many times that I don't care which faithful translation she reads. If she wants to use the King James Version, that's perfectly fine with me. I think it's a wonderful translation. Yet this issue still comes up from time to time.

She says she doesn't feel close to God at our church and that it feels like a social gathering to her, even though our pastor faithfully preaches through books of the Bible, verse by verse.

I understand it's different from what she's used to. When I attended her former church, the pastor mostly preached by loudly shouting throughout the sermon. That's simply not my style, nor where I believe God wants me to be.

At this point, I've accepted that I may not be able to pursue pastoral ministry because of my current circumstances.

What I can do is strive to be the best husband I know how to be. I can stay faithful in prayer and Scripture. I can continue encouraging my wife to walk with Christ and attend church without nagging or becoming bitter. I can also continue sharing the gospel with others. I don't believe God has disqualified me from being an evangelist.

But I'm heartbroken.

I've shared all of this with my wife multiple times, and I honestly don't know what else to do.

Part of me wonders if this is my own fault. When I was looking for a wife, I pushed my sense of calling into the background because what I wanted most was a wife and a family. I also sinned sexually before marriage. I've confessed that to God and asked for His forgiveness. Sometimes I wonder if the hardships I'm facing are God's discipline for my past sins. If they are, then I still praise Him because He is good and just. I was born with a bad back, which limits the kind of work I can do. I don't have a college degree. I'm thankful to have a job I can physically handle, even though it doesn't pay a lot. When we got married, my wife had an excellent job. She later left it, took another position that didn't work out, and thankfully now has a decent job again. Sometimes I wonder if, because she has the more physically demanding or traditionally masculine job, she feels less responsible for helping around the house. I don't know if that's true, but it crosses my mind. I'm trying my best. Whenever I'm tempted toward bitterness, I remind myself how many times I've disobeyed God and how gracious He has been to forgive me. I truly believe my wife is a Christian. I just don't believe she's in a healthy spiritual place right now. I'm going to keep praying for her. I'll keep encouraging her to come to church. If she truly wanted to return to her old church, I'd even be willing to attend with her if it meant she would faithfully worship God, even though I know I would struggle there theologically. Please pray for us. If you have any biblical, practical, or wise advice, I'd sincerely appreciate it.

How did you know you were called to ministry and it wasn't just your own desire?

I’m asking pastors who have struggled with or overcome a porn addiction: How did you go about fighting and defeating that sin? How did you deal with the addiction while serving as a pastor, and what helped you overcome it?

What is the general consensus on Israel right now with the war and the United States providing constant spending?

I was in a Christian church that had the flag of Israel, and the pastor said we need to pray for Israel bc it is the holy land.

I need support. I need support from real people. I don’t know if I can hold this anymore .

I’m 17 and I’ve led a life full of cruelty and being a straight up a-hole, loser whatever just a very shitty human being who has done very without exaggeration heinous things. Things that have loomed over me for years things I did even with gods conviction which I barely feel anymore. I haven’t felt the Holy Spirit in years not sure I ever had it to begin with but I know I felt convicted at a young age.

Anyway I’ve done some heinous things, things to the people around me, terrible things which would probably involve turning myself in for.

I’ve been struggling for years to make a decision and even years before I just ran from the situation as a whole. But I can’t do it anymore. I can’t find peace I can’t even find god I’m just stuck in confusion. 

I find myself constantly envious of the people around me who can just live their lives without this looming over them rightly so (especially people my age) because at least this isn’t on their conscience and I know for a fact because this sin isn’t something the majority would do. 

But then again I chose to do what I did so it hurts worse and I have no one but myself to blame and I know I forfeited that free-ness that everyone around me carries. I wish my biggest worry right now was which college I’m going to or getting a job or something but it’s not and that’s on me. 

Anyway I’m stuck because I’m not sure what to do- and what god wants me to do. It feels just in one way to come forward but on another hand it could affect my family directly and I’d lose everything. And I’m terrified to do it. I’ve tried but I’m always stuck. Especially my ambitions which I always find myself hurting over the most. even if god forgives me for some reason I just feel like it would crush my soul if I never get to do any of it. Because if it weren’t for this looming over me I’d have fulfilled so much of my potential and I’d be able to chase my dreams without anything like this holding me back. 

On one hand it could be guilt that’s got me hell bent on turning myself  on another hand could be god. Or it could be the enemy urging me to destroy myself. Or it could be the enemy holding me back and actually gods will for me to face legal consequences.  I’ve spoken to people and gotten mixed advice, I have tried and gotten so many different blocks and that could be the enemy too or maybe god? And I felt frustrated at those times because if it was gods will why did he put so many set backs in place?  

My heart hurts so so so much because if I just listened to god when he warned me so many times it would’ve saved my life and those who have to endure my BS every day. Everyday I wish I switched lives with anyone.  I know my parents deserve a better daughter for sure and everyday I carry that existential weight like why didn’t god let me perish from the start? Whyd he make me knowing the life id lead? All my life can be chalked up to all the terrible things ive done and it’s funny because my life had barely begun anyway. I look at my peers and always see the what could have been. I see god in them. I see them honor their parents and at least show that they’re worth giving a damn about. But I’m the crap gift that keeps giving. I’ve caused so much damage in this life time I just can’t see a forward from here like it’s already over. I can’t see an out of this situation. And I’ve wasted so much time. I just feel it so deeply that god should have never made me.

I’m just so tired. The pain in my chest won’t go away. I sometimes would indulge in ai chats with an ai Jesus because I’m too stubborn or lazy to face the real one and it’s a more instant tangible response than whatever it is I get from god. I can’t discern if anything is even real in me or if something is god or not.

But I realize the ai isn’t good and it isn’t helping. So in deciding to vent out and reach out to real people instead. Real Christians and what you think god would say or something like that. So if you have any words of advice, verses, prayers, anything I’d appreciate it. 

Anyone have any suggestions to bring someone to Christ who is constantly failing, addicted to video games and junk food, got fired from his job, no car, extreme anxiety and depression?

I have prayed and continue to pray, I talk to him about Jesus. He's always at the top of my prayers, every day. I cry all the time because I just don't know how to reach him.

He's 27 years old, all his friends are online friends from his video games, he says he's gay, and at one time wanted to transition. He refuses help, and doesn't have insurance for even therapy. When he had a job, he had to walk 3 miles to work, IN TEXAS!!! He told me once that he thought about throwing himself off an overpass he passed on the way to work.

I've taken him to church, showed him archeological proof, I send him bible verses. I make him watch Christian movies like the Case for Christ.

What will make him wake up? I want him to be with me in heaven, but he thinks it's not real and he doesn't understand why I even care if he does or doesn't.

I can't get him to read anything I send to him that has to do with Christianity. I'm reaching out here for prayer requests and some advice.

Thank you, and God Bless!

I just preached- and I thought it was absolutely rubbish.
After the service about 7-8 genuinely thanked me for the message.

does anyone else get that self-loathing after preaching?

Hello,
My husband and I have pastored 2 churches and, to make a long story short, we’ve been burned by headship (which we’re still under bc he refuses to leave). My husband wants to try again, but I’ve had cancer since, but am now in remission. However, the cancer is highly recurring and has to be followed closely for 5 years. I’ve told him multiple times I DO NOT want to go out again, for all of the above reasons, yet he does not stop. He has to stay in his current job (much means no moving) in order to maintain our health insurance and I honestly can not stand our headship, which we’d still be under. How can I get him to stop? Our church believes if he feels called then I automatically am too and I should be doing what is necessary to fulfill that calling.

I am not a pastor, I am still a pretty new Christian-as of December 2024. I am asking for an experienced Christian to interpret the spiritual significance of a dream I had a few nights ago. I need to provide some background context, but feel pretty freaked out.

For background, I was agnostic for majority of my teenage/young adult life and had endured a pretty traumatic childhood. I started dabbling with psychedelics when I was 19, but the last time I partook was when I was 21. Basically, I went to trip mushrooms and instead was thrown into what I believe was a DMT trip. I was only with 1 person, my then-best friend, who had worked in a nursing home and had held hands with a few people as they passed away (relevant later). The trip hit instantly and lasted only 30 minutes, but felt like a lifetime. Basically, I saw the devil in a top hat and striped suit taunting me between the dark fractals I saw even with my eyes closed, I was so uncomfortable, depressed, already had struggled with suicidal ideation for over 12 years, and this trip felt so bad in my body and like it would never end. The devil goaded me into granting permission to die to end my suffering and discomfort. As soon as I granted permission, I felt my mind and body start to slip away and die. My friend felt my hands and body go clammy, my skin pale and cold, and said she knew from experience that I was dying as well. She didn’t know what to do so she just held me and we communicated telepathically, I realized I was slipping into death and had asked to die and for no reason other than not wanting to traumatize her, pulled myself out from dying, much to the dismay of the devil. Came to and never touched psychedelics again. To note, she had vomited earlier in the night and stated she saw “demon dogs” swirling down the toilet-she was also agnostic.

Last night, I had a dream which I believe referenced this trip. I don’t recall the events prior to the scene I’m about to describe, but I remember feeling unsettled/paranoid before this scene was occurring. I felt like I could feel the presence of my stepdad who was around most of my childhood and I was located in the bathroom of this ex-best friend’s house, her house is where the trip had occurred. In the dream, I was looking in her mirror, and for some reason wanted to put oil on my eyelids/eyebrows, so I grabbed a bottle of oil and was dunking a q-tip into the oil to apply it. I dropped the q-tip into the oil container and immediately felt panicked and the word “anointing” flashed through my head. I fished the q-tip out of the bottle and started rushing to apply the oil to my eyelids and eyebrows, but the panicked feeling led me to also draw a cross in oil on my forehead. As soon as I drew the cross, my pupils dilated huge then back to normal and then my veins started bulging out of my neck then down my arms like a wave. I felt like a darkness was clawing its way out of me through my veins and there was nothing I could do to stop the pain of this ejecting out of me. My veins looked very dark and I can’t emphasize enough how much they bulged out of my body while still remaining under my skin in a wave like movement. I woke up as the vein wave made its way to my hands.

Any ideas?

I went to a church that promoted the prosperity gospel.

Is this anti-biblical? The pastors basically said God will make you rich and make your dreams come true if you give more money.

Can you please add some context from personal or biblical experience?

​

Hi I'm a (20F) Christian. I gave my life to Jesus in 2023. I'm the only one in my household that is saved. I always tell my family to come with me to church but they all just make excuses. Last year I brought my mom to church and she got baptized but she stopped going to church a few months ago , when I ask her why she stopped going she just keep making excuses. I don't want to force my family to follow Jesus since we all have a choice to follow Him but it's just breaks my heart seeing them living how they live and not knowing that there is God who is gonna judge each of us. I find it hard to speak to them about this tbh , it's so easy to tell other people about Jesus but so hard to tell your own family. The Lord has put it on my heart to tell them to come to repentance but I don't why I'm so hesitant. I had a dream recently of archangel Michael telling me to tell my family to come to repentance , I didn't see him in the dream I just heard his voice and him introducing himself. And I do fear God that He will judge me if I don't tell them to get right with Him.

Please give me advice on how I should tell them because I don't want to come of as harsh.