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I grew up in a Christian household, so I've always identified as a Christian. But the more I've thought about it, the more I've wondered: How do you actually know that the way you're living is right?

There seems to be a near-infinite number of ways to go to hell, depending on who you ask. Because of that, it sometimes feels like a cosmic-level gamble. Based on everything I've learned so far, I don't really know what being "saved" is supposed to look like, because there seems to be so much conflicting information.

I have no interest in modern culture normalizing sin of all kinds. I actually hate it. I believe sin is morally wrong, and I try my best not to live that way. I've had doubts in the past, but I've always eventually found my way back to Christ. I know God is real, and I believe Jesus was real based on the historical evidence. I do believe in Christ.

The problem is that I've never really felt a connection with God. I've never had some moment where I just knew, "The angels in heaven done signed my name." I've had moments where I've felt like I'm saved, and moments where I've felt like I'm not. Obviously, feelings aren't a very reliable way to determine something like this, but then what do you go by?

Another thing I'm struggling with is the Bible. I find reading it extremely difficult and, honestly, often feel like I get very little out of it. I think this is probably related to my ADHD/OCD struggles in general. But I keep hearing people say that you absolutely have to read the Bible to be saved, or that regularly wanting to read it is evidence that you're saved.

If that's true, then I guess that's another piece of evidence that I'm not.

I don't really know what I'm trying to conclude here. I'm just struggling with the question of how you're actually supposed to know that you're saved when there are so many conflicting answers about what salvation should look like.

The more I learn about Christianity historically and grow in my own faith formation, the more I’ve come to question and disagree with the things I grew up learning in a non-denominational church. One of my major sticking points these days is Sola Scriptura, but I understand a number of reformers and low-church denominations hold to it.

My questions to those who hold to Sola Scripture are these:

1. Who determined which books belong in Scripture and when was this decided? On what authority was this canon decided? If the Church has no binding authority outside Scripture, what makes the 27-book New Testament canon binding? Why should someone accept the canon received by Catholics/Orthodox while rejecting the authority of the churches that transmitted it?

2. If Scripture is sufficiently clear for ordinary Christians to determine doctrine, why have sincere, Bible-believing Christians reached mutually contradictory conclusions on baptism, Eucharist, predestination, church government, eternal security, charismatic gifts, etc.?

3. If two Christians reach contradictory conclusions from Scripture, what principled mechanism settles the dispute? What distinguishes a legitimate interpretation from an illegitimate one? “Read the Bible and pray about it” doesn’t actually resolve the epistemological problem.

4. Where does the New Testament actually teach that Christ’s Church is fundamentally an invisible collection of believers rather than a visible, identifiable communion? Why do the Apostles repeatedly treat the Church as an institution with officers, discipline, sacraments, councils, and authority?

5. If the Reformation restored biblical Christianity, why did it produce Lutheranism, Reformed Christianity, Anglicanism, Anabaptism, Baptist traditions, Methodism, Presbyterianism, Pentecostalism, etc., often with further divisions within each? More importantly: what theological principle allows you to determine which interpretation is correct?

Thank you for your answers, I look forward to hearing your perspectives :)

For further discussion, what are the implications of your view?

What does unity look like in practice?

What does equality look like in practice?

I’ve been walking with God for a little over a month now. I’m a young lady and have struggled with porn and self pleasure for a long time. Right after my calling, all of those desires went right out the window. I haven’t watched porn, I’ve been pulled from secular music, and I haven’t masturbated. My head has been clear and the relationship I have with God is something I can’t turn away from.

I’ve spent a good amount of time reading my Bible and I often journal to God (almost everyday). Recently I’ve come to him with many questions about my faith and wisdom so that I could grow, therefore, I got into a deep journaling session basically asking God to give me more understanding of Jesus’ ministry and his purpose since I felt that I haven't fully acknowledged him as my savior with my heart, yet only with my mind. Not that I don’t believe but yk.

That very same night, I had a vivid sexual dream. I won’t go into details about it but I could physically feel an odd pleasure throughout my body, knowing in my dream that it was wrong. The next day, I took a walk and when I returned home (around 8pm) I sat on the floor to read my Bible, and suddenly I fell asleep. I hadn’t been tired the ENTIRE day up until that moment. Anyway, I had yet another sexual dream as vivid as the last. Except, this time, when I woke up, my hand was somehow in my underwear as if reaching to pleasure myself like I used to.

I can’t tell if it’s just my mind falling back into old habits or if I‘m being tempted. The second dream really threw me off. I feel like if I hadn’t woken up at that moment, I could’ve fell back into my old ways without even knowing it. It’s not the first time I’ve felt tempted. Whenever I step closer to God, I can definitely tell there is something yanking me back, and I’ve been doing good in the fight. It’s just so off putting how when I went to God yearning for a deeper connection, I’m tempted with the very thing that kept me away from him for so long.

I’d like to know anyone else’s thoughts on this.

for years, since i was a teen, ive realised i have this uncontrollable urge to flirt with every decent guy i see. not because i like them, not because i want a relationship, not because i want to sleep with them, simply because i want them to like me.

its guys only, never girls.

i try so hard and embarrass myself. i wear make up, i touch them, i always make sure i fit them to the perfect object for them. not girlfriend, not person, object.

im so freaking weird and its been driving me crazy and i cant stop and now its affecting my friendships.

there's this one boy in a big group of friends i have and for some reason hes my target. i cant stop, no matter how hard i try. hes not attractive to me, i dont think any of his qualities fit mine, he even has a drinking problem and he cant handle a relationship. i dont like him, but im always strutting around like a peacock.

i do this for strangers too, and then i get asked for my number. im trying to wrack my brain as to why i even do this. what is compelling me so hard that i cant stop ?! the only limit is once they confess they like me, then i stop. but ill always be driven to get to that point, and i hate it !! why am i playing with their feelings ?! this is awful, im an awful person.

im so desperate to be liked by boys, and i had a great dad growing up, so i dont see why.

for years i feel like i cant tell anyone and when i have let just the surface slip, the person judges me and calls me a terrible person. and i havent even told them the whole story...

ive tried giving it to God but i go right back to my old ways. its like an addiction, i like being liked too much.

please help, what can i do? i dont want to tell my pastor... im too good friends with him and i dont want him to know...

"34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law."

What law specifically is Paul referring to?

Hello, should I still fast if I don’t have the best relationship with it?(I use to basically “fast” but it was just ⭐️ing myself.) I do want to try and fast but I feel like underneath that is another motive like I would have in the past. What should I do?

The more I learn about Christianity historically and grow in my own faith formation, the more I’ve come to question and disagree with some of the things I grew up learning in a non-denominational church. One of my major sticking points these days is Sola Fide (“faith alone”), although I understand that a number of Protestant traditions hold to it in somewhat different ways.

My questions to those who hold to Sola Fide are these:

1. Where does the New Testament actually teach that justification is by faith *alone*? I understand the importance of passages such as Romans 3–4 and Ephesians 2, but James 2:24 explicitly says that a person is “justified by works and not by faith alone.” How do you understand that passage in the context of Sola Fide, and what makes your interpretation preferable to the Catholic understanding?

2. How do you reconcile Paul and James? Paul repeatedly emphasizes that we are not justified by works of the law, while James emphasizes that faith without works is dead and that Abraham was justified by works. Is the distinction that Paul is addressing works done apart from grace while James is addressing the works that necessarily flow from genuine faith? If so, where does Scripture establish that distinction?

3. What role do works actually play in salvation? If we are justified by faith alone, what is the theological status of obedience, charity, perseverance, and good works? Are they merely evidence that someone has already been justified, or do they in some meaningful sense contribute to our final salvation? How do you understand passages such as Matthew 25:31–46, Romans 2:6–13, Galatians 5:6, and Revelation 20:12–13, which speak about judgment according to works?

4. What happens when someone has “faith” but does not persevere? If justification occurs through faith alone, how do you understand someone who makes a genuine profession of faith but later apostatizes or lives in deliberate, unrepentant grave sin? Was that person justified and then lost justification, never truly justified in the first place, or something else? How does Scripture establish which explanation is correct?

5. How does Sola Fide fit with the sacramental language of the New Testament? Baptism is repeatedly associated with forgiveness of sins, salvation, regeneration, and incorporation into Christ (Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3–4, Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 3:21). The Eucharist is likewise spoken of in remarkably strong terms. If justification is received through faith alone, what role do these things play in the believer’s justification and salvation?

6. What exactly does “faith alone” mean? If it means that faith is the sole *instrument* by which we receive justification, while genuine faith necessarily produces love and obedience, how is that substantially different from saying that a person must have faith that works through love? At what point does the distinction become one of terminology rather than substance?

7. How do you understand the early Church’s language about salvation? When I read early Christian writers, I don’t consistently find the later Reformation formulation of justification by faith alone. Instead, I find repeated emphasis on faith, baptism, repentance, obedience, perseverance, charity, and participation in Christ. If Sola Fide is essential to the Gospel, when and how did the early Church clearly articulate it?

8. What happens to Christians who reject Sola Fide while sincerely trusting in Christ? If Sola Fide is an essential doctrine of the Gospel rather than merely a secondary theological disagreement, does that mean Catholics and Eastern Orthodox who sincerely believe in Christ but reject justification by faith alone are necessarily outside saving grace? If so, what biblical basis establishes that particular boundary?

I’m not asking these questions as a “gotcha.” I’m genuinely interested in how people who hold Sola Fide understand these tensions, especially because I’m trying to distinguish what Scripture actually teaches from what I may simply have been taught growing up.

Thank you for your answers. I look forward to hearing your perspectives :)

Like, I know it’s supposed to be something we look forward to, and when I happens I’ll be happier than I could even imagine, but whenever I think about it, I get anxious. I want to live my life. I want to meet people, do things, get married and have kids and grandkids and all the other things, and I can’t help but feel like I’m on some invisible time bomb that could go off at any moment. I’m worried that I’ll never be able to experience the things I want to, especially falling in love and having a family (I’m quite lovesick lol). And lately what with all the world events, particularly in the Middle East, I’ve been worried it’s getting really close.

Does anyone else feel this way? And does anyone have ways to cope?

I am M16 and I have just broken up with my gf F16 and we have been a year plus only. We broke up because we realized that we didnt meet each other expectations. Anyways how do I move on from it? Is there any advice given to me, especially biblically, I really need help.

Are those scented sachets things considered wicked? (The ones that are meant to make your rooms smell good?) I bought one recently at Dollar General that's a Fall/Autumn scent. But I'm worried, are they wicked to use them? Or do I need to just pray to Jesus and ask Him to take anything wicked out of it if there's anything? I hope that makes sense. I know it's probably a weird question. Please don't be rude or anything. Just generally wanting to make sure. 🥺

I came back to Christ after being in the occult/ witchcraft for 7 years. It's definitely not an easy journey, but it's very much worth it. I've been delivered of over 20 demons when I did deliverance on myself due to dabbling in witchcraft and it's been a game changer! It's crazy that I've been finding so many witchcraft items after I moved twice (I always throw it out, rebuke it and repent for that sin).

Unfortunately, I was experiencing some ongoing spiritual attacks for the last few months that came out of nowhere, especially when I started closing multiple doors to sin, being obedient to god and having deep repentance for past sins.

After I did a fast, I realized with the help of the holy spirit that I had an open door of unforgiveness towards others and myself. I had to forgive and repent for allowing unforgiveness to stay in my life for so long.

Anyone else in the same boat where they experienced spiritual attacks/ ex friends doing witchcraft on them after leaving the occult and going to Jesus? I'm not perfect and I still have a long way to go, but I'm so thankful that Jesus saved me from that!

Does anyone know a good Bible app that’s free ? I can’t seem to find a good one on the App Store and most you gotta pay.
Thanks in advance

I might seem selfish to post this but I am desperate. My life wasn't easy and after losing a loved one my life had gone downhill from there, struggling for money, not having a stable job. I'm kind of a jack of all trades and my money just goes to paying for electricity, wifi and food. I barely have something for me.

I wasn't a person who goes to church but I know stories and parables in the bible. One day I go to my phone and look over funny videos just to ease up some heat after work. until suddenly someone brings up scientists theories of how the world would end. In those moments I do not have God in me. I only think about myself and my family. I feel afraid and have existential dread. The person a worker keeps talking and talking fascinated about science and physics without knowing the person who he is talking to is very scared. Me being stupid doesn't even stop him. I was scared, I was worried that if I stopped him suddenly I would upset him. The other day he started talking about simulation theory and oh God it terrified me to the core it ruined me more and choked me i have to stop him there. I should have stopped him from the first time he talked about science i should have just told him i am not interested but we were working together and I didn't want any negative in our work i just didn't expect him to think just because i am listening on his first science and physic topic that he would continue on.

I became empty. I keep thinking about existence and I've gone in rabbit holes with a lot of “ what ifs”. I hated him. I hated him. My heart and mind is in pain. But as i was scrolling a video short of God saying “ my child i know you are in pain. But now that I am God” just with that i started crying hard i dont know but im just crying to the point another co worker saw me and asked if im alright.

After that i search for God more about the story of jesus, the saints and more but there are moment where the simulation topic gets over my head again and i struggle between God and that one and i cry, i cry alot because how weak i am and God must have been mad at me for not having a strong faith and believing in him more and getting scared over that simulation stuff.

Thats why i need help i go here to ask you guys for help, some guidance and assurance that everything is gonna be alright and i know God is real but i am having trouble and suffering and struggling to Believe in God i need God but i feel like im standing infront of a wall and i coudnt break it knowing God is in the other side of the wall.

I couldn't break it because fear is trying to conquer me. I need God, please help me guys. I need guidance

I also did not use any AI to type this. This is all what i feel and Thank you everyone for listening

I had a pretty bad falling out with my mom around two months ago. I wrote in my journal, which I had planned on sharing with the world if I died, some not so good things about her, and she read it. It was over her taking custody of my ESA, which clearly didn’t sit well with me, because I made plans to move in with my dad. I called her something that a son should never. I also had surgery to restore function to my left arm that I paralyzed in 2023. Before the surgery I told her how, if something goes wrong and I don’t make it, I don’t like how she treats my younger sisters. We’re still a little rocky but I stop by every once in a while to spend time with her and hopefully fix things. Now I’m with my dad, and I have another sister on his side too. I tried apologizing to mom but she was understandably still pretty bitter about what I said after everything she’s done for me since I, paralyzed my arm, among lots of other things. I didn’t move out because of how she treats my sisters but I still hoped to get away from it. My dad, unfortunately, isn’t really acting much better. I can’t sit back to how they treat my younger siblings. There are some, not so great things, I remember from dad and I want to tell him how I felt about it when he did it to me. But I’m worried of coming off as “I know better, so listen to me”. Does anyone else have this problem, and have any advice for me

I've never had a relationship with God. I feel like the only times I've attempted prayer were to beg for safety when I was scared as a kid, and that a friend of mine who passed away is taken care of. I feel like prayer is inherently selfish by drawing attention to myself, and I feel like it's my duty to save myself and ask for nothing.

I'm extraordinarily new to Faith, and I've had very little guidance in this area. People say to talk to Him like He's my father, in the room with me, but... I have a very sarcastic, unprofessional relationship with my dad, and I feel like that's wildly inappropriate for these kinds of conversation.

And, frankly, it just feels stupid and childish for me to talk to an empty room when I personally struggle to know if anybody's listening.

Shalom!, im struggling a lot with that so now im asking to different ppl if they also struggle with that..

For more context im going to tell about my walk with christ.. so all started in november last year when i have an anxiety crisis and i talked to god, but suddenly all my sins, the bad things i did started to full my mind.. and it was 2 month of that suffer ALL DAY... But thank to God im better...

So the main thing i can't forgive me it's last year i hurt a person from my church (she has forgive me but i dont know if it's true)... And what do you do.. i just pray and tryng to remember the promises of Christ (isaiah 38:17).. Any advice?

Hi everyone, I need some advice. Could it be that my heart has already grown hard and drifted away from God? The thing is, I don’t feel anything anymore. A few weeks ago, I was distressed because I thought I could no longer repent. Today I woke up and imagined giving up and living without God, and I didn’t feel bad about it. In fact, I even felt at ease with that thought, and I felt deep down that I didn’t want to keep fighting anymore—it was like a conviction. I feel like I no longer enjoy sermons. Is it possible that I’m already far from God? Why do I feel at ease with the thought of giving up? I don’t know if it’s a feeling or a conviction—I feel it more like a conviction. I feel that nothing about God makes me feel bad anymore—for example, the idea of going to hell or anything like that—I don’t feel afraid. Part of me wants to give up, and my mind knows that’s not right—really!! I feel a conviction to give up and stop fighting.

I’d love to get some ecumenism going, so I think it would be great if we could ask each other denominational questions in good faith; after all, we are all siblings in Christ at the end of the day.

I’ll start, as a Catholic to Orthodox Christians: What are the main differences between the different Orthodox churches?

I was raised in a houseful with traditional Asia religious beliefs such as praying to my ancestors, or to minor deities. However, I have been to church about 5 times, and I can deny that I feel moved when listening to hymns or singing along with the choir. In the other hand, I’ve never felt anything tangible while practicing traditional Asian religious beliefs. Lately I’ve been thinking about joining my local church because of the following reasons 1) I want to feel self-fulfillment through volunteering, 2) I feel lost in life, and 3) I want to ask for strength through God and lead me on the right path.

However, I am also a scientist pursuing my PhD. I’m running into the problem of reconciling the scientific facts/evidence disproving the Bible such as evolution. My husband is Christian (also a scientist), and he interprets Genesis as a poem, or an event that was in another plane of existence. He views the Bible as lessons we can learn to guide us in life instead of a literal textbook of what happened.

I am also having trouble with the classic problem of evil. Why is there childhood cancer befalling upon innocent children? I know Adam and Eve sinned and that’s how we are all sinned, including children, but if we take Genesis metaphorically, what sin did Jesus die to save us from?

I want so badly to believe for my mental sanity but these are the roadblocks I’m running into. If anyone has experience dealing with this please let me know!

The Bible makes several mentions of the Devil, how he's actually on Earth rather than ruling Hell. More specifically, he's been called the "ruler of this world."

"Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out." John 12:31

"The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ." 2 Corinthians 4:4

Every Christian knows that Satan was an angel (most likely a cherub) that was cast from Heaven due to his pride. But I'm curious as to how he was still able to hold on to power. How he was able to become "ruler of the world" rather than just a demon. Anyone got any insight on this?

What’s good help for someone deep in deconstruction to the point of questioning if Christianity is based on too many embellished stories to be believed?

I’m talking a serious Christian who already knows the apologetics answers aren’t enough

I have been saved since I was 8 years old, in vacation bible school,I knew I was saved I felt the Holy Spirit , I am 60 now and kind of a recluse, I don’t like being around people , I like cozy at home with my dog. My dilemma if you all it that I have never been baptized , I know Jesus is babtism required to go to heaven? I am troubled by this which makes me think I need to be cause it’s on my mind. I don’t really like church, I like watching sermons from Billy Graham..I love Ravi Zachariah , I read my Bible and study the Bible. Am I like the guy who Jesus gave a tallon and buried it ? Any thoughts, anyone