The Christian life is a long-distance race, and lasting endurance requires the means God provides. Scripture feeds and encourages believers to persevere, so move beyond a few familiar verses and regularly take in the deeper substance of God’s Word. Do not attempt the struggle in isolation. Run alongside faithful Christians through active participation in a …
Christians should expect unfairness and opposition in a fallen world, but not every broken relationship or conflict is persecution for following Christ. Before drawing that conclusion, honestly examine whether your own conduct has contributed to the response you are receiving. Because visible Christian symbols and public professions identify you with Jesus, your behavior should represent …
Christian parents should treat a child’s behavior as important and patiently train children toward increasing self-control and obedience. Ephesians 6 calls children to obey their parents, while parents are responsible to direct them in the Lord. A toddler’s immaturity deserves understanding, but parents should still look for steady growth rather than ignoring destructive or defiant …
The Bible does not prohibit every moral judgment. It repeatedly commands believers to discern truth, identify wrongdoing, and “judge with right judgment” rather than by appearances. Loving someone often requires recognizing a problem and helping address it. Jesus condemns hypocritical, self-serving, and inconsistent judgment. The standard we apply to others will be applied to us, …
Loving God with all your strength means dedicating the physical energy, effort, and abilities involved in ordinary life to him. Colossians 3 tells Christians to work heartily—as for the Lord rather than merely for human supervisors. Some callings rely heavily on physical strength, such as construction, moving furniture, or skilled trades; others require more study …
Yes. Jesus teaches that when someone has something against us, we should seek reconciliation, and James 5 tells believers to confess sins to one another. When we have wronged another person, confession and reconciliation normally require an apology. A genuine apology owns the specific wrong: “I did this, it was wrong, and I am sorry.” …
When a professing Christian is openly continuing in conduct Scripture clearly calls sinful, church members should not simply ignore it. The concern should be brought to the church’s pastors or elders so the person can receive biblical counsel and an opportunity to repent. The issue is not an unchangeable event from the past but present, …
Because the parents own the home, they should clearly establish and enforce the household boundary. They can tell their daughter that drunkenness is sinful, inconsistent with her profession of faith, and not permitted while she is staying with them. The purpose is not to control every choice she makes elsewhere but to refuse to enable …
Human beings are both physical and spiritual, and the two dimensions affect one another. Sleep deprivation, illness, medication, and other bodily conditions can influence thought and emotion; grief, trauma, guilt, and fear can also produce powerful physical effects. Christians should therefore avoid assuming every mental-health problem has only a physical cause or only a spiritual …
There is no biblical problem with seeking medical help to conceive a child. Trusting God’s sovereignty does not require refusing appropriate treatment; Christians routinely use medicine while recognizing that every outcome ultimately remains in God’s hands. The ethical concern begins when a procedure creates embryos that may be frozen indefinitely, discarded, destroyed, or placed at …
Withholding information and lying are not the same thing. People are not morally required to disclose every fact in every situation, and compassionate caregiving often requires limiting information that would cause unnecessary confusion or repeated distress. A caregiver may redirect a conversation, omit details the person cannot process, or offer reassurance without explaining everything that …
Discovering another area that needs repentance does not mean sanctification has failed. Christian growth is progressive: as one sin is confronted, God often exposes another. Believers should expect an ongoing struggle against sinful desires and continue fighting them rather than assuming they have reached complete obedience. Assurance is not found in identifying every possible sin …
The phrase “love is love” depends on an undefined use of the word love. Biblically, love is a commitment to another person’s true well-being; it is not simply the freedom to satisfy every attraction, passion, or desire. Everyone recognizes moral boundaries on desire in at least some situations, so the slogan cannot by itself establish …
Water baptism is an outward sign that a person has repented, trusted Christ, and been brought into his people by the Holy Spirit. The responsibilities do not begin only after the ceremony; they belong to everyone who has truly turned from wandering and committed to follow the Good Shepherd. Within the local church, Christians should …
Based on the circumstances described—an unbelieving spouse abandoning the marriage, forcing a divorce, and rejecting reconciliation—Pastor Mike understands 1 Corinthians 7 to permit the abandoned Christian to remarry. The new marriage must be “in the Lord,” to a genuine believer. The specific facts matter, so someone in this situation should seek counsel from faithful pastors …
Accents can genuinely make communication difficult, especially when listeners have had little exposure to them. That difficulty is not necessarily the speaker’s fault; understanding often improves as the listener becomes more familiar with the accent. Respond with patience and grace rather than publicly complaining. The person speaking is unlikely to be trying to frustrate anyone, …
Legal status does not determine morality. Scripture consistently calls Christians to sobriety, clear thinking, and self-control. Recreational marijuana—especially products intended to produce a strong intoxicating effect—works against those priorities. Ask why the substance is being used. If the goal is escape, relaxation, relief from anxiety, or intoxication, Scripture offers spiritual responses that do not require …
In 2 Corinthians 6, “unequally yoked” describes the fundamental spiritual mismatch between believers and unbelievers—light and darkness. It should not be redefined to describe every difference in maturity, personality, strength, or behavior between two Christians. Two genuine believers can nevertheless have serious marital problems. One spouse may be harsh while the other becomes bitter; one …
Jordan Peterson has expressed ideas about personal responsibility, truth, culture, and the Bible that overlap with Christian convictions. His work has encouraged some people to reconsider Scripture, and Christians may learn useful observations from non-Christian thinkers just as they may learn mathematics, history, or politics from them. He should not, however, function as a Bible …
Christians should not deliberately enter tempting situations as a strategy for becoming stronger. Scripture teaches believers to ask for deliverance from evil, flee youthful passions, turn away from sin, and avoid needless occasions that make failure more likely. Growth comes through proactive means: deepening knowledge of Scripture, learning to handle it accurately, praying thoughtfully, pursuing …
Celebrating years of sobriety is not inherently sinful, and Alcoholics Anonymous has helped some people stop drinking. Pastor Mike nevertheless recommends that a Christian celebration center on Christ’s transforming grace rather than on AA or a former identity as an alcoholic. The New Testament says, “such were some of you.” A believer should not remain …
Working out salvation means actively obeying what God has called a Christian to do. Believers should devote themselves to good works rather than waiting passively for spiritual growth. Faithful obedience in a fallen world will naturally encounter resistance, suffering, and difficult decisions. Christians do not need to manufacture tests of faith; serious efforts to do …
Confessing sin to God is essential, but it is not always the only step repentance requires. When sin damages another person, biblical repentance also seeks reconciliation, restitution, and whatever can reasonably be done to repair the relationship. Instead of approaching the person combatively, make a gracious appeal: express gratitude that they have sought God’s forgiveness, …
Demonic oppression is real, and Pastor Mike has prayed for people suffering from serious demonic influence. He does not, however, imitate ceremonial exorcisms, employ incantations, recite formulas, or address demons as though he possesses personal jurisdiction over them. Christ and his apostles directly commanded demons as part of their unique authority. The church is built …
People have different temperaments. Some are more quickly frustrated, worried, or angered when plans fail, emergencies arise, or work is not done well. Recognizing that tendency should lead to deliberate growth, not despair or an excuse for sinful outbursts. Ask God for the Spirit’s fruit of self-control, patience, and endurance. With maturity, practice slowing the …
Church clothing standards vary across cultures, so Scripture does not give every congregation one universal dress code. Christians should nevertheless dress with appropriate dignity and avoid clothing that is deliberately provocative or likely to become a stumbling block. Church leaders cannot control every visitor’s clothing, and a detailed printed policy may be unnecessary when there …
Yes. Scripture presents demons as real fallen angels who oppose God’s work, tempt people, and seek to pull believers away from obedience. Christians can experience demonic influence, temptation, discouragement, or opposition. The traditional phrase “demon possession” can be misleading. The Gospel language describes demon-caused passivity in which a person is overpowered into behavior or speech …
No. Jesus and Paul both taught salvation by faith and the necessity of good works in the life that follows. The apparent conflict disappears when we distinguish the basis of salvation from the fruit of salvation. In Luke 18, Jesus says the tax collector who pleaded, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner,” went home …
Family members should respect a clear request not to disclose private medical information. Sharing a diagnosis without permission was wrong, even if they believed another person ought to know. A personal conviction about disclosure does not give someone authority to override the patient. If they refuse to apologize, forgiveness means releasing personal vengeance and entrusting …
No person’s spoken curse has binding spiritual power over someone’s children or later descendants. God deals with each generation according to its own response to him rather than mechanically punishing descendants for words spoken against their ancestors. Scripture does recognize generational consequences. A parent’s divorce, addiction, criminal activity, or destructive choices can deeply harm children …