Ask The Youth Pastor

Dealing with Feelings

2010-08-27T09:50:00.005-05:00

Question:

How do I overcome feelings of being worthless? There's this guy and we've had a past relationship. We try to talk now but I can't help but get these feelings of hurt and worthlessness. I just don't understand why God keeps bringing him in my life if all he does is bring me pain.

Answer:

In answering this question you have to take a look at how God views you. 2 Timothy 1:7 says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. The source of those feelings that you are experiencing do not come from God. In first understanding what does not come from Him you can embrace what does come from Him. One of the great truths about God is that He loves you and had a great plan for your life long before you were even born. Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;"

It's important to understand as well that He does not make mistakes but we do. Luke 17:1 says that it's impossible for us to live this life without offenses coming. Because of that there is no such thing as a perfect relationship no matter how hard both sides try. We experience hurt because we make mistakes and receive hurt from other people's mistakes. Sometimes things just don't turn out. It may very well be that the Lord is using your constant running into this guy so that you can work out the situation for closure. It first starts with recognizing that these feelings don't come from God and that He will take care of you. 1 Peter 5:6 says that we need to give Him all of our cares because of His care for us. In giving these cares to Him those feelings will not have power over you anymore. Then you will freely walk and enjoy what God has for you in your life as you look to Him.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

I Have Your App.

2010-08-26T10:00:00.005-05:00

Question:

Hi, lately I have been very confused and lonely so I decided to see if there was a free app on my iPod for teens that helped them in their walk. I was reading your 'Give up?' story and saw that I could email you if I had any questions.
First I would like to say thank you and from what I have read you have helped me. But I still need help. I feel so lonely and empty. I know that God is always with me and that He will never leave me but I can't help but feel this way. I've been crying a lot at night because of how empty I am. I pray very often but it seems like He isn't answering.

The Bible tells me that isn't true and I believe it, but it gets hard at times making me feel confused and worse about myself for not trusting in Him.
If you could give me some verses or any advice that would be great.

Answer:

That's something that a lot of people actually experience. I'm glad to hear that you know that the Lord is always with you and it sounds like you have a good foundation of knowledge of Scripture. What you are describing is the tugging of the heart for more of Christ. He doesn't want to be just a part of your life. He created you so that you can enjoy Him in ALL of your life. He made you for His purposes and for His glory. He laid out the plans of your life before you were even born just like in Jeremiah 1:4.

"That He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with His might through the Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you , being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the width and length and depth an height and to know the love of Christ that passes all knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:16-19.

What you are describing is what your heart desires, and what your heart desires is for the Lord to be your passion and to live for His purposes. Know that this is a lifelong journey of being filled with Him and living in His purposes. But it starts with you setting your mind and affections on Him as Colossians 3:1-3 says.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Wondering About Forgiveness

2010-08-25T13:42:00.005-05:00

Question:

I'm not sure what to do about forgiving my uncle. A few days ago, my mom, brother, and I went over to a relative's for lunch. Later, my mom mentioned that a certain uncle was supposed to have been there also. I froze in horror for a moment, because I would never have gone if I knew he was going to come. I am dreadfully afraid of this uncle, and I do not want to see him or have contact with him. This is due to things that happened about eight years ago, and events that continue to happen and remind me of that time. There was no physical or sexual abuse, but my uncle did something that was incredibly damaging to me emotionally, though he probably had no idea he was doing it. My parents did not protect me from him when I was young. They did not understand how devastated and terrified I was as well. After another traumatic event with this uncle at a wedding this spring, I finally told my parents about my fear of this uncle. Now that they know, I don't think they would ever force me to be in his presence again. But in harboring these feelings of fear and panic whenever I think of him, and avoiding him for reasons that he does not even know about. Am I being unforgiving? What is the Christian response to this situation? I want to forgive, and yet I know that true forgiveness is not a quick or cheap gift- it was painful for Christ to forgive us through the cross. I believe that forgiveness means really looking at the event, acknowledging the harm done, and then releasing the guilty party from guilt and oneself from anger. How can I go about forgiving this uncle? Can I do that if I am scared of even facing him? And if I forgive him, does that mean I need to go to family functions where he is present? Will forgiving him take away the intense and petrifying fear I feel when I am around him? Could you give me some guidance in how to handle this?

Answer:

You have a very solid view on what forgiveness looks like and it's awesome to see that you're not afraid of forgiving him. Forgiving your uncle for what it is that he did is not done through your focused effort to overcome this difficulty because forgiveness is not something that you have the ability to do in your own self. Jesus said in Mark 9:23 "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Since you are His child what I believe He wants is for you to be sensitive to being connected to Him as the vine is to the branches as John 15:5 says. John 15:2 shows that as you are connected to Him, HE will do the pruning. He will allow forgiveness to flow through you for your uncle. By all means you have to make the choice to forgive but your ability to forgive comes from being connected to Christ.

Forgiving your uncle has to do with you setting your focus on Christ. He doesn't expect you to do something to earn His forgiveness because He offers it freely to you. As you embrace His forgiveness and His love, He will cast out that fear that has held you frozen (check 2 Timothy 1:7). In Him you can walk freely. Don't try to figure out how it is that He wants you to forgive. Instead focus on Him and allow Him to impart forgiveness and then let Him lead you in how to flesh that out with your uncle.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Keeping My Faith

2010-08-24T16:15:00.005-05:00

Question:

I am having some personal issues in life right now. Sometimes it is hard to stay faithful to the Lord. What can i do in order to not let myself fall away from God and to keep trusting Him in all I do?

Answer:

That's definitely a struggle that we all have in our walk with the Lord. You're not alone my friend. I'd like to share a passage with you. Luke 10:41-21 says, "And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But ONE THING is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part which will not be taken away from her.'" In this passage Jesus was invited to some women's house. Martha was trying her best to be the hospitable host in the house and Mary wanted to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to Him. Martha was upset that Mary wasn't helping her and asked Jesus to tell her to help. Jesus replied those words to her.

Especially in hard times it's easy to get worried about the things in our lives that go in many different directions and we want so badly to control those things that they would turn out well. The last thing we naturally want to do is settle down and listen to Christ. But the truth is that we are made to only have one master and when we get worried we scatter our attention in many different directions and are not settled in anything. Christ is saying is that He wants us focused on that ONE THING (staying close to Him) despite the many things that pull for our attention. This is what we are made for, and those things cannot take away what we have in Christ because HE is greater than those things and will have them fall in place as we focus on Him.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

2010-08-20T11:11:00.005-05:00

Question:

My friend is Mormon, and we talk about religion a lot. I learned from a guy on youtube that Mormons believe in Gethsemane being the place where the atonement for our sins was paid. Some people have said that Luke 22:44 says that Jesus ACTUALLY sweated blood, whereas others say that His blood was LIKE sweat. I personally believe the latter. What is your opinion? If the latter is true, then there is truly no atonement for our sins (according to the Mormoms), which means Jesus never saved us of our sins.

On another view, if the atonement for us was through Gethsemane, then what was the cross for? If Jesus did not have to die, then there is no resurrection of the dead, and if there is no resurrection of the dead, then sin has not been conquered. Am I right in saying that?

If there is time, can you also check the credibility of this youtube user? He was once an ex-occult and a goth, but what he talks about seems to be the truth. I don't know if watching this guy's videos overall is worth the time, and if the truth is correct.

Answer:

What you have to remember in sharing Christ with those who are indoctrinated in false teaching is that it is dangerous grounds to get into debates. You have to know that they will come a lot of times not with the intention of having an honest discussion but with attacking the foundation of what you believe. You have to address these discussions from the foundation of what you believe then let that trickle down to the details. It first starts with lifting Him up and allowing Him to draw men to Him as John 12:32 says. You have to come from the standpoint of what you believe and allowing His light to shine on the darkness instead of trying to dispute the darkness to win them to the Light.

You have to ask yourself, “What are they saying isn’t true?” The answer to that question is that they’re saying Jesus didn’t have to die for our sins. The answer to that dispute can be found in the garden. Jesus prayed in Mark 14:35-36 that if there was any possible way that the Lord could redeem man other than through the cross that He would do so. Yet He knew that this was not possible and said, “Not My will but what You will.” His obedience to the Father and His death was physical proof that there was no other way. Jesus confirmed Himself that no one can get to the Father except through Him in John 14:6.

Now understand that I’m not trying to give you the words to say in discussing with your friend. What I am trying to do is show you the approach that I believe the Lord has called us to take. He has called us to study His Word and rightly interpret and apply His Word as 2 Timothy 2:15 says. Through knowing Him and His Word we will be able to shine His light more brightly on what is not true. Now I’m not saying that you shouldn’t study what it is that they believe. But do so from credible sources and be careful to do so knowing the Truth and what Christ has revealed as true from His Word first.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Going Your Own Way

2010-08-19T11:40:00.005-05:00

Question:

I completely agree with todays message. I have a friend who is struggling with the whole topic of choosing God or going ones own way. Do you have some day to day examples of how God brings the lost back to Him? I've always been taught that God does not chasten or discipline the lost as he does His own. So how does He? I also believe that one of the greatest ways He draws people to Him is by the placement of godly individuals in their lives. But is there more? Is God stern with the lost, or does he gently prod them to Him? Does He save His wrath for Judgement Day? As I write this I understand that in God's wisdom He works on each person perfectly. But so many nonbelievers see other nonbelievers "living the good life" and don't see God's "foot". How does His foot work today?

Answer:

Those are some good questions. The focus of the devotional that we sent out today had to do with understanding that the Lord was going to receive glory from our lives. We also know from 2 Peter 3:9 that He is not willing that any should die in sin. We should also know that Jesus said in Luke 9:50 that all those who are not for the Lord are against Him. Those who attempt to bring the Lord dishonor to His Name by either trying to stop His Work or sabotage His working through His people will face humiliation in this life as Psalm 2 shows and experience a taste of Christ's conquering. But know that the Lord does this to declare Himself right in their eyes and that they might see the error of their way and repent. For those who do not belong to Him but are simply going their own way, the Lord will use any means necessary to reach their hearts. The most effective way that the Lord intended for the lost to be reached was through those who were created in His image and have His Spirit changing them to be like Him. The Lord is merciful with everyone. As long as they have breath He will reach out to them. Yet if they die in sin they will have to face the consequences at the Day of Judgment. So know that He is not just waiting for those who don't have Him to mess up. They will receive the consequences for the wrong choices they make just like us believers. But His mercy will continually give them the opportunity to turn to Him.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Question from the Bible Studies

2010-08-18T10:23:00.006-05:00

Question:

I had a question regarding a recent Bible Study that I received from Free Our Family. I was curious about the middle statement "Those who embrace Christ but don't live surrendered to Him will suffer loss in that day of the judgment for their conduct." Can you explain to me who you are talking about and what loss they will suffer and what conduct? Thank you for your time.

Answer:

The judgment that I was referring to specifically in this study was the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is the judgment where Christians are going to be examined not for their sins but for their stewardship with Christ. Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Jesus calls out to all of His children to follow Him daily. Whether through our obedience to Him or our not choosing to follow Him on His terms we build and invest our lives on the foundation of Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 is the Scripture that I was referring to when I made the statement that believers will suffer loss. If they build on the foundation of Christ that which is not of Him then it will be burnt up, but because our identity is in Him we will be saved. That is why it is important that we as believers are sensitive to allowing the Lord to examine us and show us those areas that we are investing in our lives that are in Him and those areas that are not of Him. When we find those areas that are not of Him, we must deny ourselves and allow Him to unlearn us in a sense and teach us what it is He wants us to invest there instead.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

2010-08-17T16:18:00.005-05:00

Question:

Over the years I have lived a hard life of being excluded. After finally reaching high school I have found my place but I struggle with self-doubt. I struggle with self-doubt of whether I'm as good as people say I am. Even at times, my best friends will tell me things and I will not believe it because I have been put down for so long. Most people say to forget about what they say and listen to what God says and that is true I understand that. But I can't even get past seeing myself for who I am let alone seeing myself as God sees me. How can I get rid of this self-doubt?

Answer:

I would like you to think of it this way. From the beginning of creation the purpose of man was to reflect the glory of God. God created us in His image. We were made to be loved by God and to love Him in return. When sin entered the picture that connection with God was cut, but through Jesus we are restored back to the Father. You walk in victory when you choose to embrace that what Christ has done for you and what He has made you is true. Now understand that He has set you free so that you can walk in Him and love Him. When you set your eyes on knowing Him despite what others say and come boldly to the throne as Hebrews 4:16 says, you will walk in the truth that you are already a child of the King.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Question about faith

2010-08-12T08:49:00.006-05:00

Question:

I've been trying to understand my responsibility with faith. I'm beginning to understand that faith is given to us, and we have to live by it. How do we build up our faith?

Answer:

To put it simply, look to honor the Lord with the faith that He has given you and He will grow your faith. Jesus used the parable in Matthew 25:21, 23 in saying how when the servant is faithful with few, He grants more. We tend to think of other things as being faithful but it’s good to remember that we need to be faithful to exercise our faith (almost sounds confusing). It’s easy to put God in a box and try to figure Him out. Faith is going to Him knowing He’s not in any box and letting Him lead you however He wishes. Now He will show you how to live and it will be evidenced from the Truth of His Word, but it starts when we let Him be God.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

A Constant Struggle

2010-08-06T11:35:00.005-05:00

Question:

I don't have anybody to talk to that I trust. I feel I need to tell someone other than God. I've messed up yet again with committing a particular sin that I've struggled with in the past. I've repented and asked God for forgiveness but still feel so dirty and don't deserve to be forgiven a million times for the same sin. I failed myself, I failed as a witness and I failed God. I'm trying so hard to get it together and I know I can only do it with God working through me but I'm a failure at life and a failed a Christian. I'm completely hopeless and barely hanging on and want to let go. The only thing I deserve is to go to hell.

Answer:

The truth of the matter is that everyone deserves to go to hell. But I am thankful that God is merciful with us and has given us His redemption so freely. There is no such thing as a perfect believer. Jesus did not lay the condition that we must never sin again "or else" when He paid for our sins. He paid for our sins completely and saved you wholly. If you are struggling with a particular sin, it’s not a matter of how sorry do you feel in order to walk in His forgiveness. It’s a matter of believing in Christ. As Christ came up to those who were hurting and asked them if they believed, He is reaching out to you now. Jesus said in Mark 9:23, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” When Christ died for our sins, He destroyed the power of sin over us so that we can be free. You are not under the law, you are under grace as Romans 6:14 says.

It starts with you being honest about where you are and your struggle with this particular sin. The way that God wants us to walk in His victory starts with honesty before Him as 1 John 1:9 says, and then bringing our struggle into the light with other believers who are fighting the same fight. James 5:16 says that we are to confess our faults to each other and pray for each other, and that He will work mightily on our behalf when we do this. The next part is to set up forms of accountability to help keep you from getting into situations where you are vulnerable to this particular struggle. Then I would encourage you to dive into God’s Word in study and ask Him to give you His understanding. Psalm 119:9 says , “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word.” We walk in His strength when we accept His Truth to be true for our lives and walk on the strength of His promises and His holding onto us. Know also that this is a journey. There will be slips. But get back up and push forward and you’ll see the hand of God at work in your life.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Feeling Inadequate

2010-08-05T10:06:00.007-05:00

Question:

Hi, I am a senior in high school and I have been feeling a calling to go into the ministry. I really want to be a youth pastor. However, the more I think about it the more I think I am not worthy to be called into this. I have made a mess of my life and I am 17 years old with a past. I just don't think I can do this. Could you help me figure this out? I am so lost.

Answer:

I want you to know that if the Lord is calling you to be in the ministry, that is an honor. The beautiful thing about being in Christ is that He sees us all the same. God views all people on earth as either belonging to Him or not belonging to Him. (Matthew 25:33) Outside of Christ, we are all hopeless sinners. But the moment we receive Christ we are clothed in His righteousness. Isaiah 61:10 says, " I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." When we trust Christ, we are made clean with His righteousness and not our own. Even when we sin and make big mistakes He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us when we admit our mistakes (1 John 1:9).

Take a look at the Apostle Paul. Before he was a believer he was well known as a Christian killer. But when he embraced Christ and walked in his calling he was known as the greatest apostle. Read 1 Timothy 1:11-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 to see what he had to say about this.

The calling of God has nothing to do with our own ability. It has to do with us relying on Christ knowing our own inability. When we rest on Him knowing this, we begin to see the mighty hand of God. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says that His grace is made perfect in our weakness, to the point where we can be glad at our own inabilities that He can work mightily through us.

I would encourage you to seek prayer from other believers and seek the Lord through His Word, and prayer, and that He help you to see and confirm in your heart His calling you to the ministry. He is faithful and He will show you.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Anorexia

2010-08-03T14:51:00.004-05:00

Question:

My best friend told me I am anorexic......... I don't really know if I am or not and I have no idea what to do!

Answer:

The first thing that I believe would be helpful for you is to understand what Anorexia is to see if you fall into this category. I would encourage you to talk to an adult who could walk with you in this and help you process your situation. It would do good if you could walk through this with someone and let them help you see if you do have Anorexia. A website that could give you a good understanding of Anorexia is http://helpguide.org/mental/anorexia_signs_symptoms_causes_treatment.htm. It may be that you have feelings that lead in this direction or it may be that measures need to be taken. If it's a couple beliefs that need to be altered, a couple websites such as www.findingbalance.com and www.river-tree.net/onelife are helpful sites in seeing a healthy view of how God made you and how He wants you to view who He has created you to be. If this is something that you know is too much for you, we would be happy to help you find professional Christian counseling to help you walk through this.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Increasing Faith

2010-07-23T14:19:00.004-05:00

Question:

Greetings fellow sibling in Christ,
I've been recently been searching and chasing after the faith of a mustard seed that is talked about in Matthew 17:20-21. Every great Christian I know has this type of faith, and I have been searching for it, yearning to find it.

My question is: How do I develop this type of faith? It's gotta start somewhere right? So where do I start and how can I start to develop it?

Thanks for your time, and thanks for this wonderful ministry you have going!

Answer:

That’s a very good question. I have often struggled with the same thing. To see others who are experiencing the joy of the Lord in their lives and walking in His fullness, and then looking at your own walk and feeling inadequate is very easy to do. What we have to first remember is that the faith that we do have is not something that we conjured up in ourselves. A very well known verse (Ephesians 2:8) says that we receive grace through faith. That faith doesn’t come from ourselves, and that even this is a gift from God. At the beginning of our walks when we are spiritually born, Christ receives us when we respond to His reaching out to us. He then gives us the ability to believe based on our response. We then are called to live by faith and not our feelings as 2 Corinthians 5:7 shows us.

Hebrews 10:23 says that we need to hold fast to our profession of faith because HE is Faithful. We are not walking based on our own faith. We are called to live based on the faithfulness of Christ in us. That takes the pressure of performance off of us and enables us to rest in His presence becuase He has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). In resting in His faithfulness, we will see Him work mightily thorugh our lives and that increases our faith.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

About Love

2010-07-22T16:54:00.003-05:00

Question:

I'm in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way about me anymore. I pray for God to take these feelings away, but every single day I'm hurt and disappointed. Its an endless cycle. If God loves me so much, why does He allow me to suffer through all of this?

Answer:

I can definitely understand the feeling of frustration and the confusion in putting these two together. What’s important to understand is that there is a difference between the love that people give to others and the love that our Father gives to us. The thing about people is that even those with the best intentions let us down. This person probably had strong feelings for you at one point and then decided going a different way. The reason people do this is because we honestly don’t know what we want. Because of that we tend to go on our feelings very easily. On a good day the world is bright and chipper and bad days it seems really gray and almost hopeless.

What we need to remember is that God does not love us like this. Isaiah 55:9 says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways.” His love for us is not a love that tells you “I love you” one day and then lets you down. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This is where it starts. He proved His love by sending Jesus to save us from separation from Him, and so that we could know Him to the fullest and enjoy Him. John 17:3 says that eternal life is knowing the Lord and Jesus, the One the Father sent, and if you look at 1 John 4:8, you’ll see that God IS Love. To experience the Father is to experience His love.

It’s not His desire that you think and feel that any human love you feel in a relationship is how He loves you. As a matter of fact, He wants you to experience His Love so much that it pours out into every area of your life. The way that He does that is not by taking away desires that we have. He made you to want to be loved and to respond. He pours out His love and works in our hearts by our responding to Him and turning to Him. We have to accept what He says as true and confidently trust Him to give freely to us because He is our Father and He made us His children because of Jesus (Luke 11:9-11). When we submit ourselves to Him, He sets us free from the power of whatever it was that was holding us apart from Him. (2Corinthians 3:17)

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Abour Relationships

2010-07-09T09:04:00.005-05:00

Question:

I was in a relationship with my ex-boyfriend for over a year. Throughout the relationship I treated terribly but he was in love with me. Now it's vice versa. I apologized to him but he now treats me terribly. Recently, he told me he didn't want anything to do with me. He is now in a relationship with my friend. At first in our relationship he was VERY close to God. I feel like I pulled him away. Now I'm trying to get close to God. Do you have any advice on how to rely on God to lead us back together, with us both loving each other? Or any advice on broken hearts?

Answer:

The thing about following God that you have to understand is that God doesn’t want us to draw closer to Him with an expected result. When we do that, we are telling Him that we want His hand on our lives but we still hold onto our own desires. If you desire to draw closer to the Lord, it will have to be only for the purpose of knowing Him better and walking in the life He has given you. When we come to Him, we have to come to Him on His terms. Jesus said that before we could even be His disciple, we had to deny ourselves. Now understand that I am not saying this to discourage you from seeking the Lord. He wants us to seek Him far more than we desire to know Him. He created us for this relationship. But know that His terms are the only terms for walking this way.

The best thing you can do now is accept the situation you are currently in right now. We always receive the fruit of the actions that we sow. Now the Lord will give you the grace to walk through this as you look to Him. But understand that in the beginning, you took a course of actions that came to this result, even though now you would rather it not be this way. Give this time and focus on your walk with the Lord. Friendships and relationships work both ways. He has to be ready to respond. Respect his stand and give him space. It may turn in time, but don’t put your hope in that. Your hope is meant to be placed in the Lord.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

I Want to Serve the Lord

2010-07-08T09:16:00.006-05:00

Question:

I'm tired of waisting my life. I want to start serving the Lord. It's only been a couple of days since I've decided this but I'm sure of it. I have already recieved the Lord as my Savior a few years back. I just never served him like I know I should. I want to start serving Him now because tomorrow might be too late. I have been putting this off for a while but God says that it's time. I really need help. I already took the first step but I don't know what's next.

Answer:

I understand what you are saying and I see that you want your life to be used for a purpose beyond yourself. I want you to carefully weigh my words and think over what it is that you are desiring. I'm speaking to you about this out of my own personal experience and what I am coming to learn in my own walk with the Lord. I was saved at a young age. I knew that the Lord was True and outside of Him there was nothing of any true value. So I told Him the same thing. I told Him that I would do anything that He wanted me to do and I would serve Him. Part of me wanted to do this because inside I felt inadequate. I thought that if I did things for Him, I could come to a place where He would be pleased with me. Another thing that I knew was that I didn't know Him very well, and I wasn't sure how to get to know Him. My times in His Word had a lot of confusion and my prayers to Him all sounded the same. No matter how hard I tried on my own I couldn’t ever seem to get anywhere.

I am telling you all this because the work that He has for you is something that HE wishes to do through you. The emphasis is on Him doing the work. There is nothing that you can do for Him that would make Him more pleased with you. He is already pleased with you because of Christ and Him making you right with the Father.

He desires that you would get to know Him. I would encourage you to stop trying to do things to please Him and rest in what Christ did to make you right with the Father. Learn to be still before Him. He is the One who saved you. All you did was respond to His salvation by saying yes. He wants you to walk with Him in the same manner. After saying yes to Him and whatever He has planned for you, go forward in your day expecting Him to reveal Himself to you. This is a lifelong journey. Take it one day at a time and trust Him one moment at a time.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

I Need Help

2010-07-07T11:39:00.005-05:00

Question:

I don't know who else to turn to. I use to be a devil worshipper. I feel like their is nothing left for me. What should I do? I feel like I'm stuck in a corner.

Answer:

It's easy to look at yourself and think that you don't have much worth. While in ourselves there isn't anything. Our worth comes from what Christ has made us based on our relationship which He has brought us into. Our worth is based on our identity in Christ. When we are saved, we are not called to live for ourselves, because there is nothing in ourselves that is really worth living for. I don't say this to discourage you. I say this that you would look to the Father and see what you are and what you have been called to from Him. What I would do if I were you, I would ask you to open your Bible to the book of John, and ask God to help you see what God wants you to know about Him and what He's done for you. Just read a chapter or two a day and ask God to show you how much you mean to Him and be open to what He tells you. What you have to do is stop looking at yourself. You'll only get depressed. You'll find the rest you long for in Christ.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Giving

2010-07-06T11:33:00.006-05:00

Question:

I am now 21 and have been faithfully walking with God since April, 2010. It has been a struggle and I have been spiritually attacked. However, I refuse to go back to my old ways. I have faith in God and will continue forward with my walk. Each day try harder to break an old habit. When I am giving, since I am in a very bad financial situation and I use to be very selfish, I feel like I can't give anymore. I probably could but it might hurt this situation more. These ideas have been running through my head. Is this normal? Should I listen to them? Should I ignore them and give anyway trusting in God that this is what I'm suppose to do? Could you please help me out? Thank you so much for your time.

Answer:

I can definitely see where this would make you want to go crazy. But in order to walk through this you have to have His perspective on what it means to give. The confusion comes in when we mix what He asks of us with our heart in what we choose to give Him. The nature of giving is very simple. It is much like the way He intends for His children to walk with Him. We become His children when we receive Jesus and what He did to save us from our sins as the only way to Heaven and not to trust anything we can do on our own. We walk with Him on a daily basis when we let go of our own attempts to follow Him and let Him teach us what it means to walk with Him, and then respond in obedience.

The way that He desires that we give is not by giving all that we have in hopes of "attaining" selflessness. He desires that we hold up to Him all that we have and keep in close communion with Him. When He prompts us to give is when we should respond. Trying to manufacture it on your own will only bring confusion.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Personal Struggle

2010-07-02T13:52:00.003-05:00

Quesiton:

I am having a difficult time overcoming sort of an awkward subject, masturbation. God has saved and delivered me from so many thing such as drugs and alcohol and many other things but this is just one obsticle I'm having a hard time getting over... Could you give me some advice?

Answer:

I would like to first refresh you on the perspective that Christ wants His children to take. Our being and our life flows from Him. We are the reflection of the image of Christ and because of Him we are alive. Outside of Him, we cannot do anything. I say that to help you realize that it's only through the redemptive work that Christ has done in you that you will walk in victory. The victory does not come through your own will or strength to resist. It starts when you submit your desires and your passions to Him. Jeremiah 17:9 says that the heart is deceitful. Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart, man speaks, and James 4 says that no man can tame the tongue. So in essence, masturbation is an outflow the desires of the heart which you cannot tame. It starts when you let go of all the desires surrounding this outflow and surrender to Christ and allow Him to steer the desires of your heart and seek to walk in His obedience.

I would encourage you to become a student of the Word. Out of reading His Word and committing yourself to letting Him teach you through His Holy Spirit, you will see for yourself how to walk in His Will and stay pure in Him (Psalm 119:9-11). Then next I would encourage you to walk in accountability. You cannot fight this alone, you need to be open and honest with yourself about this struggle, with the Lord, and with other believers who are fighting the same fight of purity. When you walk in the light, bear each other's burdens, and pray for one another, you walk in the light, and grace of Christ, He will help you walk in His grace, embrace His forgiveness which is already yours, and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

Now I want you to know that this is a journey, that there will be times of struggle. But slipping and falling is not the judge of failing. It's if you will get back up and keep moving forward. Christ is not interested in perfection as much as He is persistence.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

2010-06-30T14:02:00.005-05:00

Question:

I am trying to learn more about wisdom and becoming more wise. Do you know of any ministries that give wisdom devotinals or have wisdom books for teens? Please let me know!

Answer:

That’s a great desire to have, to want to be more wise. I would like to pass along a quick thought on wisdom. Wisdom is not knowing a lot of facts about the Bible or anything like that. It has to do with knowing Jesus, and through knowing Him, how to obey Him in our lives. Getting to know Jesus starts with quieting yourself and soaking in His presence. There are few devotionals for teens that are published that I would recommend. Bill Scott has written a 365 days of devotionals called Rock Your world specifically for teens. Another devotional that I would recommend would be one written by Sarah Young called Jesus Calling. There are plenty of solid ones out there, but here’s a good start on what I would recommend.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Prayer

2010-06-29T14:44:00.005-05:00

Question:

I've always had problems when I try to pray. I keep getting distracted. what should I do? and when I try to read God's word, I don't understand it. it's confusing.

Answer:

I know this because I've had this same battle many times. We have the promise from God's Word that He will keep our minds at peace when we are focused on Him (Isaiah 26:3). If our minds are not focused on Him then there's no way that we can focus. Whenever someone has trouble focusing on Him in prayer, it's either because of worry about something that is completely out of one's hands, making the focus of one's attention on something in place of God, or having something that needs to be confessed to Him and make right. Now this isn't the 3 absolute pillars of making sure you're right with the Lord but more than likely things fall into these 3 areas that need to be taken care of so we can focus on Him in prayer.

When it comes to reading God's Word, it's the same as in prayer. We don't have the wisdom or knowledge to decipher the wisdom of God from our own minds. It all comes from Him, and He is the One who gives us the ability to understand His Word because of Jesus (Luke 24:45). He will teach you to understand when you let go of the worrying of trying to "get it" on your own and rest in His Work of saving you that He has already done for you. Set your focus on Him and be still to see Him.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

My Brother

2010-06-23T15:19:00.006-05:00

Question:

I have an older brother, and he really is a great older brother. There is only a ten month difference, so we're really close. We spend time together all the time, and we tell each other everything. He's super fun to be with, and I can always depend on him. He's always had an issue with yelling(mostly at me), and I figured that's what all brothers were like. Lately, though, it seems like he's not being like a brother. Sometimes he'll just explode on me, yelling about the most trivial things, and it really scares me. Sometimes he'll start throwing stuff, and pushing me around. When we go out, I have to be really careful not to touch him. One time, I accidentally brushed against his shoulder while we were shopping, and he started to yell at me and he kicked me in the shin. He didn't kick me that hard. It left a small bruise that went away in a few days, but he does this all the time. Sometimes for no reason, but usually it's when I touch him in any manner. I thought maybe it was normal for older brothers to be like that, but I really don't know. Is it normal for brothers to be like that? 'Cause it REALLY scares me. I'm afraid all the time I'm going to do something to set him off. The thing is whenever he's not upset, he's REALLY great. He's helping me with homework, giving me advice, playing games with me, etc. That's why it's really easy for me to forget and accidentally do something he'll get mad at. If it isn't normal how can I get him to stop? And if it is normal... I don't know what to do, because I can't stand it. Please help.

Answer:

It sounds like your brother has some real anger issues. It’s one thing for a brother to get into fights and hit a younger brother because guys are naturally more physical with their aggression. He doesn’t understand that what he is doing is damaging his relationship with you and that girls are meant to be related to with more care. It also sounds like he’s got some issues with being close to other girls. It honestly shouldn’t be an issue for a younger sister to give him a hug or anything like that. The first thing I would do is pray for your brother. It’s common to have things that people struggle with for whatever reasons. But if something like this isn’t addressed soon, it will grow into something very serious and become a big problem that will really hurt him down the road. The next thing I would do is talk with him. Let him know that he can't do this. He might look at it and think that he can handle that kind of fighting but he needs to get his eyes off his own reactions and see that he’s hurting a younger sister that he needs to stand and protect. If talking to him doesn’t work or isn’t showing progress, tell your parents what you have told me. You did a very good job of explaining what’s going on, use these same words with them and let them know that this will get worse if he doesn’t deal with this.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Life Dedication

2010-06-22T11:17:00.004-05:00

Question:

I am new to dedicating my life to the Lord, and I am having spiritual attacks from all over I was wondering if you would be able to share a few words of advice? Please write back, Thank you.

Answer:

You're taking a great step in your walk with Christ. Evidence of that is the enemy attacking you. I believe that a healthy perspective on our lives is to look at us as vessels. When God was sharing with Ananias that He wanted to use Saul (later named Paul) He mentioned that he was a chosen vessel (Acts 9:15). Living your life in Christ means that you are choosing to refuse to be satisfied with this present temporal life for His purpose and His Kingdom. The enemy knows that when you find your satisfaction in Him and are filled with Him that He will use you in a way that they will not be able to stand and you will be using your life for His eternal purposes in your life and the lives around you. The Lord will allow you to be attacked in areas that He wants you to learn to look to Him. What the enemy wants you to believe is that your weaknesses lack of ability disqualifies you from the desire Christ has placed in your heart. The Truth is that the Lord will allow them to attack to show you your inability so that you can rest in His ability. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). In these times of feeling troubled, set your focus on Him and allow Him to set your eyes above these troubles and rest in knowing Him and learning more of Him everyday. (Colossians 3:1-3)

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

2010-06-18T16:21:00.003-05:00

Question:

My best (and only true) friend is a pastor's son. However, he's very into alcohol and he's done drugs and he's definitely not a virgin. His family has no clue. The hardest thing is I'm very close with his sisters as well. Today the oldest sister read an email to him from some girl that said that the girl regrets having sex with him. Obviously, this was her first time hearing about this side of him. He truly is an amazing guy and has helped me in my darkest times and really helped me grow in my own relationship with God. How do I help her deal with this pain? And I feel like I need to talk to him, too. He's such a strong leader and I'm so afraid that this will taint what others see in him and be led astray.

Answer:

The first thing that you need to know about your guy friend is that he may have some good qualities, but he’s got some heart issues and probably needs to learn things the hard way. What he is meddling in is going to get out in the open. The Lord has a way of exposing what we try to keep secret. It would be for his benefit if you let him know that what he is doing goes against the Lord and His plan for his life. He may already know this, but hearing it from another believer puts it into a different light.

Bottom line with your friend is that you ultimately are not the one to help your friend. But you can be a great influence in letting her know you care for her, in praying that the Lord touch her heart, and in pointing to Him in your friendship. When I say you are limited in helping your friend, I mean that the Lord is the only one who can heal her heart from this hurt. I would suggest encouraging her to talk to an older godly believer about the situation and receive some godly perspective from a mature believer. If she tries to keep this to herself she will not heal properly. This may have been done in secrecy, but if she brings this into the light with the right people, she will heal.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Trust

2010-06-16T10:46:00.003-05:00

Question:

How do I completely give over my need for control in my life to God? I've been struggling with this a lot recently and I know that His plan is best, but trusting in that is completely another thing for me. I've been badly hurt by those I've trusted the most in my life, and it's extremely frightening to completely trust in someone I can't see with my eyes.

Answer:

I understand that you’ve been hurt in the past, and that would make it difficult to want to trust someone because it’s out of your control and there’s the risk that you would be hurt again. But let’s put this into perspective. If you were wanting to trust another person, you would more than likely see a side to that person that looks good at first or offers something in that relationship that you would feel would comfort a need in you. The risk to trusting that person would be in finding out that there is more to that person then you first saw and this person was not what he appeared to be. Everyone has holes, and outside of Christ there would be no reason to put any confident trust in anyone. This is a common situation in someone hoping a person can be trusted.

But it’s important to understand that you can’t equate Christ with any other person. For starters, it was through Him that the world and everything else was created. It’s through Him that we have eternal life because of His death on the cross and resurrection. Because of Him we have that connection to the Father that we could not ever have on our own. The only reasons why we wouldn’t trust Him is because we misunderstand Him or we misread His working in our lives. Think about this. It’s through Him that you are alive right now. He holds everything in this world together, including your life. Every breath that you are breathing is given to you from Him. He has given you a family and placed a roof over your head, clothes to wear, and food to eat. He has given you salvation and the freedom in this life to choose to follow Him. He is holding existence together, and He is more than able for you. We don’t have any control over anything. We might feel secure in things having a similar outcome if we do things the same but that is not control, that’s just being predictable. If you focus on your hurt you’ll never trust Him. But if you admit your struggle to Him and focus on His ability over your lacking, He will change your perspective.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Question about following Christ

2010-06-11T11:51:00.004-05:00

Question:

I have an issue, that's kind of bugging me, I've been a Christian all my life, however whether I've been a practising one is another question. And on countless times I find myself coming back to Christ and saying this time I'm not backsliding, but inthe end the same thing happens and I've turned my back again. This time I've asked God to direct my path, introduce me to the right friends and places. However I feel that God has had enough of me, as though I'm a dirty White shirt that not even bleach can wash off, I fear thAt I may even backslide again! What can I do?
I must say, I stumbled across your iPhone app while trying to look for something Godly, while still down to earth and I must say it's helping so far, so thanks, the daily devotions are much appreciated.

Answer:

Before I explain this, it's important for you to understand and stand confident on what it is you received when you asked Christ to come into your life. When you received Him, He cleansed you from every sin you'd ever commit in this life. You can't judge God based on how people respond when you mess up. He knew you would mess up and has already forgiven you. He knows that you have a sin nature (we all do) and that you wouldn't follow Him perfectly. What Christ is concerned about is not so much when we mess up and are honest with Him about our mistakes. He is concerned with messing up and continuing on in a lifestyle and not being repentant.

It's also important to grasp the perspective on being close to the Lord in order to walk in a close relationship with Him. When we think of backsliding, we think of doing things that are wrong. If you look at Romans 3:23, the definition of sin isn't merely doing bad things. Sinning according to Scripture is missing the mark, and that mark is the Glory of God. So whenever we sin, we are actually acting out of being out of fellowship with Him. Yes, the obvious signs of being out of fellowship are doing things that we know are bad. But missing the mark can just as easily be doing something that's good with one's own personal motives instead of out of love that our Father pours into our hearts.

You can't think of backsliding as just doing bad things because that's what man sees on the outside, and remember that God looks at the heart. Getting fellowship in line with God has nothing to do with doing things to get right. It starts with getting your perspective right, and that means going to His Word to see what that means. Psalm 46:10 starts with a command to be still and know that He is God. We can't get saved by anything that we do, and we can't walk in a close walk with Him out of anything that we can do. When you get your eyes off yourself and the worries that we so easily get entangled with, we will be able to see through faith Him reaching out to us. What you have to do then is set your heart on following Him. Whenever we live carnally (outside of Christ) we put ourselves in a box, the same type of box that those who don't know Christ live in, and that is a life based on your feelings. We have to set our eyes on Christ and let Him teach us what it means to live our life in faith. This is not a one time fix. This is a lifelong journey. There will be mess ups. A righteous man falls many times and gets back up. Don't focus on your own personal holiness because we don't have any, and any that is seen in us is reflected from Christ. Set your focus on knowing Him and let Him reveal Himself to you.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

The Holy Spirit

2010-06-09T10:42:00.007-05:00

Question:

So I am looking for verses about when the Holy Spirit indwells somebody. Thanks!

Answer:

That’s a good question. What we have to understand first is when the Holy Spirit came down to us. He came down in a somewhat different pattern with the Apostles on Pentecost because the Lord had not yet been fully glorified until that point. Jesus said in John 16:7 that if He didn’t leave earth, the Comforter couldn’t come. In Scripture, the Holy Spirit was not able to permanently indwell believers in the Old Testament because Christ had not yet come. He would come on people to help them perform the work of God but then would leave. When Jesus died and rose again, the veil was torn in the temple and we have direct access to the Father through the Holy Spirit. After the 40 days of completion of Jesus' ascension the Holy Spirit came and indwelt those who believed in Christ. That passage is found in Acts 2. Read Acts 8:36-40, 10:44, 19:5-6, and you will see that whenever Christ was preached, what He did to make us right with the Father, and the people responded and believed, the Holy Spirit came on them. The Apostle John said in 1 John 4:13 that proof we belong to Him is His indwelling Spirit. He confirms in our hearts that we belong to Him. Some people have the gift of tongues, others do not. The gift of tongues was given in Scripture as a sign to the Jews that Gentiles could be brought into the Kingdom (Acts 10:44-45, 1 Cor. 1:22). People will have different answers to your question, and my personal opinion wouldn’t hold any more water than anyone else’s. We have to see from Scripture what the Lord has shown for ourselves.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Cutting

2010-06-04T08:57:00.004-05:00

Question:

I've been dealing with cutting for almost 4 years now and I stop for a couple weeks then start back. The longest I went was 143 days. I want to stop but sometimes I fall short and get stuck in the moment and want to cut. How do I stop cutting I want an answer and I know you can write it down or make red marks on your arm an even the To Write Love On Her Arms thing helps to but is there some sort of miricle answer I'm addicted to it and I don't think my mom understands.

Answer:

The addiction of cutting is not something that someone can understand if they haven't gone through it themselves. I honestly can't say that I can relate with you in dealing with self-injury, but I know about the power of strongholds. It sounds like you are very aware of alternatives to cutting and you have made valiant effort to stop this. I commend you on your resolve. What you are hoping for in a miraculous stopping of self-injury does not exist. It would be nice if I could say magic words and you would never deal with it again, but our life in Christ does not work like that. The struggle that you have is not with cutting, but with the longings of your heart.

Whenever you feel overwhelmed or the need to satisfy your desires, you run to a blade. These are what you do when you give into your desires. What Christ wants you to learn is to turn to Him. This is not something you decide to do when you are struggling. It's something you must do now, and learn to walk this life in the new creation He has made you. You can't think of turning to the Lord to help you stop cutting, because reality is cutting is just one struggle on this side of life. Turning to Christ has to do with coming to Him with YOU. You're thinking of stopping cutting as something you can do when coming to Christ has nothing to do with performance. He wants you to come to Him and just be real with Him. Open yourself to Him and let your guard down with Him. Let Him release the stuff you've held onto deep in your heart. As you allow Him to cleanse you from the inside out, He will teach you what it means to walk in victory and not just in "not cutting".

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

About My Friend

2010-06-01T15:13:00.005-05:00

Question:

I have a question. What do I do when I have a friend that yells at me every week? Because it feels like I did sonething wrong which i didn't. A lot of the times I feel bad for what I did.

Answer:

It sounds like your friend has some issues in her heart that she’s not settling. A healthy friendship is one where both people are honest and communicating with each other. The truth is that no one is perfect and in friendships you know that’s reality. True friends are people who know the good and bad about you but are your friends anyway. It sounds like this person is trying to control you by putting you down. You don’t have to take that. I know you want friendship and that’s what makes this hurt, but she is not being a real friend to you. The next time you see her, prepare your mind ahead of time and let her know you are not going to take this yelling that she is doing. Let her know you want to be her friend but she is not going to put you down like this. Be praying that if there’s anything that is in her life that is hurting that she be honest about it. Being a friend isn’t about just being nice, it’s about being real. You be the friend first by being real and call her on her wrong.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Struggling

2010-05-28T13:02:00.005-05:00

Question:

Hey, I have been dealing with porn. The thing is that I'm also married to a wonderful woman. I just can't stop looking at this. Plese help

Answer:

This is a very common struggle among men (as I’m sure you know) and unfortunately the line of this does not stop with unbelieving men. Men of God struggle with this just as much as unbelievers and stay in defeat. I would like to share a couple of realities with you that you have to accept in order to move forward in victory. You have to be honest about your struggle. You’re in over your head and you don’t know how to stop. You are completely powerless against this because the enemy is yourself, not the images. This is a lifelong fight and not a quick fix. You did not get where you are now overnight. More than likely it started when you were and adolescent and now you see years of hiding and protecting this secret. Another thing you need to realize is that you already have the victory in Christ. Now I said it’s a lifelong fight, the fight is to learn to stand in His victory, but He has already won. When Christ conquered sin and death on the cross, He overcame the addiction to porn.

Now there are a couple of steps that you need to implement in your life to walk in this victory. The first starts with confession. This secret has got to get out in the open. Not with everyone because not everyone is equipped in Christ to help you. You need to share this with Christ first, then out of obedience to Him with your wife, your pastor, and those in your life who are Christ to you (James 5:16, 1 John 1:9). Next, you need to keep this in accountability, that means being open and honest about those times that you fall with those people who you confide in and will encourage you to push forward in Christ. You then need to get involved with other men of God who are fighting the same fight. If you know of a group I encourage you to get involved with them. If you don’t, contact me and I’ll help you find a place to get involved. Next, you need to let God change your heart with His Truth and fill you with what you need to combat that lie that porn will satisfy. Your heart believes this lie because you have given yourself to it, now you must choose to focus the attention of your heart to Christ and let His Truth set you free. If you are filled with Christ, you won’t find satisfaction anywhere else.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

The Bible

2010-05-27T11:34:00.003-05:00

Question:

I`ve been talking to my non-christian friend about God stuff and he asked questions I didn`t know the answer to:

Why there are so many versions of the Bible (King James, NIV, Living translation, Today`s International version etc)?

Who wrote the Bible? I know it was written by disciples and other people appointed by God, but then he proceeded to ask how is it 100% from God when those people`s personal opinions or insight slips in there? Then how do you know that what`s said in the bible is true?

If a person doesn`t know if they believe that God exists or not...what can I say to convince him that God does exist? I`ve already told him my life story.

He thinks he doesn`t need God in his life because he doesn`t think anything would change or be different...he`s one of those people that has everything together, very resilient, thinks logically, very positive and a good person all around...how do I convince him he still needs God even after I`ve told him that Jesus loves him and died for him so that he can have a relationship with God and spend eternity with God?

Answer:

These are some deep questions that your friend has, and for the most part not a lot of Christians really know how to address it off the top of their heads. For that reason I would encourage you to do some personal research. To give you some helpful tips, we have help websites that deal exactly with this issue. If you go to our website at www.freeourfamily.com you’ll find a link that says Resources. Under that link you’ll find a link that says Help Sites. Click on that and under the topics click on Biblical Accuracy. A good site under this is Bible Researcher. Mind you that this information is not the easiest read, meaning that it’s not reading for entertainment, but it answers your friend’s questions to the T.

I’ll give you some heads up though. You have to look at this from the perspective of God and not of man. Bottom line is God’s Word is God coming to man and showing Him how to have a relationship with Him. The responsibility is on Him to make His Word clear. He gave man the exact words He wanted them to write through His Holy Spirit over thousands of years and those do not contradict in nature. Jesus said Himself that not one little mark would fail from God’s Word. The heavens would fall apart before that happened. What you may not know is that there were Hebrew and Greek translators that were careful to translate every word pure to its form. If one made a mistake, they would throw away the whole portion and start over. They would match up their work with each to make sure they would not make any errors. There’s also the account of the Dead Sea Scrolls which have most of the book of Isaiah on them. They matched those documents up to what they had on Isaiah and they were a perfect match despite being written over a thousand years apart. There were also councils of the early church that examined the books that were known as God’s Word. They held up the books that we know today as written by God against those that were not. Those that were put to the side are known as the Apocrypha. I know what I’ve given you isn’t the whole thing but it’s good for you to do some personal study to learn this for yourself.

Ultimately, all the study is not going to convince your friend of his need for Christ. Now study will validate what God’s Word says, but this is an issue of faith. Your friend is making a claim on something he has not researched or gone to poor references for information he wants to think is true. God has to work on his heart to see his need for Him. For that you can be in prayer for him and that you be the witness he needs.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Control

2010-05-26T16:30:00.003-05:00

Question:

I need help. How do you give things to god and not take them back. I find myself telling God to take over on situations and then talking about them again.

Answer:

That is a very good question that you asked. I apologize for not responding quickly to your question. But I would like to send you the Bible Study that we have scheduled for tomorrow because it deals with that exact same issue. I believe this study is practical application to this condition of the heart. Make note that this study is not meant to give you every answer to your situation, but to show what the issue is and what steps to take in dealing with the situation.

Deliverance

Psalm 35:24

Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness; and let not them rejoice over me.

Have you ever had those moments in your life when you felt very vulnerable? The things that you normally use to protect your heart just don’t hold up and you know you need a helping hand? I have had those moments. I have turned to the Lord in moments like that and He was faithful to give me strength not just to move forward, but to move forward in pursuit of Him. Instead of pursuing Him, the natural reaction of my heart was to be satisfied with what little He gave me and go back to doing my own thing. Unfortunately more times than not this was how I chose to react. If we are honest from our hearts, we are all like that. We may turn to the Lord in prayer for deliverance from a certain thing, but not for His glory. We would rather get out of it so we can be comfortable again. Proof of this heart condition is when our prayers are not answered right away. Our reaction towards God is one of being bitter and angry that He would allow us to get hurt. Brothers and sisters, this is the wrong attitude to prayers of deliverance.

If you look at David you can find the proper example of prayer for deliverance. He wasn’t asking God to save him because he was sinless. As we all know David is known for a great sin in his life. It started with David focusing his attention on the Lord and His working in David’s life. David had seen God reveal Himself through His Word, and through being Faithful in his life. David was asking God to save him because of His goodness and nothing of David’s own. His prayer was that anyone who attacked him because of the Lord’s working in his life would not succeed. A prayer of deliverance has nothing to do with you, it has to do with the Lord working in and through you for His glory.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Wondering about God and Suicide

2010-05-21T11:36:00.005-05:00

Question:

Well I've read the Bible a little bit and it's not as bad as I once thought. I've realized that even though I want to die, God isn't going to let me until He thinks it's time so I've decided to start doing my homework again. My goal is to bring all of my grades up. I'm not happy yet, but I'm hoping to get there soon. Please share some of your thoughts with me.

Answer:

I know that this life can be frustrating and that it doesn’t turn out in ways that we wish it would. But I do want to tell you this, you will not find your happiness based on what you do, no matter how hard you try or how successful you are in reaching those goals. You will find your fulfillment based on who you are in Christ and what He has done for you. The answer is not out there, the answer is right there with you. The answer is Jesus, and you belong to Him when you called out and entrusted Him with your life. The way that you are lead by Him is by allowing yourself to quiet down, and push everything that fills your mind to the side, and you realize that He has your life in His hands and that He will take care of you. When you allow Him to place you in that mindset, then you are ready to be led by Him and find your fulfillment in Him. Following Jesus isn’t always easy, and at times it can be uncomfortable, but it’s the best thing you could ever do with your life. Because you are following a cause, Jesus, that is greater than you are. Truth be told, He is the greatest cause you could ever follow with your life. Please consider what I have told you and consider where you are and what Christ offers to you. He offers true life, the life you were meant to live.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

2010-05-19T11:51:00.004-05:00

Question:

Ok I always have a hard time with this. Books don't effect me but somtimes they can be pretty dark.I'm reading the book ravens gate and I can't tell if this is demaonic. There is still good and evil though.
I like the book but should I go on in this series?

Answer:

If you look at Philippians 4:8, you'll see the guidelines for what Christ views as acceptable for what we pour ourselves into for godly living. You have to ask yourself this question; does what I'm putting myself into lead me into the new life that is in Christ or does it encourage me looking back at the old life? I'm not saying that you can't ever read anything that is not written by a Christian, but there should be a desire to honor and follow the Lord that needs to guide your decision making. If these books lead you to things or thinking that is not of the Lord, you need to stop it. This is something you need to come to terms with between you and Christ.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Friends Dating

2010-05-14T11:29:00.005-05:00

Question:

Can I get your opinion on something my best friend ben is dating this girl who is not a Christian but he is a Christian and I am concerned because she is older then him and more experienced if you know what I mean by that and I really don’t want her leading him down a bad path at my school we have a prayer group that meets every morning before school to pray and the other day instead of going to it he stood with her and I am a bit concerned I want to know your opinion should I talk to him or should I just let it go also I use to like him and he liked me too and I don’t want him or her to think I am trying to take him because that is not my intention I only want to make sure he doesn’t make any choices he will regret oh and to top it all off his mom does not know anything and his parents don’t allow him to date!

Answer:

He's heading down the wrong path from the start. It's never a good thing to step outside your parent's authority and make your own decisions. Even if he disagrees with his parents' decision for him not to date, he needs to respect that because they are his parents. That alone makes it out of line. But the fact that he's dating someone who is not a believer makes it wrong from an authority standpoint and from his walk with Christ. It's clear in God's Word that an unbeliever and a believer just can't go together, they are going in two completely different directions (2 Cor. 6:14). Your friend is setting himself up for trouble. I would do what I could to warn him of the trouble he's getting himself into. More than likely he's not going to want to listen, but that is his choice. By all means pray that God would work on his heart and that he would see the danger of what he's doing.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Women Leadership

2010-05-13T15:43:00.003-05:00

Question:

I have a mass communications class in college with an extremely liberal professor. Today, he touched on a Christian bookstore refusing to sell a magazine with a spotlight on women pastors, saying that they were legal in doing that, but old-fashion (he equated it with women and voting). I emailed him about it, and he is offering me a chance to explain why the bookstore would not sell the mag. I need a way to explain the Christian conviction about women not leading men in a way that won't make Christianity look outdated.

Answer:

Congragulations! You have stumbled on probably the most controversial topic relating to Christian living today! Seriously, this is a really touchy issue because this view has been interpreted with a lack of balance. While there is a position given regarding spiritual authority to men and women, it has nothing to do with superiority. For example, in Titus 1:5, Paul clearly states that the man is ordained by God to be leader in a church. It has nothing to do with being superior to women. It all has to do with position. God has ordained that a man be positionally over women. Just like Christ submited to the will of God as a Son. He was not less than God, He was actually equal. However, He positionally placed Himself as Son because of the will of the Father.

It really is a matter of God positioning a man as leader of a church. It doesn't mean that women cannot share encouragement or sing specials in churches. God has simply placed man as leader by His choice. In Christ, we are all the same. Christ looks at His children, whether Jew, Gentile, man, woman, all are the same in His eyes. To lift one over the other is really putting oneself in Christ's position. (So anyone who thinks they are a better Christian is dead wrong). I hope this helps. If not, please let me know.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Hello

2010-05-11T11:29:00.005-05:00

Question:

Um, I got a question. How do I keep my mind on God when things get tough?
Also, how do I keep on thinking positive and not think that I have no purpose in live or things like that?

Answer:

I understand what you’re asking. But the way that God works and what you are asking for are two different things. You’re wondering how you can fit God in your life and you were made to be fit into God’s plan and His Kingdom. It’s like you’re trying to fit a square object in a circular hole. It just doesn’t work. You have to look at God through the eyes of faith. Colossians 3 says that we have to set our eyes on things that are from Him above and not on things that are on the earth, because our life is in Christ. He IS your purpose. If you try to find it outside of Him you’ll only end up frustrated. Before you can be filled in fellowship with Him you have to let Him set your mind focused on Him so He can speak to you as you need.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Friends

2010-05-07T11:42:00.005-05:00

Question:

Ok, my sister is having a real hard time with friends. I've tried to give her advice cause I went through the same thing in elementary.

This girl was her best friend at school but now she just isn't. She is trying hard to be nice and not bossy. I know, well I really know that some girls are very harsh and some are forgiving with other girls at a young age. I feel bad for her because I remember how it felt when I was in her grade and no one will play with you at recess or sit with you at lunch. Somtimes it gets better as you get older but I know a couple of kids who were hated through elementary and in middleschool now. Any advice you could give her?

Answer:

People learn at a very young age how not to accept someone or what it's like not to be accepted. I wish it didn't have to be that way because all that anyone really wants from other people is just to be accepted. The best thing you can be as an encouragement to your sister is to love and accept her for who she is. Do what you can to show her that you love her for who she is on the inside and not what she can make herself appear to be on the outside. When people reject someone most of the time it's for what they see on the outside and all those things are very superficial.

Ultimately, your sister needs to see that who she is on the inside is what matters. People can try to get her down, but the only one who can keep her down is herself. If she learns to accept who she is and make those who love her that way as her friends, she will develop the right and healthy view of people and people who look after vanity won't bother her, as a matter of fact they will be the ones who are missing out.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

About Sex

2010-05-05T13:29:00.004-05:00

Queation:

So, I'm in love with this boy. He's perfect for me. And we plan on getting married in about 3 years. We both want to wait at least a month or two more before we sleep together. (We have been in love for about 3 monthes.) My best friend, who encouraged me to get back in touch with God, wants me to wait at least a year, if not until marriage. I really would just like another opinion on the "when". Is it a sin to have sex before marriage?

Also, my boyfriend is not a believer. I really want him to have faith. My pastor and you have both said that a marriage will only work if both partners believe. Any advice?

Answer:

You have to understand that there is going to be a differing of advice from me or most any other pastor and anyone who comes from a secular standpoint. The advice that I will say is based on a personal relationship with Jesus. From a human’s perspective this guy may be “perfect” for you. He may match up very well with you personality wise, likes and dislikes, and he may be all that you are looking for a husband. But know this, all that I have said in regards to him is from a human perspective. If you choose to base your decision on what you feel, or any natural response, you’ll more than likely sleep with this guy and maybe one day get married. If life were all about what we see, feel, grasp with our human senses then sex outside of marriage would be natural. But we are not just humans beings with nothing spiritual. God’s Word says that He is Spirit, and He created us in His image. That means you are a human with an eternal soul and He has revealed through His Word how He wishes us to live in according to His plan. If you have received Christ into your life, you are bought by Him and your life belongs to Him. God’s Word reveals not only that we are spiritual beings in a human body, but also how we can walk with Him through Christ and how to live our lives pleasing to Him. He has revealed that marriage is not just a change of last name. It is a spiritual union of two lives that from that point on must learn to walk as one. That is why God’s Word says that believers cannot be joined with unbelievers and expect a healthy marriage. It just will not work no matter how hard both may try. Both are heading in opposite directions.

Now in regards to sex, sex is an expression of God bringing two people together in unity. Since we are human beings with a spirit (in the case of believers the Life of Christ dwelling in us) sex is a physical, emotional, and spiritual bonding of two people. God designed for it to take place only in marriage because when someone has sex outside of marriage, there is no safety. When someone sleeps with multiple partners they rip who they are on the inside apart and share that with other partners. A believer is called to be faithful to the Lord and walk in purity until He brings the person He has for you together in marriage.

On a side note about what to base your decisions, you have to ask yourself on what are you going to make your decision. You may get many different opinions from people because they have a different set of values. What I have said is based on the values that God desires believers to walk.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Demonic Activity

2010-04-23T16:28:00.005-05:00

Question:

Hey I got a lot of help from my parents but I wake up in the middle of the night scared to death. I do have a high adrenaline and that leads me to think of all these weird scary things at once. Demonic spirits and somone I know and love arehurting me. Commonly and scariest thing run through my head. I'm getting a lot of help from my mom who has been through the same thing. I'm not going to see a docter because they will drug me up to stop the adrenaline. I'm only 13, but I do have a lot of stress and things going on. I have such vivid pics about what I see thatt it could be there. If I turn on my side, it feels exposed or like I'm being watched. Please I need an opinion. I'm overly tired from these things at night and it's too much for a 13 year old kid. I'm also getting attacked because I'm more involved in church. I now play guitar on stage and everytime I come back from a Christian camp or confrence it gets worse. This feels so good to spill my guts here and get it out. Thank you guys are awesome.

Answer:

While it is important to be involved in a good church and have a strong Christian family, ultimately what is going to get you through this is your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you have Him, you have all you will ever need, but if you don’t there is nothing that you can do on your own that will be of true help. That is where it starts. On the basis of having Christ, there are steps that you can take to deal with this issue. Because you have Christ there is no earthly or spiritual power that can overcome you. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18, “All power is given to me in heaven and on earth.” That power is given to you in Christ. The only way in which the enemy can oppose believers is if there are areas of our lives that are not in submission to Christ. It starts with you asking God to shine His Light in you and examine what is it that needs to be realigned with Him. We are commanded to examine ourselves whether we are walking in the faith in every area of our lives or not. Next is a matter of submission. Is there any area in your life where you are leaving yourself open to attacks? Are you watching or practicing anything that would open a door for the enemy to mess with your mind? Are you making friends with people who are open to demonic activity? If you are then you have to sever those ties and bring it before the Lord and allow Him to cleanse you from that.

I would also like to encourage you to look into a couple of books that would be of tremendous help. The first one is Victory Over the Darkness by Dr. Neil Anderson. The next is also by him, a book called The Steps to Freedom in Christ for Young Adults. You can find both of these books at www.freedominchrist.com. I would also encourage you for the adrenaline to looking into a doctor. Not for the purpose of getting medicine for the issue but for advice on how to take care of your body to best channel this adrenaline. If there is anything you can do to be responsible with what you are given you best get to it.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Need Prayer

2010-04-16T15:38:00.003-05:00

Question:

Hi, I am in need of prayer. I don't want to go to someone i know because this is a bit embarrassing for me. I can't stop thinking that I am pregnant. I am married and my husband is now in Iraq but he was home a little bit ago. Now I can get the feeling out of my head that I am pregnant, even though I've had negative tests. I think it's just because I want to be, and I'm missing him. But the worst part is, I am having symptoms like morning sickness and stuff. I think because I want to be pregnant and can't stop thinking about it, my mind is making my body have the symptoms. I need help to stop thinking about it,, it is consuming my life. Thank you

Answer:

I see that this is something that really weighs on you. It makes it hard that your husband can't be there right now. But the what you can rest assured on is that God is right there with you and He can help you and take this concern off of you so that you can have peace knowing that He has everything under control. Psalm 33:20-21 says We wait in hope for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

You don't have to worry about anything. Just hand the situation over to the Lord and hand your concerns over to Him. He will take the burden off give you rest. Hang in there and don't give up. You are doing ok. I will definitely pray for you. Please let us know on how you are doing.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Question About a Ball

2010-04-15T10:38:00.004-05:00

Question:

I have been invited to a ball as a guest not as a date. And there may be dancing. We both are just friends and we do not want to go any farther. What type of dacing do you think is ok?

Answer:

There is nothing wrong in dancing in itself. Dancing is just an expression of certain emotion, or celebration, or enjoyment. But we have to remember at the same time, Paul warns us that all things are lawful but not all things are beneficial. You have freedom to choose to do whatever you want in this lifetime because Christ gives you the choice. But with the choice you make consequences, good or bad, will follow.

It's always an issue of the heart. If you're dancing to enjoy a night with friends and you are aware of being modest and not portraying yourself in dress or dance in a way that tries to draw attention to yourself, by all means enjoy the dance. But if you dance in a way that sends messages to this guy or other guys that encourages them to react in their human nature (which is sexual) then you're better off staying home.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Am I Handling This the Right Way?

2010-04-14T10:47:00.005-05:00

Question:

I have this huge crush on a classmate of mine, he's 1 year younger than I am, we're both believers, though different (I'm catholic, he's evangelist), but we still understand each other really good.

Last year, we got really close, and rumours about us dating started to spread around the school campus, we never "dated", though it was obvious that the way we behaved was like the one couples do ( we'd meet a lot outside school, I'd attend his piano performances, and he my dance performances, ect.)

But this year things started to change, we've been getting apart really slowly, and it seems the I got competition. At the beginning I was fine with it, but after a while, I got scared, of losing him like that. I told him how I felt (it was a simple "I like you", I didn't want to scare him too much), and he replied with an "You're special" and a hug, and that was it. Summer vacation came and I didn't see him for a month, and after we came back, everything was worse. Now, we barely talk, only school stuff (though he still asks me how I feel when I look really down), we still go out (to classical music concerts, most of the time) but it's not the same, we talk only about unrelevant stuff, and I can't shut my feelings off, since I have to see him every single day. I've tried to avoid him, but I can't, everytime he asks for a favor I do it, I smile and do it, I'm so helpless! I truly believe I messed it up with the confession. Am I handling the situation the right way?

Answer:

I just want to say that I understand how you feel and that things don't go how you might wish they did. It's healthy to want to have somebody and it's great that this person is a believer (that's the way God wants it). What I would have to say is that you are worrying about something though that is completely in God's control. You might look at this as a situation where you are missing out on an opportunity, it may be that God sees this as preparing you for a better opportunity. It could very well be that God has someone who is a better fit for you out there and He is steering you toward his direction. Emotions are strong, but they are not what God wants us to live by. The best thing to do is give this situation over to God knowing that He has the best for you in mind. Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for the good of those who are the called to His purposes.

Don't try and make something happen, just let God take care of the situation. Just take a breath, hand this over to God, and move forward. You'll be surprised at how freeing it is.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Dating

2010-04-13T10:49:00.005-05:00

Question:

I used to have a problem with sexual sin, a little over a year ago it was going on,, me and my girl friend, then wen we broke up, it was bad.. so from that moment on i tried so hard to stop the sexual sin. and when that was done, i started to control where my eyes went and lust issues, and from there i decided to not date anymore because if i did it would lead me back down the same road, its been over 4 months since ive even had a desire to date because i try so hard to keep it out afraid of what might come.

I have recently met this girl. and i know she likes me. she is a newborn christian. and i would have an accountability partner. i have tried very hard to not like her. but still i do.

Answer:

From what you have told me it sounds like you have seen the error of your past ways and you want to do things the right way that honors the Lord. I’m glad that you’ve taken the step to get accountability because that is a key in the healing process. The issue that you need to focus on is not whether or not you should date this girl. The issue is where your heart is. You gave into sexual sin in the past because you let your heart which was dictated by the lust of your human nature control you. That is how the world operates but as a child of God you cannot live like that since you are in Christ. God says in Romans 6:11 that you need to reckon yourself dead to sin by alive to God. That means that you have to live out your life and your day to day decisions based on the Truth that your life is in Christ. You literally have Christ in you and you have to submit every decision that you make based on that Truth.

Now this may be a good girl, and it very well may be that you two are destined to be together in God’s eyes. But I think it may be best for you to put dating on hold. This doesn’t mean you can’t talk to her or be friends. It sounds like you have done all you can on the outside to obey the Lord in this aspect but obedience starts with the heart. If at the center of your heart you are afraid that you will go back to that old way of dating then your heart is not ready because you are focused on your own lack of ability and God needs to train you to rest in His promises and to function in the dating realm in a way that pleases Him. The issue is always the heart and never the external. God is more concerned with the foundation that you are building your life on, and if you submit yourself to building your life on His foundation then He will bless you as He sees fit. Open your heart to the Lord and ask Him to teach you and let Him build you.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Salvation

2010-04-09T09:56:00.004-05:00

Question:

I have a question on something I am a little confused about. If someone is saved, but then at some point in their life, they turn away from God, will they still go to heaven? I am under the impression that they would, because once you are saved, you're saved, right?

Answer:

That’s a good question and there’s some confusion among believers as to what this means. But what it comes down to can be summarized in Ephesians 2:8-9 which says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (1) It starts with His grace. There is no way that we can obtain salvation in our own ability. The only way that we can be saved is if God came to us and offered us the opportunity through Christ to be redeemed. (2) We can’t earn it. We are not saved because we achieved a level of perfection or good that outweighs our bad. The problem was not simply that we committed acts of disobedience, it was the very core of who we are. We sin because we are naturally sinners. That identity of being a sinner separated us from God, and once we accepted Christ there was a change in identity from the inside that is meant to show on the outside. Colossians 1:27 reveals the hope of glory is Christ in us.

When you accept Him as Savior, He takes your old identity and nails it to the cross and places Himself in you. If we had no ability on our own to receive Him, then we have no ability on our own to lose Him. What a good number of people believe is that you can walk away from your salvation, but that is saying that you have to “do” something and that puts salvation in our own ability or lack of ability. 2 Timothy 2:13 says that if we do not believe, yet He remains faithful for He cannot deny Himself. Ultimately what we have to see in regards to salvation is that Christ did absolutely everything to make us right with God. All that He leaves to us is the choice to say yes to Him in belief or not. When we believe, it’s settled. Those who don’t believe, Christ will continually reach out to them as long as they have life in them.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

A Guy I'm Dating

2010-04-08T09:29:00.006-05:00

Question:

I'm going through a hard time. I have to make desitions and I've been waiting for God's answers. But I can't seem to find the answers so I thought I could ask for some help. How do I know if the guy I'm with is the one that God wants me? We started going out for about 2 years. We have different culture backgrounds and it's really hard sometimes. I'm afraid of falling in love if he's not the one so I've been holding back. But he fell in love and I feel really bad so I asked him to give me time so that I could ask God for guidence. He wants to marry me, but I don't want to do anything until I have an anwer. What should i do???!!!

Answer:

That is a legitimate question, and it is one for which I know the Lord has a legitimate answer. We need to keep in mind that when one talks about marriage, God views this as two people coming together as one. From that point forward, they learn to live life as one, making decisions to serve the other, and building that relationship in the love God wants us to function. This is not a quick fix to fill a human need, and you are taking this seriously. While cultural differences can be difficult, they are not the main concern for what makes a believer's marriage work or not work.

You have to ask yourself a few questions and see how God views this relationship if it were to become a marriage. (1) For a godly marriage, both must be believers. Saved and unsaved do not go together, and it would never work. (2 Cor. 6:14) (2) Has God brought this relationship together? (Gen. 2:22) Now there are things such as attraction, a pursuing and winning of one's heart which naturally take place. But can you confidently say that God is at the heart of what is taking place? (3) Has God made it clear that you are fit for each other? God made and redeemed you for His glory, and He is the Provider for your every need. I believe the one He has for you as Genesis 2:18 says will be a fit. Not in the way the world sees it, but in union for God's plan for your life and his life. There should be a drawing of you both together to push each other in following the Lord and His plan for your lives. (4) Is this the right timing? (Ecc. 3:1) Has God been working in your life and in his life to bring you two to a place where you are ready for this lifelong commitment? Now these are not the only things that reveal if this is from God. But your relationship should definitely line up in these categories.

If this guy is not a believer, then hands down he's not the one. If he is a believer and not pursuing God in his life as he should or there is not evidence that his relationship with the Lord is not guiding his decisions daily, then he is not ready and marriage should not be discussed. I believe you also need to ask Jesus to help you examine why you are dating him. If it's to fulfill that desire to be with someone out of fear for being alone, you very well might be on track to get yourself hurt. If this was in hopes of finding the one who God has for you in marriage then you've learned the true purpose for dating. Ultimately, you need to pour your heart out to Christ and get a hold of Him at the throne and beg Him to show you what He wants. He's given you the Holy Spirit, and direct access to Him. Lay hold of Him boldly and submit to His plan whatever He has. I would also encourage you to seek out godly counsel from older believers that are in your life. Proverbs 11:14 says that there is safety in a multitude of counselors. God will honor your advice seeking from godly people and He will reveal His will. Godly people look to the Lord and their advice will be consistent as His Word reveals.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Friend being Dishonest

2010-04-07T11:41:00.005-05:00

Question:

I just found out that my best friend has been lying to me about a lot of stuff and I want to tell her how I feel because I feel like I have been treated unfairly but I also don't want her to become mad at me. What should I do?

Answer:

I know that it can be a fearful thing in confronting a friend who is taking advantage of you in some way or mistreating you, but you have to ask yourself what you want in friendship. If you just want someone who makes you feel good when you are around them and you don't value anything else then that is all you'll have. I know you don't want that though. If you want a true friend you have to be a true friend. A true friend will love you in the good times and the bad, and when needed, they will tell the other person when they are doing something wrong. If your friend hates you after that, she would have revealed that she was not really your friend, and you don't want that kind of friend. If she really is your friend then she'll see what she did was wrong and be sorry for what she did. If you want that true friendship you will need to ask God to help you confront her in a loving way, but at the same time let her know that you will not put up with that.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

2010-04-06T13:53:00.004-05:00

Question:

I'm in the 9th grade and I'm struggling with God a little bit. I went to a christian school for my whole life when I switched over to public school. I was pretty close to God during those years but I feel I was young and didn't really get it.

Well during my 6th grade yeary parents got a divorce and my dad moved into a nursing home. He has a disease called MS so I've never really had that good of a roll model in my life. After the divorce my church kind of turned on my mom, they were very critical of her for divorcing him. I think they thought it was because he had MS. That wasn't it at all, my dad was addicted to porn. So we just stopped going to church. In 7th grade I stayed pretty close to God.

In 8th grade I started to slip up a bit. I started watching porn with my friends. My mom got remarried and we started going to church again and after two years of not going it just didn't sound like fun at all. So I had a bad attitude about it and I guess and I still do now. Now I am cussing a lot and watch porn a lot more then I used to. My mom almost has to drag me to church and I'm just not that happy anymore. I feel like I have come to rock bottom and I need help. Although I know I could be alot worse off. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer:

I have learned one thing about family ties, and it’s that if the parent struggles with something, then the children are likely to struggle with it themselves. God’s Word does talk about generational sin. Not that you are cursed, but when the door is opened by a parent, the children will face a similar struggle. Porn is a very dangerous drug to believers and there are more that are caught up in it that would want to admit it. One of the dangers of porn is that it isolates you. Something like this tends to be very secretive and when it is kept hidden, it cannot be dealt with, it will grow out of control, and lead to serious consequence down the road (your father could admit that). You have to realize that this is something you cannot fight on your own. If you keep this isolated then the enemy has won. You have to bring this out into the light, first with the Lord, and next with godly believers who you can share with in this struggle. 1 John 1:9 and James 5:16 say that God brings cleansing when we confess and that when we open up about our struggles that confession with prayer does much to change us. Getting good accountability is a must, and then getting safety guards up to stop access to it is another must.

Getting that into the light will completely change how it effects your attitude toward the things of God and your family. I would also pray that God would bring about a healthy fatherly figure that would give you a good picture of what our Heavenly Father is like to us. I’m sorry about the situation with your parents and how the old church treated you. That is not a healthy picture of what God is like, and His Word tells us that even when we mess up, He will always be there and will never let us down.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Friends

2010-03-31T10:01:00.005-05:00

Question:

I absolutely love some of my friends. But, there are one or two that I don't like being around because they put me down and make me feel lower than dirt. They can really hurt my feelings to the point where I could cry! They don't care, either. They act like their better and I dont want to be around people like that. When I'm with my other friends I bring it up and they agree, but the next day they're back with them!
I remember God said, "Love your enemies," and I've prayed to him to give me the strength to, but its hard. I find myself wandering back to disliking them, and I remember God will only put as much as He can handle on my shoulders, and I could really use a light in this dark tunnel before I say, do, or even think something I will regret.

Answer:

I think what's important for you to understand is that there's a difference between loving someone and letting them do whatever they want because you don't want to be mean. Now I know that you want to handle this situation carefully and I commend you for that. But you don't have to allow those people to say or do the things to you that they have been. If you read Scripture, there isn't a single person that Jesus did not show love. He may not have said, "I love you." to everyone, but He showed it in His actions toward them by sharing the love that God had poured out on Him to those around Him. To some that meant forgiveness of sins when they believed in Him as being Lord. To some it meant teaching them about the Father because they were open. To the Pharisees it meant exposing the wrong that they were doing to the people. It is possible to call someone on what they are doing and let them know you aren't going to allow it to happen without being mean spirited. If your friends choose to hang out with these people from then on, that is their decision. But you have the right to call these people on what they are doing and let them know you are not going to just sit back and take it.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

About Knowing God

2010-03-30T09:29:00.004-05:00

Question:

I really need some answers. I am a Christian and I do my devotions every night. But I still feel like God isn't there anymore and I don't know what to do. Please help me.

Answer:

One thing that we have to understand in coming to God is that our relationship with Him is not one that we judge by our feelings, because our feelings can tell us one thing when the reality is something else. God reminds us that our hearts can be deceived if we rely on our emotions, and God has chosen not to relate to us through them. When we come to God we have to see the way that He has prepared for us, and He prepared the way for us through faith. Only then are we able to walk with God in the way that pleases Him and is fulfilling to us. I would also like to encourage you to keep pressing forward in your walk. Our walk with God is not just based on having devotions, it's learning to live out the life and Spirit He placed inside of us. A key part of that is through receiving His Truth into our lives daily, through His Word, but keep letting Him reveal Himself to you, and as He reveals, obey.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Love the Program

2010-03-26T09:17:00.005-05:00

Question:

I have never had the chance to talk to anyone before about all my hardships. I have always kept things bottled up inside. I am 32 and have been married for 9 years and it has been great knowing I have found my soul mate. Even though that may seem great there are a lot of things in my life that have not been so great and are weighting heavy on my mind. I have been a sick person pretty much my whole life. I was born with Cerebral Palsy and spent more time in a hospital then my mother. I have a list of medical conditions that seem to go on and on, but my last diagnoses was Mysthenia Gravis which was a hard condition for me to deal with. I was very sick when diagnosed and I almost died at age 19. Although I did survive I have always felt like I lost myself though all my suffering. Today as my husband and I are reaching our 10 year anniversary. We are deeply wanting to have a child together and if God could give me just one piece of JOY through all my suffering it would be awesome!!! I pray everyday for a miracle baby. Both my husband and I would make great parents as we are financially stable and we own our own home. He works hard every week making an honest living. I have had to deal with many things in life and go through a lot of pain and it would be nice to feel the weight lifted.

Answer:

I want to thank you for sharing your testimony with us at Xtreme. I am encouraged to see that you are looking to the Lord for your life through the circumstances that you deal with on a daily basis. I would be more than happy to pass along the request for prayer that God would give you a child. I would also like you to consider this. When we think of the word joy in Scripture we tend to think of something that we find emotional satisfaction from in our lives. Joy for the believer is defined as finding one’s satisfaction in the Lord. I am sorry that you have dealt with physical ailments your whole life, and I know that those obstacles are always in front of you and are out of your control. The obstacles that you face happen to be physical, and although most people don’t face those obstacles, they are bound by the effects of sin and bad decisions which serve just as cruel of a chain. Praise God that you belong to Him and are counted worthy and righteous as His child! You are chosen by Him and truly free. It’s easy to lose heart in this life because troubles may be all that we know, but this is not all that we have to look forward to. God is more than able to strengthen us through faith that lasts longer than our earthly lives. Thank the Lord because our promises have to do with our life beyond this one. I say all that to say this, hold strong. You belong to Him and you are loved.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Help for Discussion on Self-Injury

2010-03-25T09:43:00.005-05:00

Question:

I am going into a class on Monday and really need your help. I have a group of teens that have been cutting, and I have agreed to go into our school (small private) and talk on stress and dealing with teen pressures. I am wondering if you have any outlines on this topic.

Answer:

Because of our conversations with students on the Hopeline we have come to understand that every situation is different so the message is tailor-made for each situation. However there are key components and truths to dealing with this struggle. A good web resource that would be very beneficial to you is at www.selfinjury.org. Under the Christian Resources you’ll find helpful articles that deal with the topics such as Scripture and Self-Injury, This is a Hard Teaching!, Atonement for Sin, What God is doing in Me, and Affirmations, I think they would be very helpful in your preparation for encouragement and help for these students.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Lonely

2010-03-24T16:16:00.005-05:00

Question:

I've just been struggling in the relationship I'm in now. It's like I really love him but he keeps hurting me and hurting me and I always take him back.. but I started praying that I have strength to just leave for good and for God to help my broken heart. But I still take him back so I'm at a point where I'm just crying everynight and I have no one to tlk to about this and I really don't no what to do because now this realationship is leading me away from God because I feel as though He isn't helping. I know I should be patient and I can see that the devil is getting to me threw my resentment and anger and sadness because he sees that I am weak , so I'm becoming depressed. I just need someone to help me, to give me good spiritual advice because I feel that I have nothing a no one, and the thing is I'm hiding all this from my family because I really can't talk to them about things like this. So please I'm just calling out for help so whatever you have to say I'm hear to listen.

Answer:

The guy you are seeing now is taking advantage of you and he will continue to do so if you continue to take him back. He sees that you are feeling needy and he’s using you as a “safety net” in case the one’s he’s lusting after doesn’t work out. You have to let go of the fear of being alone for a couple of reasons. (1) You belong to God. You are His temple in bodily form and He promises that He will never leave you or let you down. HE is the One who is provides all your needs, and He is the One you need to trust to bring you and the one He has prepared for you together in His perfect timing. (2) You are not designed to carry this burden. It’s clear that you see this is weighing you down. God says that you need to give your burdens to Him, He loves you more than you can imagine and He is the only one who can set you free from this burden. (3) Fear does not come from the Lord. The only thing that this is blurring your vision from seeing the love God is ready to pour into your heart. His love casts out all fear. You already have access to His love and nothing is going to separate you from Him. It’s just a matter of you taking a stand on His love and allowing Him to have His love wash over you. But you have to submit this to the hand of God. Nothing will help you outside of this. If you bring this to His throne, and keep it there, He will take care of everything else. Otherwise, nothing else will help you.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Alone

2010-03-23T12:40:00.004-05:00

Question:

I feel alone like no one cares. Sometimes I just wanna commit sucide. All I feel is hurt and pain. My parents are divorced and makes my hurt worst. All I think about is sex and porn, and I'm afraid if I trust God I'll just be rejected. At school all I feel is worry and I feel like all my friends don't care. I feel so much hurt cause my friends don't realize what they have and they take it for granted. Some of my friends do drugs. I just feel so much pain and don't know what to do? No one knows about porn or anything that i do it because they think I'm perfect. It just hurts and I feel so lost with my walk with Jesus.

Answer:

I want you to know that it begins with your relationship with Christ, and in Him you are completely forgiven and totally loved. I do not know everything going on from your past, and I am not negating anything that has happened, but it appears as if you are isolating yourself from everyone. You have a great fear of rejection hanging in front of you and I can see the condemnation in your typing. God assures us from His Word that He holds no condemnation against us, and He will never do so. Condemnation is that overbearing sense of worthlessness or that you deserve all the bad that is in your life. Another thing that makes it blatantly clear to me that this is not from God is because it makes you consider thoughts of suicide. A Godly sorrow leads us to repentance but the condemnation and guilt from this world only produces death. This condemnation is coming from the enemy. Jesus says that the thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but that He came to give us life that is abundant and overflowing to other lives. My little sister, you are loved by the Father! Christ paid for the sin that the enemy is trying to make you think you can’t get rid of and the condemnation does not hold the power to keep you down. Jesus is right there with you and is ready to take that heavy load if you want Him to and believe that He is able, and He is more than able.

Pornography is a terrible addiction that chokes someone from the intimacy and love that we were deigned to receive from God and learn to give to others. Now I am not condemning you. I see you want to stop. I know in your heart you are longing for something more. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is Faithful and Just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” James 4:8 says Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Jesus knows that this is a struggle too great for you to handle and He knows that you are weak here. But you are FORGIVEN. He took every mess up and bore it in His body on the cross. The enemy wants you to think you are worthless for giving into that but that is a lie. Jesus did this for you because He LOVES you. But you have to let down your guard to Him. He is not going to reject you like any other people that you may know. He is not like other people because He IS LOVE. He made you to receive His love and He intends to fill you with His love. But He will not force Himself on you. You must want it, and want Him. You have to trust yourself under His hand that He will nurture those parts deep inside of you that are hurting. But you have to get up. You have to stand and believe that you are forgiven. You have to take that step of faith and be vulnerable to Him. He is Faithful and will respond, but you have to hunger for Him, and learn to be open to Him and letting Him fill you.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Cursing

2010-03-19T09:18:00.005-05:00

Question:

A lot of my friends curse and say there's nothing wrong with it. I didin't think it was the Christian thing to do so up until a couple days ago I didn't cuss. Then for some reason I just started doing it. I feel like I shouldn't and I want to know...is it a sin to cuss?

Answer:

Whatever your friends are basing their decision that it’s ok to curse is not Biblical. If their influence on you is leading you to cursing when you are otherwise brought up to know better, you should probably not hang around these people. With that being said, you have to judge what is wrong based on Scripture. Exodus 20:7 reveals the fourth commandment in saying, “Do not take the name of the Lord in vain.” Whenever the Name of the Lord and His Son Jesus is used in a mocking sense or as an expletive it takes what is holy and makes it common. God mentions in that same verse that there is a consequence for cursing.

Now someone might then say that all the other four letter words are ok because saying them isn’t taking the Lord’s name in vain. That is not true. You have to remember that you belong to God, and I’m not just talking about you in general, but everything about you was bought with Christ when you accepted Him into your heart and life. You are the temple of the Holy Ghost and whenever you use your mouth to curse, you take your mouth and breath which are gifts from God and you use the instruments of God to willingly disobey. It’s like taking a white sheet and rubbing mud on it. I know this sounds upfront and bold, but I want you to understand the seriousness of what we are talking about. Matthew 12:36 reminds us that every single little word that we have spoken in this life will be judged by the eyes of Christ and we will give an account for what we said, and why we said it. Now there is forgiveness of course for cursing. Confess it and move forward. But know that God takes this seriously.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Is Grinding Ok?

2010-03-18T09:12:00.003-05:00

Question:

I wanted to know. Is it ok to grind at dances?

Answer:

Before I go into this I want you to know that I appreciate dancing. I think there is alot of good that comes from it. There's nothing wrong in dancing in itself. There are different expressions of it in different cultures and dance is healthy. God made us with the desire to dance. First off to be an offering to Him (Psalm 149:3). Secondly for our good pleasure.

But I do have some cautions. I believe you need to take into consideration what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:12 "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." You have the freedom to choose what you want to do in your life because Christ gave you the freedom to do so. However, you have to keep in mind that what you choose, you give it power over you. If we are practicing something that someone who is weak in the faith sees, gets confused, and stumbles at it, we are held responsible for that. True freedom in Christ means that you have the ability to say "no" to something, not that you can do whatever you want.

Back to dancing. There are alot of things that are associated with certain types of dancing that are not helpful, not just to the body of Christ, but to your own well being. This form of dance desensitizes a person to the proper view of sex, giving it the idea that it's all just for fun. The fact that this form of dance is a very public flaunt of what it pictures goes against the privacy in which God intended for sex between a husband and wife to be. This is not harmless. The question you have to ask yourself is, "Does this build up the Body of Christ?" Would you be ashamed to dance like this in front of godly believers, who are a small picture of Jesus? Grinding is unhealthy from both aspects, for the Body of Christ and for yourself.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

How do I Trust?

2010-03-17T09:35:00.004-05:00

Question:

You hear people and pastors all the time saying "just lay your troubles at jesus' feet" well i don't know how to do this. I don't know how to just hand over all my worries and cares to him because it feels like his arms are not out to take them. Obviously i cannot do it physically, and i don't know how.

Answer:

You have to remind yourself that you can’t judge your walk based on your feelings. God’s Word says that our hearts are deceitful, and can be deceived. Our feelings are not an honest gauge on how we are doing before the Lord. So if our hearts are not the correct judge of our walk, then we have to focus on what is. For that we look to God’s Word and find that our walk is strengthened in knowing Him, and we access that by faith. If you look to your feelings you will never feel better, or you will have a good day and think your problems are solved and then crash a couple days later.

You have to take your walk with the Lord one day at a time. God shows us in His Word the end result and the aim for our purpose in this life. His goal is to make us more like Christ, and our responsibility is to learn to focus on Him one day at a time. That means we need to learn how to walk with Him based on how He has shown us to through His Word. We need to hand our troubles to Him knowing He is right there. We do this when we feel ourselves being burdened. When we give them to them we walk away from them, and we keep doing this until it becomes instinctive to hand them over to Him. As you seek Him and He shows you truths to apply, follow Him one step at a time. That is the key to your walk. It’s learning to be faithful to Him in your daily decisions and He will mold you into the person He wants you to be.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

I'm Not Sure

2010-03-16T13:09:00.005-05:00

Question:

I'm a junior in high school and plan on graduating early and heading to college the spring semester of my senior year. However, I've been in this horrible low stage lately. No motivation, knowing I have to do my homework and go to school along with work and studies. I grew up going to church every Sunday and Wednesday up until I was around 8 or 9. My family tried out new churches and then sooner than later quit going altogether. I never got the information I had hoped to get at church to build my relationship with God. My parents divorced not too long after we stopped going to church and I flip flopped with who I lived with for a long time up until the summer before my sophomore year. I didn't really have any motivation for church. My dad liked to drink. I would sit and watch him get drunk on saturday nights and watch him sleep through getting up for church sunday morning. So it set into me that church wasn't all that important.

But now as I'm about to head off to college within the year I've been thinking probably more than I should. I've done A LOT of things I'm not proud of.. from repeating the Saturday nights I saw my dad live a few weekends.. to having too serious of a boyfriend for 2 years. I just feel super alone 98% of the time and I hate that feeling.. I'm a great student though; A's in B's in college credit courses but now I'm just wondering where do I start. What do I do to get my path with God straightened and fixed. Everyone I ask says 'ask Him for forgiveness' but I feel like there should be more than just asking for forgiveness. I want to get involved in a church. I'm not a very outgoing, step outside my shell kind of person so stepping into a new church and deciding where to go from there is a little intimidating to me. My mother is who I live with now. And she does her best as a single mom, but I get mad at her from time to time because I expect more.. and that makes me feel so cruddy because I know I shouldnt feel that way. She encourages me to go to church, but we don't have that relationship to talk about stuff concerning stuff like this.. So I was hoping you could help. Thanks

Answer:

First off, I want to say that I’m sorry that you have had a poor example of parenting in your life from your dad. I can understand that you get upset with your mom. It’s not that she’s not trying, but you feel like your missing out. That’s your dad’s fault though. The truth is that you were made for a greater purpose than what you’ve experienced so far. It’s great to hear that you are heading to college with a strong head start, but that is not where the success of your life is found (as you can see). Your purpose in life is meant to be found in your relationship with God. As easy as this might not sound or as hard as it might be to accept, but He is the Father that you have been longing for. Your dad may have neglected his duties of fathering you and rejected seeking God in his life, but that was not God’s plan. That was your dad’s choice. The truth is that sin leaves everyone in a bad state. No one goes unaffected. What I want you to examine first before going any further is your relationship with Him? It’s good to ask for forgiveness for things done, but you can’t do that if you do not belong to Him. Have you ever received Jesus into your life as your Savior? If you have not, that is issue that needs to be settled in your heart before continuing forward.

If you have received Him into your life, you have the connection to the Father that you need, and you have access to Him right here and now. You may have done some things that you regret, but you stand forgiven before the Father. It’s not because of anything you did or didn’t do, but because Jesus took your sin, your mess ups, mistakes, and paid for them on the cross. You stand blameless before Him. Not only that, but He is your Satisfaction. He is the Source which you were designed to feed from. Psalm 42:1 says as the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after you Lord. You are hungry for the Lord, you crave that closeness to Him, and He promises to fill you if you open your heart to Him. It is through the strength of the Lord that you are meant to love your family, to forgive your dad, to receive an education for His plan for your life. But you have to want Him. You have to ask Him to lead you, and keep on asking. You have to search for Him as He has revealed where He is. You need to take the step and become vulnerable to Him and He is Faithful to respond and comfort you. Ask Him to help you see this situation the way He sees it. Ask Him to give you a hunger for His love. His love casts out all fear. Do not let your fear control you. Lift it to Him now. Confess anything you have done, and know that you are forgiven. And seek Him out.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

About My Walk

2010-03-11T10:07:00.004-06:00

Question:

I read your devos so much!! I read them everyday. I going through a hard time that I just can't seem to get in a relationship with Gid like I want to!! My mind really wants to do it but my heart is not in it. I really want my heart in it but everytime I try it doesn't work. I want a close relationship with God but it just doesn't really seem like it is working.

Answer:

That is a very common struggle for many believers. I've gone through a time where I had the exact same struggle and it still bites at me from time to time. What you have to remember is that you have the power through Christ to bring your thought life captive to Christ so that you can allow His mind to direct you. Remember, you have been given a new mind that is renewed through the power of His Word (Romans 12:2). Open your heart to the Lord and share with Him in this honesty. Isaiah 45:22, God tells His people to look to Him and be saved. You are designed to focus and live with your life coming from and being poured out for Him. As you focus on Him, He will renew your strength. It is a discipline to do this but it is the discipline we were meant to pursue.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

I Need Help

2010-03-10T08:55:00.004-06:00

Question:

I am 15 years old. For years I have been trying and waiting for God to speak to me, just once to know that He hears me. But when I pray I feel like its a one way radio...and there is no one on the other end. It is killing me to think He does not care or want to listen to me.

Answer:

I’m glad you wrote in about your struggle. It’s a good sign when you are open and honest. I want you to know that I’ve dealt with the same thing when I was your age. You really want God to speak but you don’t hear anything. I’d like to share a couple thoughts with you. The first one begins with understanding how God wants us to walk with Him. His Word says that we are to walk with Him based on faith and not based on how we feel. If you are trying to feel God then it’s like trying to talk in a telephone where you’re supposed to be hearing and listening where you should be talking, it’s not how we are designed and it doesn’t line up with the relationship God means for us to have with Him. I’m not saying this to discourage you. I just want you to understand which way is not the way to God so that you can understand what is.

If you remember stories about the children of Israel when Moses was leading them through the wilderness, you’ll see they had all the signs from God to believe in Him. They saw 10 plagues destroy their enemies, the Red Sea split so they could walk through, God’s cloud and pillar of fire guide them, and they still did not believe God. The truth is that no miracle ever helped someone believe in God. It would make sense that miracles or signs would help someone but it doesn’t. So you have to ask yourself, “Why doesn’t it work that way?” It’s because faith is a decision to believe God based on what He says is true, and when you believe Him and His Word, then He works. So if you want God to speak to you, look in His Word how He satisfies us. “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10. 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3 . Rest in these promises. It’s a discipline because your mind will want to do the opposite, but you have the power through Christ to bring your mind to quiet and focus on Him. Go to Him in His Word with this mindset and He will speak to your heart.

I would encourage you also to be real and honest with Him in how you feel. You did a good job of being real with me. That is exactly what He wants with you.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

My Walk with God

2010-03-09T09:53:00.005-06:00

Question:

This year I have grown alot. I was raised in a strict church and I never knew there was anything else out there for me when I was younger. Then things started changing with my family and our church family. We started testing out different churches recommended by friends. My faith in God grew and grew with each sermon I heard.
Today, we went back to our old church. I was sad to say that I was dissapointed because I didn't feel the vibe of God with me like I had at the others. This is a tough decision and I'm trying to stay strong in the Lord. There are things going on in my life and I love to have connections with God. Please help me open my heart to understand the message God is trying to send me.

Answer:

I completely understand what you're saying because I know what it's like to grow up in a Christian setting that wasn't completely healthy and I too got a glimpse of what God intended for it to be. Think of it this way, God is drawing you out. You're asking for a prayer that He's answering before you even asked it! How cool is that?! Praise God He's giving you a vision and dream of what He has in store for you. He's showing you this because you are not always going to be in the spiritual atmosphere you may have to deal with for now. You might see where you are at as being too much for you but God sees everything He has planned for your life ahead of you, and I'm telling you that His blessing in this area is coming.

Now at the same time, look forward to this, but I want you to know that this is only the icing on the cake. The actual cake (the best and most fulfilling part of your life) is learning to walk in your relationship with God now. When Jesus said take my yoke and learn of me, HE was actually saying let Me be your Teacher. Ask God to show you those things that you may have been taught in your life that are not from Him, and as He reveals, put them to the side. Ask Him to teach you what it means to be a disciple and to walk in His love. He's with you right now and is more than ready and capable of teaching you if you rely on Him and let Him. Have a blessed day.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Eating

2010-03-08T11:10:00.002-06:00

Question:

I have struggled with an anorexia and bulimia for almost five years. I got help and recovered mostly because of God and reaffirming my faith in him. Lately, things have just gone down hill for me. My faith in God has never been stronger, but my dad took a job out of town and I only see him on the weekends and he is the one person besides God who understands me. Also I feel so alone all the time because I don't feel like I have many friends and that no one likes me. My brother went to college and my mom is always at work. I spend most of my day by myself. Because of all of these things I've just been so sad all of the time. The only way I know how to cope with sadness and depression is through anorexia and bulimia, so I've relapsed. I know God doesn't want me to do this to myself, but all I think about is food, calories, fat, and my weight. I have never been this sick in my eating disorder before and I need help but I almost feel like I don't want it. This is the only way I know how to cope with pain. I am miserable and I need to know how I can make my faith even stronger so that I can make myself want to beat this again.

Answer:

It's encouraging to see how God has been at work in your life. Just from reading how you've allowed God to help you through this is awesome. You faith in God is the foundation for which you can overcome any weakness. I just want to let you know that I understand where you are coming from. It is so easy to get worried about how you look that it can consume you. The first thing I want to say is don't beat yourself up. God knows all about your struggle and He's proud of you for letting Him help you for all that time. He knows that you are not perfect and that you'll have times where you stumble. The Bible says in proverbs 24:16 that the righteous falls seven times, but then he gets back up again. Falling isn't the issue. It's if you refuse to get back up is when you are defeated.

Another thing that you need to remember is that God doesn't want you to be bound to what your appearance is. You are beautiful just as you are because that is how God made you. He made you in His image and you are special and dear in His sight.

I'm sure you heard the story of Job. He went through some hard times even though he was living a life that pleased God. At first it looked like God was just allowing hard times to come on him to see if he would crack. If you look at the end of the story though, God had a special plan for him. God wanted to bless him more and give him a greater life. But he would not have been able to have that if he had not gone through the rough times. God did not put you in this situation to fail. He has a greater plan for you and it requires that you go through a time that you need more of Him. Ask for grace to get back up and that He would give you the friend and accoutability that you need to get through this. He will get you through this, so hang in there.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Not So Perfect

2010-03-05T16:30:00.004-06:00

Question:

I am a senior in high school and I don't remember the last time i let out all my troubles and shames. I lost my grandma at age 10 and from there my life went downhill. I am not proud of how things are but I am not all that bad I mean I have straight As and I push myself in figure skating and track but there are so many things that I don't know anymore.
My journal that I keep has suicide written all over it from the nights I would fight with my parents and I have all my feeling bursted out in it. This year I had my first real drink...or drinks but I knew when to stop so I didn't screw up my life that bad. I dated a guy more than a year ago and I dumped him cuz i was afraid that he was almost too perfect for me (afraid I would fall in love with him basically). He liked me for the next 15 months after that and then I went out with this other guy to get my ex out of the way but now my ex got a new girlfriend and I just dumped my boyfriend of 2 months this weekend because I have feelings for my ex and he doesn't realize it.

Some days I wish he knew and others I wish things would disappear for good. When things get way out of hand my ex says I can call him but I just cant always take it and thats when I wish I would disappear and never comeback. I miss my grandma so much and I know that I should accept the fact that she's dead but she was always someone to talk to and when she died I haven't had a real decent person to let out all my feelings. My ex and I have become great friends and I'm afraid I might mess it up or his new girlfriend will break our friendship that I just got with him (I hated his guts for awhile then I got feelings for him agian and then I hated him agan. back and forth like that). I'm afraid to let my real feelings out and I can't always figure out what they mean to me.

If you can help me that would be great because I just give up on who to turn too. I'm sorry I kept going and going but its all in my head and I need to get out and get help with it. Thank You.

Answer:

I really am glad you came here. I am sorry that you've had to try to contain these feelings for such a long time. That's a hard thing to try and hold onto. It makes it harder when you don't feel like you can really share how you feel with anyone. You are always welcome here and we won't turn you away no matter what you are going through. Now we can only encourage you so much and our help for you has limits. But one thing I can do is point you to Christ. He is the only One who can really help you where you are hurting. He can take the burden that you are carrying from you and use the pain that you have felt inside and make good come out of it. He can help you based on a personal relationship with Him. If this is something you do not have, please come back and let me know, I would love to show you how you can begin this. If you do have one, you already have what you need to get you through what you are feeling. All it takes is calling out to Him and giving your hurts to Him by faith. Hang in there, God has not given up on you.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

After Highschool

2010-03-04T09:08:00.003-06:00

Question:

i am a senior in high school and i feel a calling to help people or do something for the Lord and so i thought about going into phsycology in college but i feel like there is something more for me and i don't kno if u kno about the honour academy but i wanted to go there but i can't afford to...so i was wondering if there are any christian organizations that have internships that i could apply for, and i always wanted to do missions and i am going to costa rico this summer and have been on 2 other missions trips in the past. i really like what dawson mccalister does i just want to help people if u have any suggestions that would be awesome! thanks!

Answer:

I think that it's awesome that you have a desire from God to help other people. The fact that you have that desire shows that God has a special plan for you. Just to let you know, there are tons of internships out there. I went to Bible College and they came to us with many internships and missions outreaches in all the continents of the world. The best thing for you to do is to lift up your desire and your plans to God in prayer. He's the one that put that desire in your heart. He did that because He has a plan for you. He doesn't want you to try and figure it out. Just give this to Him and let Him bring what He wants for you to you. He will make it clear what He wants you to do and where He wants you to go. Let Him lead. Don't let money be a factor, if He has a plan for you, He will give you what you need to carry that out. He will supply your every need

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

I Need an Answer

2010-03-03T10:06:00.004-06:00

Question:

Hey there,
well, im just a teenager thats needing an answer. okay. so you may get this alot but I just need advice. so, I am a Christian and have asked God to be in charge of my life. and I believe all the things that I read in the bible, well I'm trying lets say. and I really want to feel God and feel like He's real but its hard because I just dont get it. and like I pray, read my bible and all that stuff but I just don't feel close to God but I want to. and I tell Him that but nothing happens. It's so hard cause I want to so bad. and I'm like 'ahh God I really want to feel you, please help me, but its not working out I'm just confused. Help?

Answer:

Hey there, I want to let you know that for a long time, I went through the exact same thing. I went through Bible College feeling this way! What makes struggle hard to deal with is because you know that you want what God wants and you know that God wants this for you too, but it feels like there is a disconnect, so you think something is wrong with you.

I need to remind you of a very important truth about our walk with Christ. It's a walk of faith. It's very easy for us to be led by our emotions. I know this because for a long time I let my emotions run my walk. But our emotions is not what God wants us to be led by. Out emotions change on the turn of a dime. One moment we're happy to be alive, the next we wish we were never born. God wants us to live our lives on the steady road of faith. 2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith and not by sight.

Another thing you need to understand is having the proper mindset of God having control. You don't have to go finding God because He is right there with you! Because of your relationship with Christ your old life is dead and your life is hid in Christ. Colossians 3:3 says For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

All you need to do is ask God to quiet your emotions and settle down. He's right there with you and He'll help you do this. Then, just open His Word and allow Him to show you what He wants you to know about Him. Remember, His word is alive. That's found in Hebrews 4:12. You've already surrendered to Him, now just be still as Psalm 46:10 says and let Him lead you where He wishes.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

A Calling

2010-03-02T10:51:00.004-06:00

Question:

Im Josh and I am 15. The last year I have felt a calling from God to become a youth pastor and I have no clue what to do. I want to follow His calling but i dont know where to go or what to do. I want to do something now, something that I thaught about that might be possible is maybe getting an internship with my youth pastor. If you could give me some direction or advice that would be great.

Answer:

The first thing I would do is ask God to confirm this in your heart. Just be open to His leading. Proverbs 3:6 says that if we put the Lord before us in all of our decisions, He promises to direct our paths. We aren't supposed to do anything for God. All we are required to do is be still and listen for His leading and follow where He leads.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

2010-02-26T09:12:00.003-06:00

Question:

Last year, I met met this guy and we became very close friends almost right away. We just "clicked". We got along great, and we had been through a lot of the same things, and we understood each other very well. He also was the one who led me to the Lord. A few months after we met, me and this guy began dating, and we have had a wonderful relationship. We have grown closer to God together, and we try to keep the Lord a central part of our relationship. This guy is a year older than me. When we met, I was a junior in high school and he was a senior at the same high school. Now I am a senior and he is attending Grace Bible College in Michigan to become a youth pastor. The problem is not the distance (he is 9 hours away)...we handled that fairly well. The problem is my parents. They have a problem with him because of his passion for God and spreading His Word. A few weeks ago, somehow my dad and my boyfriend got into a discussion about religion, and it turned into a bit of a debate. My boyfriend simply stood up for his Christian beliefs, but my dad called him a "fanatic", "part of a cult", and "the most arrogant person he's ever met" all because my boyfriend believes that the only way to be saved is to believe that Christ died for us, and because he is for evangelism. My dad thinks that evangelism is wrong because, according to him, it is "shoving your beliefs down other people's throats". Anyway, even since this discussion that the two of them had several weeks ago, my dad practically hates my boyfriend and thinks he's a freak. My father also is convinced that my boyfriend's family and the church are brainwashing me. He has forbidden me to see my boyfriend, my boyfriend's family, or to continue to go to the church that I had begun to attend about 9 months ago. My father is wrong...I was not, and am not, being brainwashed. I was saved and became a Christian because of things that happened to me that convinced me of God's working in my life. This happened on a youth retreat that I went on last February with my boyfriend's, and now my, church. I am not a Christian because anyone told me to be. It is not blind faith. However, my dad thinks that my (and my boyfriend's) beliefs are absurd. I don't know what to do now. I love my boyfriend very much, and I'm not going to end our relationship forever just because my father is a little misguided. Also, it's not only about our relationship, but about my faith. I don't know where to draw the line between standing up for what I believe and respecting and obeying my parents. I want to go on mission trips and do work in the church someday, and I don't want to give up on those goals just because my father doesn't agree with my religious views. I'm not sure how to show my father that my boyfriend is not a bad person and that he is not forcing anything on me, and I'm not sure how to get my father to allow me to see him again. My boyfriend and I have both talked to pastors, youth pastors, and theology professors about how to handle this, and they all basically give the same answer...wait and pray. That's what we have been doing. I plan on talking to my dad sometime within the next few weeks and trying to explain myself to him more...why I believe what I believe, why I love my boyfriend and want to continue seeing him, etc., and I hope that maybe he'll be a little more understanding after he's had a few weeks to cool off. I was just wondering if you have any other advice, or have any tips on how to go about talking to my father and talking him into accepting my faith, my views, and the way I want to live my life as a Christian, even though they are different from his.

Answer:

The best thing to do in this situation is to wait and to pray. What I would pray for is that the love of God would flow out of your life and that your dad would see this and that God would soften his heart. John 13:35 says that the way the world will see Christ in us is by our love for one another. Allow God to flow His love in and through you and see what God will do.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Is Masturbation Wrong?

2010-02-25T09:12:00.003-06:00

Question:

I've been struggling with what is right and wrong on this subject, because so many people have different views on it. This is kind of an embarrassing question to ask, but I've been studying for a long time now, and still can't seem to find the answer. Is masturbation a sin without lust? I thought maybe you'd have some good advice for me. I've been praying a lot, and know that it's important to have self control. If you have any advice for me, I'd really appreciate it!

Answer:

That’s a good question with a bunch of answers (a lot of them aren’t correct). It would be easy to justify this by saying that it’s replacing someone from doing something that we say is worse. Some have said that if you focus on your spouse it’s ok. These are all faulty views because they are not based on the Truth. To know God’s response to this, you have to have a good grasp of the Truth. You have to ask the question “What is lust?” The definition from the Greek Word Epiqumia which means “strong desire for what is forbidden.” This is the Greek word used to describe the lust of the flesh. So you have to ask yourself again, as not to put someone’s own meaning into the Word, what is forbidden? The Webster Dictionary defines forbidden simply as “prohibited; not allowed”. If we look according to God’s Word, who alone has the authority to say what is allowed and what is not allowed? So we can see according to God’s Word that lust is taking anything out of God’s original design and using it for one’s own purpose.

If you look in Matthew 4 at the first temptation Jesus experienced, Satan attempted to test Jesus to use His supernatural power from God to fill his stomach with food. Jesus had been fasting for 40 days, and if He went much further He would have starved to death. Did this tempting sound good? Absolutely. Try going 2 days without eating anything and anyone would compromise something do eat a Subway sandwich. But Christ knew that the power God gave Him was not given to fill His own desire but the desire of Him Who sent Him, which is why He combated that temptation with standing on God’s Word that He would not use what God gave Him to fill His desires.

So let’s bring this back to our topic. God has designed men and women with desires, and we can’t deny that. But what we have to remember alongside this is that God also designed a way for those desires to be fulfilled. They are meant to be an expression of a husband and wife’s pledged faithfulness to one another in marriage. The body of the man does not belong to him, nor does the wife (1 Cor. 7:4). So what is masturbation? It is the taking of something that is meant to be expressed in marriage and using it to please one’s own desires. This is almost a pure definition of the lust of the flesh.

If you are struggling with this, there are two necessities that must be placed in your life. The first one is accountability. This is not just accountability with one friend that you contact when you mess up. It starts with accountability with God and seeing this as He sees it. If you don’t see it the way He does than you can’t combat it in His power and you won’t see the need to change. Out of that you need to establish accountability in your life. Through confession and prayer you can walk anew in His mercy and grace (James 5:16). The next step is combating the lie that tarnishes the mind and leads many captive buy bringing that captive with the Truth of God’s Word. This is the only way to stay in His plan and have power over this. (Psalm 119:9, 2 Corinthians 10:5)

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Feeling Guilt

2010-02-24T09:03:00.005-06:00

Question:

I recently did something that I knew was wrong in my heart but I couldn't live up to it. My parents found out and they took a lot of privelages away from me. I usually don't do things that get me into trouble and the guilt is eating away at me. I even feel like God won't forgive me, even though everywhere they tell me he always does. How do I earn my parents trust back as soon as possible?

Answer:

What you’re feeling right now is the sense of guilt. As believers, there’s a battle inside ourselves with our flesh and the Spirit of God. Whenever we mess up the flesh wants us to feel guilty and tells us that we don’t’ deserve to be better. It’s almost like our flesh wants to feel bad for a while to pay for what we did. That condemning is not coming from God. God promises us no condemnation in Romans 8:1. Now there are consequences for the choices we make, but when we confess them to God He forgives us immediately and restores fellowship with Him. You can find that promise in 1 John 1:9. You don’t have to wait to feel better before going to God. It sounds like you are feeling the consequences of messing up and you realize the seriousness of what you did. Confess your mistake to the Lord, trust that His promise is true and move forward. There are different consequences to different decisions you make. In order to keep from going that road again you need to set up barriers and safety nets to keep that from happening again.

The thing about trust is that it is not simply bought like you’d buy a candy bar. It’s something that is earned, and built over time. Trust is of great value and takes much investing in to build. Let the discipline take its course. It is part of the consequence of the decision you made and it would be best to accept it. Your parents aren’t going to hold this against you forever. They were your age at one time and they know what it is to mess up. You won’t be disciplined forever and you’ll get those privileges again. Trust is built when you handle well the tasks that are given to you and you prove yourself to be trustworthy. When your parents see you handling your tasks well, they will give you more responsibility which means more freedom to act in that. So be responsible with what you have today and you will build that trust.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Facebook

2010-02-23T10:13:00.003-06:00

Question:

I recently had the opportunity through Facebook to encourage someone who seemed to really need it. I know that teens use Facebook a lot and at times it can be also a problem area for them as well. Anything on how they can use face book in a positive way without falling into the other traps that are included?

Answer:

The thing about Facebook is that it is a tool. It’s neither a good thing nor an evil thing in itself. It’s all in how you use it. Some pointers that I would suggest is being aware of the things that detract from following Christ and avoid adds, fan clubs, or games that compromise one’s convictions concerning Christ. Another suggestion I would bring would be in the care of how surf friendly the person may be. There are many times (and it happens a lot of facebook) where people connect with friends of friends that lead on a tangent of being facebook friends with people they have never met. I would recommend the person stay within the confines of who you know because you don’t know what you’re getting into or what could arise from this. The other thing I would suggest is to not fill so much of your day with facebook. It can be very addictive to see the statuses of other people or what others think about you that you get consumed with this form of social media. Facebook can be a good thing but abused can be damaging like anything else and replace what belongs to the heart of Christ.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

So what happens to those...

2010-02-19T14:30:00.004-06:00

Question:

A friend of mine brought up a question that I couldn't answer. He wanted to know if you die and are not saved, do you live in hell for eternity like we do in heaven? or do you just die completely? I would think yes but I wasn't sure and didn't know where to look it up. I will look myself but any help would be nice. Thanks!

Answer:

That is a great question. The Bible is very clear that if we do not accept the gift that Jesus has given us we will spend eternity in hell. God does not want anyone to pay for their sins in that way. This is why He sent Jesus to make payment for our sins. As you know, you must give your life to Christ and accept the gift that Jesus is willing to give anyone who will receive it.

Revelation 20:10- And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Revelation 21:8- But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars-- their place will be in the feiry lake of burning sulfer. This is the second death.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Daily Reading

2010-02-18T11:29:00.002-06:00

Question:

I wasn't quite sure where this fit in so I thought this board would be a good one. I'm a 20 year old senior in college and I have a daily quiet time every day (well I try to) and my question is how do you prevent reading the Bible from becoming mundane? For example I will read through a passage in my devotional book and then read the corresponding chapter in the Bible and I get a lot out of that but then I want to take it further and read more so I flip to proverbs or psalms and read but after a while it gets boring, almost as though I'm reading just to read and I'm not really growing. How do I prevent that? How do I keep the Bible interesting? Are there any devotionals or topical Bibles I could read to keep it interesting or anything? I already have My Utmost for His Highest which is a great book I'm just looking for something else to go along with it I guess. Thanks!

Answer:

One thing that you need to understand is that you're not going to have this incredible revelation every time you open the Scriptures. I don't want to try and disappoint you, I am just trying to help you understand that God didn't wire it that way. I would say that praying beforehand would help. Ask God to help you be quiet and open to receiving something from Him. Expect Him to come through. Remember, Hebrews 4:12 says that God's Word is alive! Don't try to pull things out of God's Word, let God reveal Himself to you through His Word. AS John 1:1 says, the Word is God. If you let God reveal Himself to you through His Word, He will reveal Himself to you through His Word. His Word will then begin to work inside of you.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Being Saved

2010-02-17T09:50:00.006-06:00

Question:

Okay, so I was wondering about being saved. My dad, who isn't a Christian, says that if you ask God into your heart once that you will go to heaven no matter what. He thinks that you can do anything, but because you were saved once, you will go to heaven. I heard before that it is a personal opinion, but I don't really know. I have trouble believing that it's a personal opinion.

Answer:

It sounds to me like your dad believes in saying magic words and everything is taken care of. Becoming a Christian is very simple, but the critical point is not in saying the right words. What God looks at is faith. Hebrews 11:6 says that without faith no one can please God. In order to become a Christian one must (1) admit that he's wrong and completely helpless, (2) that Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection is enough to save you, and (3) to receive this by faith for yourself.

Romans 10:9-10 says That if you confess with your mouth "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. It is as simple as that, and there is no other way. John 14:6 says that Jesus proclaims to be the way, the truth, and the light. No one comes to God except through Him. It is as simple as that.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Spiritual Life

2010-02-16T15:05:00.005-06:00

Question:

So I seem to be doing really well spiritually, but these last few weeks have been very challenging. I keep getting down on myself, and just last night I was having a really hard time with being around myself. I know that seems kind of strange, but it was just hard; because I kept thinking about the past times. I had a lot of negative thoughts going on in my head and flashbacks. I kept trying to think positve, but everything that I thought about was just so negative. I then began to try to think of confessions that I know from the Bible to encourage me and lift me up from this unpositive day. I still feel the same just down on myself, and I realize that I need to just to focuse on God, and know that I am His child. He loves me even when I mess up. I have a lot of repenting to do, and just some of the choices I have made over the last month have not been the best. Are there any confessions that you can share with me that will lift my spirit and just encourage? I messed up really badly this weekend. I don't want to to say what happened, but I just feel as God won't forgive me. I know He will, but it's just hard to deal with things. I don't know what I need, but maybe some confessions on forgiveness and God's grace might help.

Answer:

You know that living the Christian life is not an easy thing to do. There are going to be times where we mess up. All we can do is lift them up to God in prayer. You have already been forgiven for your sins. Romans 8:1 says that you stand uncondemned in His sight. What you need to focus on is the fellowship with Him. You stand forgiven before Him, but it is possible to sever the close fellowship with Him. Just confess what you know to have done wrong to Him and ask Him to reveal what you have forgotten. After that, there is nothing for you to do. Just move on in faith knowing that your fellowship has been restored.
John 6:37- All that the Father gives me will come to me and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Doing Things for God's Glory

2010-02-12T08:48:00.004-06:00

Question:

I just had a question about today's Bible study. Today the Bible study talked about being careful only to do things if God wants you to do them. But how far are you supposed to take this? Like, do I have to like pray and think for several weeks about whether to try a new sport or take a certain course in school? Or whether to buy something, etc.? This seems kind of stressful to me! It seems like this is obsessing over every little decision we make. I mean, we make so many decisions every day - how are we supposed to only do what God wants every single time?

Answer:

I understand your frustration because I had the same feeling with this thought when I was younger. If you try and judge every single thing that you do like this it will drive you crazy because it’s too much for you. What you have to remember is that this is a process that will take your whole life to learn. All of us believers are on the same journey to learning how to apply this. If you learn to follow Him because following Him is how you are designed to live and His truth is meant to be the guiding force of your life He will guide you in your decision making. It starts with you saying yes to Him in leading your life. Once you allow Him to control your life direction He will lead you in the small decisions. It takes spiritual discipline to be sensitive to Him in the decisions you make, but it’s something you will develop as you follow Him. So think of this Rosalind, look to God first in your life. Ask God to lead you in your decision making. Keep in mind that He is very involved in your life and will lead you. Enjoy your life and what you have in front of you. If He wants you to go in a certain direction He will prompt your heart. If you’re confused take a step aside and look to Him and refocus. Also, keep in His Word. It is absolutely a must and He will help you.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Following Christ

2010-02-11T10:52:00.004-06:00

Question:

"If you choose to bring your life in line and obedience to Christ and live to lift Him up, He will use you in great ways no matter how young you are."

HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

Answer:

I’m glad to see that you’re chewing on the application of the study. What you have to remember in following Christ is that in order to follow His way we have to surrender our own way. We can’t just look at how we are living based on right and wrong because following Christ is not just about that. Don’t get me wrong, He is always good and true. This just means that we can’t judge our decisions on just morality because we might say no to following Him on something because it goes against what we think of as moral or safe when we don’t know the whole picture. When we say yes to following Him we need to be in His Word. He always leads us according to the Truth of His Word and makes us sensitive to His leading. You’ll be amazed at how much He leads you and how much you see Him in your life when you let go and trust Him.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

The Trinity

2010-02-04T09:30:00.003-06:00

Question:

First want to ask that you pray for my friend. She is confused about the Trinity and many other things in her life. I know her only online but once she said she would believe the Trinity if I would love her. That shows me that she puts me over God. So I pray that she will see what is most important and her eyes be opened to fully understanding God's word. On that note could you help me out with some verses on the Trinity? One of the major problems though is she believes some parts of the Bible and a lot explaining Jesus being one with God are not translated right. Any thing you can give me would be great.

Answer:

You have brought about a topic that no one on this earth is able to fully understand. But I will do my best to explain them individually. In a summary, God the Father can be seen as the Creator of all matter and life as Genesis 1 explains. What Genesis 3 shows in the end of the chapter is that when man sinned, man was separated from God, and God in return made a way for man to get back to God.

John 1 explains God the Son. He is the complete fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament of the One who would make the way clear for man to come to God. The way that He did this is through His death as a substitute for our sins. I Peter 2:24 says by His stripes we are healed.

God the Holy Ghost is explained in John 14 and 15 as the Comforter. He came and indwelled believers after Jesus rose from the grave and ascended into heaven in Acts 1. His job is to convict believers of sin, lead them in God's Truth, and help them fulfill the will of God in their lives.

I John 5:7 says that these three are one. What that means is that they are of the same essence, yet they have distinct functions. Outside of this, it is impossible for our minds to understand this concept. This is something that we believers will have to wait till heaven to fully understand.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Christian?

2010-02-03T09:56:00.002-06:00

Question:

So, growing up I was told God was God, and that He is my saviour and everything. I asked him into my heart as a child and accepted him as my savior. Only my sister and I go to church. I stopped as a child and 5 years ago my uncle committed suicide, so my family started going again, but stopped shortly afterwards. I continued to go, and still do when I am not working, but I put on a show. I am not really a bad kid, I mean of course I sin and I know that, and some I am not completely sorry for. My most resent one, I won't be, I can't be. And I haven't prayed in a LONG time. I have never read the Bible. I feel fake when I am at church, and when I am told to pray(because I am struggling with cutting) I feel so distant, like it doesn't matter anyway. I mean I know He is there, I just I am not sure how to explain how I see Him. Sometimes a REALLY want to believe I want that peace I see people at church have(and when I am there I can fake it pretty well) But in all honesty I don't have it. But others I don't know, I get upset and think that if I am not truely sorry for my sin and I am told I am going to Hell for it anyway then why feel bad about committing them if I am going to Hell anyway. I never had this mindset really. I always thought I was one until recently when I was talking to a friend. I'm just not sure what to do, or what I am, I believe in God, I just question it A LOT, and now I am begining to think I put on a good enough show for everyone else that I started to believe it too even if it wasn't true.

Answer:

It sounds to me like you have heard about being saved plenty of times. Salvation is simply knowing that your sin keeps you from God, that Christ paid for them on the cross, and accepting what He did by faith for yourself. That's it! Christ did all of the work.

What He wants for us is to choose to believe it and receive it for ourselves. Our daily life must have that same kind of faith. Collossians 2:6 says that the same way that we have received Christ, we are to walk in Him.

He wants us to read His Word for our benefit because as II Timothy 3:16-17 says, His Word helps us in all venues of life. His Word completes us because as John 1:1 says God is the Word. When you read His Word in faith that He will help you, John 8:32 says that you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

He wants you to pray because I Peter 5:7 shows that He wants you to pray because He cares for you. He wants you to bring your requests to Him and to pray for others. When you pray believing He will answer, He will answer. Matthew 7:8 promises that whoever asks in faith receives.

What I'm trying to say is that believers are to live their lives in faith. II Corithians 5:7 says that we are to walk by faith and not by sight. Emotions and feelings change, and God commands that we filter our lives through our faith in who Christ is and what He has done in saving us.

If you want help in cutting, I would suggest looking at our resources under help sites. A portion of those deals with how to deal with cutting. I hope this helps man.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com.

Is it real?

2010-02-02T13:36:00.003-06:00

Question:

So I've been going through a really rough time lately with God. Kind of like a valley. I've never felt farther from God andI keep praying but I'm not getting any answeres and it's been almost 3 months. I guess everything has been going down hill since I broke up with my boyrfriend, and I'm still not over him and I REALLY want to be! And the more I read the bible the more I feel like a hyprocrite, becuase I'm not even sure if some of the stuff isn't true. I just don't know what to do! I'm a mess.

Answer:

I understand what you are going through. Concerning your breaking up with your boyfriend. I would say just give it some time and you'll be okay. Don't try to rush feeling better. Time is one of the best medicines.

The reason it may feel like your not hearing anything from God is because your probably expecting God to come through in a specific way, maybe like reading a passage and the windows of heaven shine down. I know that sounds dramatic but I hope you understand what I mean. The reason you're not hearing anything from God is because you're winded up so tight that your anxious before you even open God's Word. The first part of Psalm 46:10 says that we are to be still and know that God is in control. Ask God to calm you down and to be completely quiet. If you do this you will find that God whispers like He did to Elijah in I Kings 19:12 in a still small voice. God has never left you. He has been there with you the whole time. Just allow Him to quiet you and allow Him to speak to you.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com

2010-02-01T09:21:00.004-06:00

Question:

Hi. My name is Matt Hoyle and I have fallen into Satan's hands so many times and I am sick of it. What my pastor said this morning really touched me. It was like God slapped me in the face and I went and talked with my pastor. We prayed and I'm free from my sin but I would like you to pray for me. Thanks.

Answer:

Matt, I'm glad that you went to God with this and that you have experienced victory. Porn is an addiction that cannot be overcome by any help but through the power of God and through accountability with other believers. I would be glad to pray for you.

Lord as we come to you in prayer and I want to lift up Matt to you. You know about his struggles and that he desperately wants to live in Your freedom in a life of integrity. Thank you for giving him a taste of the victory that is in You. Please be with Matt on this journey of life and help him to walk faithful and true to you. If he falls into this again, please remind him that You still love him and will help him through this. I ask that you would surround him with people who would keep him accountable and willing to follow You. I thank You for what You are going to do and thank You for Your faithfulness. Amen.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com

I Need Advice

2010-01-29T08:37:00.004-06:00

Question:

Hello. I need some advice. I have been dating my boyfriend for over a year now. He struggles a lot with ADHD and depression. Some days are great and he is in a great mood. He is loving and happy. Then there are days where he is miserable, sad and says he doesn't want to live. He already goes to a counselor and I always encourage him to talk to him, but he does not always listen...I really love him and on the good days I can see myself marrying him, and being with him forever. On the bad days I still love him and care about him so much. I just don't know if its a healthy relationship. We are are currently going to a church, where neither of us feel comfortable. Most days he questions his faith. I encourage him as much as I can but there is only so much I can do. I really love him, and I just want some advice on if you think I should continue this relationship or if I should really give it second thought. He is my first boyfriend even though I am 22 and honestly, I can not see myself with out him. I just dont know if I can always handle this up and down attitude of his. If you have any advice please tell me! Thank you so much.

Answer:

You've come to the right place. The reason why medication and people really haven't been able to completely help is because people can't completely win over this. What you need to know is that through a personal relationship with Jesus, Christ can allow your boyfriend to experience victory over his ADHD and depression. Collossians 1:17 says that Christ is ahead (Supreme) of all things and everything is held together by Him. The best thing that you could do is give this over to the Creator and Ruler of the universe. It won't always be easy, but God promises a way through it. I Corithians 10:13 says that God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear, and when you are tempted, He provides a way out. Give this over God and allow Him to lead you and your boyfriend through this. Also, ask Him to put someone in your lives that you can look to for wisdom and as an example of a believer's life you would want to follow. We also have on our site under resources, help sites that can also help for depression and ADHD for additional help. Allow God to lead and you'll be surprised at what He will do for you.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com

I really need to talk to someone!

2010-01-28T09:24:00.005-06:00

Question:

I don't know what to do anymore. I keep cutting myself every day because the pain, hurt, confusion, sadness, shame & blame I have everyday just kills me inside. I can't deal with it anymore. I just want to give up. I keep getting more & more overwelmed each day. My depression keeps getting worse & i'm even on medication for it. And I also have professinal help but it doesn't work. They just say the only way we can help you is if you help yourself. So I basicly have to help myself alone but I can't do that its just to hard for me. I have yet to get any better. I don't think I'm ever gonna get better. I cry myself to sleep every night because everything is just so deep & I can't take it anymore. I'm always putting myself down all the time & I keep blaming myself for everything that has happened to me in my past. I might as well just give up everything. Because everyone is starting to give up on me because no one knows how to help me anymore. Each day I just keep getting closer & closer to ending my life. No one understands me or cares about what I'm going through or cares about me. Every time I try and get help from someone but they just push me away like I mean nothing to them because they don't want to hear about it or they just don't want to listen to me. I don't matter to anyone so why should I keep living my life. Someone please help me..please!

Answer:

Tiff, I am very glad that you came here. The reason that people haven't been able to help you is because everyone has difficulties of their own. Everyone has problems that they need help with. The main problem is that no person has the answer. This is where it is crucial that you go to Jesus. Matthew 28:18 says that He has all authority and power in heaven and in earth. John 10:10 shows that He wants to give you freedom in His power so that you can experience the abundant life in Him.

Before you can experience this power you must first have a relationship with Him. If you do not have a relationship with Christ, look under our resources on the title Find God. This will show you how you can have a personal relationship with Him.

If you are saved, I want to tell some great news. God is not upset with you. Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation to those in Christ. He looks at you like a clean slate. You stand before Him as though you have never done any wrong. Not only that, but He loves you dearly. I John 4:19 says that we love him because he first loved us. You don't have to do anything to get this love. He has already given you this love! You just need to believe it and allow Him to let you experience this love.

Because you have a personal relationship with God, all that you need to experence freedom from cutting is in your grasp. What I would reccommend is if you do not do any journaling, write out how you feel on the inside the next time you feel like cutting yourself. Knowing what I have told you, that your are loved and that Christ has power to free you from this addiction, by faith give it to Him. I Peter 5:7 says that we are to cast all of our cares to Him because He cares for us. What will also help is taking a look under our resources on a link called help sites. On this site, you will find under cutting the link to the site www.self-injury.org along with other helpful sites. You will find that coming to Christ for help and accountability that God will grant you freedom. God bless!

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com

Questions about the Bible

2010-01-27T09:31:00.008-06:00

QUESTION:

I've had alot of questions lately, and I guess I'll start with the one that is most important to me. In the Old Testament Moses says, " And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God and to walk in all His ways, to love Him, and to serve Him with all your heart, with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and to obey His statutes which I command you today for your good. " Deut. 10:12-13

Clearly, according to the law, we must love and fear God. This is even repeated in the New Testament in 1 Peter 2:17, " Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king."

But 1 John 4:8 says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." Is our relationship with God supposed to be one of fear mingled with love, or is love without fear?"

ANSWER:

That is an excellent question. First, you need to understand that there are two types of "fear" in these passages. Deuteronomy 10 and I Peter 2 use the type of fear has the idea of a reverence or respect. This kind of fear is how someone would revere a king. Because of this person's authority, you wouldn't want to wrong him in any way. The kind of fear in I John 4 is the fear of that would scare someone. This kind of fear is today's definition of fear.

Something that helps in interpreting the Bible is understanding the perspectives of the Old and the New Testaments. The perspective of people in the Old Testament is that they were under the law. The law can be explained like a ruler. It's just a measuring stick. What the law shows us in the Old Testament is that we cannot reach God's standards of holiness. The law then leads us into the New Testament where we find grace. When Jesus offered Himself as a substitution for our sins, He fulfilled what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus made the way where we could stand right with God.

This shows us that the kind of relationship we are to have with God is one of love. When you accept Christ as your Savior, you have nothing to fear before God. Romans 8:3 says that Christ did away with sin in the believer. Romans 8:1 says that those in Christ have no condemnation towards them. So there is nothing to fear. We can experience God's love to the fullest and this is the love that casts away all fear.:

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com

How do I forgive him?

2010-01-23T20:44:00.000-06:00

QUESTION:

I've dated this guy for a little over three years. During those three years we have broken up twice--the first time for one month, the second for four months. Each time we would lose all communication and then both times we just accidentally ran into one another and proceeded back into a relationship over time. During both break periods, my bf slept around--one night stands and semi-serious relationships (which he later said was mainly just sex). He said that he hurt too and that was his way of forgetting me and letting me go. I have found myself somehow back into a relationship with him and I love him even more. He's matured a lot and has gotten very serious about our relationship--he has casually mentioned getting engaged several times. I love him, but in the same breath I hate him. I hate him for the way the break-ups happened and for him sleeping around. Especially when he says that during the whole time, he never stopped loving me. I never stopped loving him and yet, I didn't sleep around! Now, he's friends with most of the one night stands and many other women he met while apart from me. I don't know any of them and find myself struggling to trust him. He has never cheated on me, but he has broken my heart many times. He flirts a lot with these girls via text messaging...things I would never say to a guy or girl while in a relationship. But he says that they are just joking around and that his friends know that he loves me and that he's not being serious. I am not comfortable with this and am really hurt by his words. But, I don't know if I'm making a mountain out of a mole hill. Are these text messages a big deal? I mean, don't all guys flirt? Am I just passing my anger and bitterness from one situation to the next? More importantly, what should I do?

ANSWER:

This is a serious issue and I am glad that you've come for advice. Proverbs 26:11 explains that someone who has exposed themselves to ungodly actions are likely to go back to them. It appears that his flirting with other girls is an indication that down the road he would revert back to seeing other girls even though you may be attached to him. If I were you, I would confront him with what he is doing and let him know that you do not appreciate him not giving you his full attention. If he is responsive and is willing to do this, then great! If not, I would suggest taking a step back and settle the emotions to see if this is someone you would want to spend the rest of your life with and if he is willing to be faithful to you. The best advice that I can give to you is for you to open God's Word and ask Him to guide you through this relationship. I Peter 5:7 says to give all of your cares to God because He cares for you. If you allow Him to show you what to do, He will solve this.

Don't forget, if you have a question you can send it to me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com plus you can talk to us tonight at www.studenthopeline.com

Not Sure What God is Saying To Me

2010-01-22T09:33:00.000-06:00

God personally gave me the verse Jeremiah 29:11, but I'm not sure exactly what he's saying to me. I mean, I think that it's so awesome how he says that he has peacefull thoughts towards me, but where he says that he wants to prosper me, I'm not sure what that means. Would you please give me some more insight into what you beleive God is saying about that? And also, what you believe he's saying to me in general about that whole verse. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks so much!

ANSWER:

If you look at Jeremiah 29, you’ll see that this is a letter written to the captives in Babylon. Jeremiah is telling them that God wants them to get established in this foreign land because they’re going to be there for a while. Their hearts and desires were to be back in Judah in their homeland, but God had to punish those who were not in captivity for their rebellion against Him. God was having mercy on these people by removing them from their homeland in order to punish those whose hearts were far from Him and refused to repent. Even though they were in captivity, God’s plan for them was for the better. He was separating them from the rebellious for the ultimate purpose of knowing Him.

What we as followers get so wrapped up in at times is in the things that we see right in front of us. The Israelites were in captivity and wanted out, but God told them to settle in for the long haul (70 years). We see hard times and want out of them right away, and that’s a natural reaction. What we have to remember, is that as we seek God in our lives we’ll have hard times, but we can rest assured that He has a plan and will use this for good in His ultimate plan. It may not be an easy road, but we can rest in the peace that is beyond our understanding that God has everything under control, and that He has a final goal in mind. The final goal is Him. His ultimate goal for the unfolding of your life is to get to know Him. You can know and rest assured that His plan is something He has prepared long before you were alive and that it is good.

Don't forget you can email me with your questions at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com. If you need to talk tonight please come to www.studenthopeline.com and talk with our staff.

Kyle

Eating Disorder

2010-01-19T14:43:00.000-06:00

Q: I have struggled with an anorexia and bulimia for almost five years. I got help and recovered mostly because of God and reaffirming my faith in him. Lately, things have just gone down hill for me. My faith in God has never been stronger, but my dad took a job out of town and I only see him on the weekends and he is the one person besides God who understands me. Also I feel so alone all the time because I don't feel like I have many friends and that no one likes me. My brother went to college and my mom is always at work. I spend most of my day by myself. Because of all of these things I've just been so sad all of the time. The only way I know how to cope with sadness and depression is through anorexia and bulimia, so I've relapsed. I know God doesn't want me to do this to myself, but all I think about is food, calories, fat, and my weight. I have never been this sick in my eating disorder before and I need help but I almost feel like I don't want it. This is the only way I know how to cope with pain. I am miserable and I need to know how I can make my faith even stronger so that I can make myself want to beat this again.

A: It's encouraging to see how God has been at work in your life. Just from reading how you've allowed God to help you through this is awesome. You faith in God is the foundation for which you can overcome any weakness. I just want to let you know that I understand where you are coming from. It is so easy to get worried about how you look that it can consume you. The first thing I want to say is don't beat yourself up. God knows all about your struggle and He's proud of you for letting Him help you for all that time. He knows that you are not perfect and that you'll have times where you stumble. The Bible says in proverbs 24:16 that the righteous falls seven times, but then he gets back up again. Falling isn't the issue. It's if you refuse to get back up is when you are defeated.Another thing that you need to remember is that God doesn't want you to be bound to what your appearance is. You are beautiful just as you are because that is how God made you. He made you in His image and you are special and dear in His sight.I'm sure you heard the story of Job. He went through some hard times even though he was living a life that pleased God. At first it looked like God was just allowing hard times to come on him to see if he would crack. If you look at the end of the story though, God had a special plan for him. God wanted to bless him more and give him a greater life. But he would not have been able to have that if he had not gone through the rough times. God did not put you in this situation to fail. He has a greater plan for you and it requires that you go through a time that you need more of Him. Ask for grace to get back up and that He would give you the friend and accoutability that you need to get through this. He will get you through this, so hang in there.

If you have a question, please email me at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com.

Kyle
Xtreme Youth Pastor

Ask The Youth Pastor

2010-01-19T12:29:00.001-06:00

On a regular basis, hopefully just about every day I'll answer questions from you and your friends.

I am going to post one question each day and provide the answer on this blog. Don't worry I will not use your name. If you have the IPhone, this section will be titled Ask Pastor and not S. Hopeline within the next week.

So what question can I answer for you? Please email at asktheyouthpastor@xtrlive.com with your questions and we'll begin right a way.

I am excited to kick off this area of our ministry.

God bless,

Kyle

Student Hopeline Open Tonight

2010-01-06T13:22:00.001-06:00

Feel free to send me any questions and comments you might have. Tonight Student Hopeline will be open during it's normal time from 5pm Pacfic / 8pm Eastern until 9pm Pacfic / 12 AM Eastern.

We are receiving some great feedback from those using Student Hopeline and I would encourage you to stop by studenthopeline.com tonight to receive encouragement and hope.

Keep checking my daily blog for updates and answers to your questions.

God bless,

Kyle

Director of Student Hopeline