The Bible says God hates “lying lips,” but there are also stories, such as Rahab helping the Israelite spies, where lying seems to be a good thing. So is lying sometimes okay?
Big Questions
Our panel of contributors replies to questions from readers on topics like these: ethics, relationships, missional living, faith formation, vocation/calling, digital life, church/Bible/doctrine, and stewardship. Got a question you’d like answered?
When broken people come to churches, they are looking for people who have walked in their shoes. They are seeking a community that becomes a safe place.
Faith questions are and should be asked as teens start to make faith their own.
My kid threw a fit when she saw the photos I had posted of her online. I think she’s overreacting, but what do you think?
One of the quickest and easiest ways to fill a void in our lives is to buy something, and our mind convinces us for a moment that this will cure our ills.
Everything Christians do for the Lord has significance not only for this life, but for the life to come.
The author of Genesis had no intention of giving us a 21st-century, scientifically precise account of how God created all things.
Each individual has a unique genetic makeup, social history, and personality, and each teen will navigate this identity crisis in his or her own way.
It takes a delicate balance to identify what helps children to worship and what disrupts worship.
“Righteousness” is another word for “justice,” which can be understood to mean something like “treating each person, thing, or situation rightly or correctly.”
As a Reformed Christian, I believe God cares deeply about how we steward the Earth as faithful people of God.
The deacons say that most people are paying electronically. I’ve even heard of churches that allow people to swipe a credit card in the service. Isn’t this undermining the worshipful nature of the offering?
During retirement we are called to discern the varied ways our new status can become an opportunity to be of service to others—our children, grandchildren, siblings, parents, churches, and wider communities.
Why didn’t the early Reformers more seriously seek reunion with Eastern Orthodoxy after rejecting the excesses and innovations of Western Catholicism?
Helpful input convinced me that online dating is a viable option for anyone seeking a mate.
I suggest asking your congregation some hard questions about how closed or open it is to reaching out to new immigrants.
It can be very helpful for everyone in a newly blended family if both the marriage partners and their respective children understand that the roles of spouse and parent should not be assumed to automatically go together.
Our church has a lot of programs for children and teens but nothing for those of us who are retirement age. I feel as if I don’t count. Shouldn’t the church have things for us too?
Avoiding social hierarchies does not mean we should eliminate social differences or diversity, but merely the inequality between those differences.
There is nothing inherently unchristian about minimalism, and there are certainly significant parallels to Jesus' teaching on money and possessions.
If you mention genealogy in a group, it’s likely someone has had some experience with it—or knows someone who has. You’re also likely to pick up on some friendly competitiveness about how far back their roots could be traced.
God calls us in remarkably diverse and unpredictable ways. Because this is so, there is no simple or generalizable formula for discerning what task, career, or domestic positions God is calling us to occupy.
What do you consider to be the most humorous passage in Scripture?
Thanks for asking! I'm always grateful for those who find humor important for our health and welfare, including biblical humor. There's a lot of it. But my favorite?I have had awful times talking about justice with my family and friends who do not agree with my perspective. I love them, but my approach is not working. Any advice?