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i need help in my spirtul life with god. im a christian an all that but i wan to grow mor with god!
how can i get closer to god?
(link)
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The first step is prayer. Stop and pray- tell God of your desire to get closer to him, ask him to help you, etc. God is always there, and he listens and answers all our prayers.
Other steps-
*Start reading the Bible more. Preferably every day. I like to keep my Bible by my bed and read at night. Other people I know start their day with Bible study. Whenever works for your schedule.
*A good devotional book or Bible study book can help give you focus. Ask Christian friends or your pastor for reccommendations. Or go to any Christian bookstore- one of the store clerks can probably give you suggestions.
*Keep a prayer journal. Write down your worries, concerns, asking God for help. Write down your joys, too, and questions. If you're also reading the Bible, you can write your thoughts and what stood out in your daily reading.
*Go to church regularly. If not Sunday services, then youth group. Being around other Christians is a great way to grow in your faith. My high school had a student-led prayer group that I went to weekly and learned a lot at.
*Get a mentor. Someone who is a strong Christian themself who can pray for you and support you in your journey. A friend, someone at church, a family member- anyone you feel close to.
Basically it all comes down to a few things: prayer, reading the Bible, and Christian fellowship. The most important of these is prayer.
I love to think of God as one of my best friends. Sure, he's also the all powerful creator of the universe. But he loves me unconditionally, always listens, I can tell him anything, he's always there.
Somehow, comparing praying to God to talking with my friends makes him seem closer, rather than praying to him up in the clouds and hoping he chooses to answer.
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My mom and I started going to church recently. I totally believe in God and I am 100% Christian. However, my dad was baptised (sp?) as a Morman, and neither of my brothers go to church. My brother A, isnt in to the whole believin in stuff type, hes more i'll believe it wen i see it. And Brother B just doesnt go to church. So my question is will my family all go to Heaven, or will my brothers go to Hell? I'd love answers asap please. (link)
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John 14:6 (KJV)
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
There's your answer. The only way to go to Heaven is through Jesus. You're probably learning this at your new church, and I'm so glad that you and your mom have found it.
It's hard to hear, and pretty scary, to think that your dad and brothers won't be going to Heaven. But God is just and fair, which means that all sins must be punished. Now, the grace part is the fact that Jesus took care of all the punishment for every sin every human ever committed- but the catch is free will. God gave humans free will, which means he's not going to force his grace on us. We have to ask for it, by saying, "Jesus, take my sins."
Now, just because your brothers don't want to go to church right now doesn't mean they'll never be saved. The Holy Spirit is always at work.
Pray for your brothers and your dad. Pray that God will work in their lives like he has worked in your life and your mom's. Pray that they'll come to accept the grace and forgiveness that is Jesus Christ. Continue to talk to them about your newfound faith, and live in a way that let's the light of Jesus's love shine through you. You can also ask your Christian friends at church to help you, to pray for you and your family.
I wish you all the best. God Bless!
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im a witch and i m trying to be a christian, i just went to this teen revial {aquire the fire} and felt all on fire for God, and then i just played 'light as feather w/my coven. am i stupid for trying to do both? do i have to be one or another? can i be both? so confused.... (link)
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First of all, the most important thing to know is that God loves you! He loves each and every person on this earth, regardless of anything we ever do, say, or think.
That said, are you stupid for trying to be both Wiccan and Christian? No
Do you have to be one or the other? Yes.
Being a Christian means accepting Jesus as your lord and savior. It means stating that you believe God sent Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, and you want to accept this gift of eternal life by confessing all your sins.
Being a Christian doesn't mean you now have to live a perfect lifestyle. It doesn't mean you have to give up all your friends, join a church, give away all your belongings and travel through the wilderness, or anything else anyone tells you you *have* to do. The whole point of Christianity is that you will no longer be punished for your sins- God has wiped the slate clean.
On the other hand, just because the slate is clean does not give you permission to do whatever you want. There are many verses in the Bible that describe the life that a child of God should live. Now, living for God will not get to heaven any sooner, but it will make the journey more enjoyable. Because what could bring more joy than living for the all-powerful, all-wonderful God who created you and loves you beyond all imagination?
My advice for you is to find some Christian mentors. Friends, a pastor, adults, just find someone in your life who cares about you and who can help you in your new walk with God. For more information and encouragement about separating your Wiccan lifestyle from your new Christian one, try Google searching for a (legit) Christian teen website. I know Brio magazine has done articles on Witchcraft before, that would be a good place to start. (here's a link to the article: http://briomag.com/briomagazine/spiritualhealth/a0005397.html )
I know this probably sounds very discouraging to you right now, but know that I type this with the best of intentions. I'll be praying for you, and I hope you can find peace, joy, and love in Christ. Remember, Jesus loves you more than you can even imagine. And nothing you have ever done, are doing, or can ever do will change this. God Bless!
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I am 19 and haven't dated in a year becuase i am tired of going out with people i know will not really mean anything. I recently started hanging out with an old friend, in which we get along great. One night a group of four people were debating and me and her agreed on everything. She is a very sweet girl and we share a strong passion for God. After my last breakup i kinda started to go away from god somewhat, and recently I have been coming back to him, and she really makes me want to countinue strengthening my walk with god. The only probly is, she is 14. (link)
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And you're question is....? Are you asking if it'd be okay to date this girl? Are you looking for encouragement in your walk with God? Are you trying to get advice on how to re-enter the dating world? Because I'm not quite sure what you're looking for in your question.
But on the issue of kissing this 14 year old- Don't. She's 5 years younger than you, which might not be such a big deal when you're 30, but right now it is a very big deal. She's a minor. You're an adult. You're not at the same stage in your lives.
Being friends is great. Especially if she's encouraging to you as a Christian friend and mentor.
Keep praying and reading your Bible. Finding God and establishing a relationship with him is an extremely important part of life. I wish you all the best.
Eventually you'll find the woman that you're meant to spend your life with, and in the meantime, focus on being the best child of God that you can. (Not that you shouldn't ever date, but being single is OK, too)
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Teen christianity is becoming an enormous problem. In hordes normal children are being brainwashed into believing their elders that the world will end within their lifetimes.
As a result kids aren't just kids anymore. Everything that used to be "fun" is suddenly a "sin." We're busy thinking about heaven and our church before we hardly even had a chance to see the world, and we're waiting for the "world to end."
What a crock of sh**. I personally don't even want to go with Jesus if there is an apocolypse. I never was attracted to Christianity. Your parents shove it down your throats before you even have a chance to thin for yourselves. It's a religion created by old men, for old men, and against personal gain or women in general. Well, being an AMBITIOUS woman and a FEMINIST I want nothing to do with this faith. I know I'll be getting some violent attacks from all of you brainwashed little turds about how right you are and wrong I am, and I'll sit here and sigh and understand because you're in a box that you didn't necessarily put yourself in.
So here is my question- what makes you believe anyway? (link)
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What makes me believe? Faith.
There are many different forms of Christianity, because people are humans, and humans make mistakes. Look at all the different denominations of churches out there... Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Baptist... there are hundreds. And interpretations of the Bible: KJV, NIV, The Message, NLT... again, the list goes on an on.
I guess all I'm saying is don't judge all Christians by your experience with a few. We're not all brainwashed fundamentalists.
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hi i'm 13 and a Christian but i have a bad habit of lying...i know that its really bad like i dont lie big time just like little white lies but they r still bad so do any of u know any bible verses on lying, not lying,how lying is bad and stuff like that? plz help!! ~i rate high~ (link)
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Sweetie, if you're the same person who posted the last question regarding bible verses for grudges/forgiveness... I suggest you find a good devotional or study bible to help you.
Or try Google searching for a website targeted to Christian teens. Either way, you won't have to deal with the jerks here who insult you instead of providing a constructive answer to questions like yours.
There are so many issues and struggles all of us Christians face every day, because the Devil is still active in our world.
The best thing we can do is pray, read the Bible, and surround ourselves with other Christians to encourage us.
Ask your youth pastor to reccommend a good devotional. Or go to a Christian bookstore... there's usually a whole section of teen devotionals and books, many of which could help you.
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Hi, Advicenators. Normally I make up my own mind, but I need a little help. If you're going to be sarcastic or rude, don't bother.
Gender: female
Grade: Eighth
I have a problem with my Sunday School teacher. You see, I honestly believe that I have more Biblical knowledge than her. I know that sounds conceited.. but it just seems like it! Yesterday (Easter Sunday) our "lesson" was on miracles. This is what the conversation was like:
Teacher:Who can preform miracles?
Teacher:Only Jesus can preform miracles! No one else can!
Me:*raises hand*
Teacher:yes?
Me:But Jesus isn't the only one who can preform miracles.. Paul, Elija, Elisha, the Devil, the Twelve Disciples.. they all preformed miracles..
Teacher:No, no, no. That's not what I said..
Me:You said "Only Jesus can preform miracles".
Teacher:Anyway, girls, as you see.. blah, blah, blah.
At this time, I'm feeling pretty screwed over since she just blew me off. All of that conversation is an exact quote. This was the third time that I was able to correct her (and the third time I got blown off) yesterday alone! It happens every Sunday.. she doesn't know the lesson, she doesn't know what she's talking about.. It makes me mad!
I know that I am much, much more mature Spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and in my knowledge of the Bible and Christ.. (not trying to sound conceited..) but the lessons are never fufilling! I could gather more from my eight-year old sister's Sunday School lesson. Get this: I was the only girl in my class of seventh and eighth grade girls that knew what the Rapture was! Oh my gosh! How dumb?!
So, I was considering talking to my youth pastor about this. I'm naturally shy, and I don't like to put myself in that position.. but this is so annoying.. and a waste of my Sunday morning! So.. do you think I should speak to my youth pastor about this?
PS - I don't really get along with my teacher, I'm nice to her... but we don't get along. :\
PPS - Sorry it's so long! Thanks in advance.. (link)
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If you're feeling discouraged, by all means, talk to your youth pastor about this. Sunday School should encourage you to grow in your faith, not make you think it's a waste of time and make you not want to be there.
But one thing I'd like to bring up... maybe in the future, instead of correcting your teacher in front of the entire class, talk to her aside. It's annoying as a teacher to have students demean your authority and interrupt your lesson. Yes, she's making mistakes. But you have to remember, she's only human. So instead of telling her she's wrong, be satisfyed with the knowledge that you DO know what the Bible says, and just don't let her wrong information affect your beliefs.
I only say this because I've had experience as a teacher. I teach swim lessons, and last summer I had one kid who seemed to think that the way I ran the "rainbow jump in" game was wrong. Now, his refusal to play by my rules interrupted the class, and made the other kids less likely to want to listen to me, too. I know it's not the same thing as blasphemy, but do keep in mind that your teacher probably isn't trying to lead you the wrong way, and even if it's not new book learning, you are benefitting from these sunday school classes on some spiritual level.
A note to end this long (probably not all useful) advice, Jesus was ALWAYS humble, a lesson we can all learn from. And God DOES work in mysterious ways- ways we don't and can't always understand.
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i've been really doubting Jesus Christ these past few days. i believed in Jesus before and i trust that i'll believe in him once again, i just need some motivation and i need to be reminded again of his grace and glory. please help me turn my life back to God. (link)
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Turn to your Bible. Pray. Talk to another Christian about it- parent, friend, youth pastor, etc. Listen to Worship CD's and sing along to your favorite songs.
I attended a conference recently where the message was "Preach the Gospel to yourself everyday" and I really feel that there's meaning to that phrase. As Christians, we often think of the Gospel as something we already know and have heard, and just something to pass on to others... but it's more than that! Maybe what you need is a good reminder of what Jesus went through... his time on earth, his suffering, his death on the cross... all because HE LOVES US.
As it says in Romans 8:38 (NLT), "...nothing can ever separate us from his love..."
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