The reality of being human includes making mistakes, often choosing destructive patterns over God’s best for us, and sometimes acting in ways that harm others. The good news of the Gospel is that those mistakes do not define us. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are defined by redemption—not our sins. While we might hate what we do so

This question can be broken into two parts. Let's start with the easier one. There are things which the Bible specifically declares as sins. Take a moment to read through the following passages: Proverbs 6:16-19, Galatians 5:19-21, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Done? No, really. Go read them. I'll wait.Okay, these verses very clearly list actions which

The word "discern" (and all its forms in the New Testament) is translated from the Greek word anakrino and means "to distinguish, to separate out by diligent search, to examine." Spiritual discernment is using biblical understanding and God's wisdom to differentiate between what is godly, what is ungodly, and what may be neutral, while also determi

Have you ever heard someone end a prayer with "in Jesus' name, amen"? Have you ever wondered what it means or where that phrase even came from? While Jesus was sitting at His last meal with His disciples, He gave them some final words of wisdom. One of the things He told them was about praying to God the Father. "And I will do whatever you ask in m

Have you ever felt shame or regret over something from your past? Maybe you're ashamed of gossiping about a friend or you regret not going to see a loved one in the hospital who later passed away? We all experience shame and regret, but is it right that we continue feeling that shame and regret—like a lifelong punishment for our sins? Let's look at

"Let go and let God." It's one of those sayings you may have heard thrown around in conversations or given as trite advice. The phrase "Let go and let God" has been absorbed into the sayings that float around Christian conversations. Before we go any further let’s clear this out of the way—"Let go and let God" is NOT found in the Bible. But are the

No, Jesus did not have any children of His own. The Bible makes no mention of Jesus ever getting married or having children. Jesus’ purpose on earth was not to get married and have a family. While there is nothing wrong with believers getting married and having children, this was not why Jesus came to earth. Jesus came to die for the sins of the wo

One of the toughest things about relationships is that different feelings don’t have nice, neat boundaries. The emotions we feel blur at the edges. Excitement can feel a lot like fear. Loyalty can morph into jealousy. And what we sometimes think is “love” is really "just lust." With the world today making everything about sex, that’s an especially

Personal identity is one of the most important things to understand about ourselves. Knowing who we are, what makes us tick, what makes us laugh, what gets on our nerves, what brings us true joy—those are essential things to name because that understanding affects everything else. Personal identity affects how we look at life, how we deal with conf

Hentai is the Japanese term for "perversion/pervert." In Western culture it is used to describe anime or manga that is sexually graphic to the point of basically being animated pornography. While some people might expose themselves to hentai under the label of "watching it for the story," story or no story, the underlying goal of the visual is stil

Toxic positivity is an oxymoron that can be discreetly devastating for those who exhibit and encounter this behavior. But what is it? First of all, toxic positivity should not be confused with optimism. Optimism is a hopeful outlook on reality, whereas toxic positivity is an expectation of the fantasy that everything will be OK no matter what. Toxi

Whether you consider a famous work of art or just a doodle you do for fun, the existence of art points to an artist. It would be ridiculous to look at a painting and deny the existence of the painter. In the same way, the existence of our vastly intricate universe holds many clues that point to a Creator. via GIPHYClue #1: The Universe Has a Beginn

Contrary to popular belief, there's nothing wrong with saying "Xmas" instead of "Christmas." Some people would like to think that the word "Xmas" is a part of a grand conspiracy to take Christ out of Christmas. While it is true that there are some people who will use "Xmas" for that reason, the reason for the X being there has nothing to do with an

Humor is really subjective. What's hilarious to one can upset another. What an individual "feels" to be funny is driven by personality and experiences and is influenced by culture. What counts as "dark humor" changes based on all those factors. So, how should Christians think of dark humor? Is it forbidden, no big deal, or some combination of both?

“The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.” —Exodus 31:16-17The Sabbath was a special sign between the Israelit

“Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day shall be put to death. Therefore, the people of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, observing the Sabbath throughout their generations, as a covenant forever. It is a sign forever between me and the people of Israel t

This is a very good but very big question, isn't it? A lot of people wonder the same thing. They're asking, "Does God actually exist? Does He really hear my prayers?" Well, the truth is, no one can prove the existence of God, BUT no one can disprove it either. It's all a matter of faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us what faith is exactly and how it relate

If God created man in His own image (Genesis 1:27) and we have the ability to enjoy humor or appreciate a joke, then it makes sense that God has a sense of humor as well! You could say we "inherited" it from our Heavenly Father. Take a look at some of the animals God created (I'm looking at you, manatee), and it becomes pretty clear that God has cr

As a student, doing well in school is your most important "job," and as Christians, we should be committed to doing the best we can at any job God has put in our lives. Colossians 3:23-24 says, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are servin

What's the difference between being too busy to eat and intentionally missing meals? Where's the line between not liking some foods and being physically or emotionally unable to eat them? How can you know if you or someone you love has a naturally low appetite or if they have an eating disorder?Countless questions surround eating disorders, a menta