Family Matters

Biblical view of survivalist and preppers

What do you think of Christians who adopt a "survivalist/off-the-grid" mentality? Who sell their homes, move to remote desert or mountain locations, stockpile food, grow their own crops, live like "pioneers," and strive to be as independent of the "system" as possible? I know several people who are moving in…

5 Mar 2020 5PM 4 min

Caring for children and elderly parents simultaneously

Should we be considering the possibility of taking my aging mother into our home while we're still in the process of raising three kids? We have two teens and a primary-schooler. We don't really like the idea of placing my mom in a nursing home, but we also don't want…

4 Mar 2020 5PM 4 min

Biblical perspective on Christian involvement with the fine arts

Is there any legitimate place for the arts within the biblical worldview, or is it simply a frivolous and "worldly" pursuit? How can we tell good and godly art from bad art? Our daughter is an art student at the university, and we're worried that she's just wasting her time…

3 Mar 2020 5PM 4 min

Attending a family gathering including a same sex couple

Should we attend a family gathering where a same-sex couple are planning to be present? My sister-in-law is currently married to her partner. We love both of these ladies but have made it clear that we don't support their lifestyle. There's a huge family reunion next summer and my husband…

2 Mar 2020 5PM 4 min

-DELETED- Attending a family gathering including a same sex couple

Should we attend a family gathering where a same-sex couple are planning to be present? My sister-in-law is currently married to her partner. We love both of these ladies but have made it clear that we don't support their lifestyle. There's a huge family reunion next summer and my husband…

2 Mar 2020 5PM 4 min

Anger management for teens

How can I help my adolescent son deal with his anger? It's easy to tell that he is very angry about something, but I have a sense that he's trying desperately to squash his feelings and keep a lid on his emotions. Try as I might, I can't get him…

1 Mar 2020 5PM 4 min

Just discovered that spouse has had an affair- (Part 2 of 2)

I've just discovered that my spouse has been cheating on me. As you can imagine, I was devastated when I first learned of his infidelity, and I still haven't recovered from the shock. I have not confronted him yet and have no idea what I'm going to do. Can you…

27 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

Just discovered that spouse has had an affair - (Part 1 of 2)

I've just discovered that my spouse has been cheating on me. As you can imagine, I was devastated when I first learned of his infidelity, and I still haven't recovered from the shock. I have not confronted him yet and have no idea what I'm going to do. Can you…

26 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

Getting married in college

Should my girlfriend and I get married before I graduate from university? We're both mature Christians and we've both made a commitment to sexual purity before marriage. We've been dating about five months, and after much prayer, we've decided to get married in two years. Our parents approve of our…

25 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

Father daughter conflict

How can I make peace between my husband and our teenage daughter? Every day when he picks her up from school he either starts a fight or delivers a lecture about how she's not measuring up academically. Then she calls me, angry or in tears. Grades have always been a…

24 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

Emotional affairs and grounds for divorce

Are repeated emotional affairs biblical grounds for divorce? On several occasions my husband has become emotionally involved with other women in ways that have been seriously destructive to our marriage. The most recent incident involved a lady with whom he'd been emotionally intimate in the past. I'm tired of his…

23 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

Dealing with lazy teenagers

How can I motivate my two lazy teenagers? They won't help me around the house, and they consistently wait until the last minute to do their homework. As a single parent, I usually don't have the energy to make them get down to work. Is there a way to break…

20 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

Contraception and the culture of death

Is there a connection between birth control and abortion? My wife and I would like to have a family someday, but for a number of reasons we don't feel ready yet. During our two years of marriage we've sought the Lord's guidance and have never questioned our decision to postpone…

19 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

Concerned about wife’s friendship with former boyfriend

Am I justified in being upset about my wife's ongoing friendship with a former boyfriend? We've been married for three years, and they have maintained a close relationship the entire time. She refuses to cut it off even though she knows it's hurtful to me. Am I being unreasonable?

18 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

Christian romantically involved with a Non-Christian

Is it okay to be romantically involved with a guy who doesn't share my Christian faith? He asked me out on a date six months ago, and though at the time I didn't think it was a good idea, I went ahead and accepted. Now he's captured my heart and…

17 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

Child is overly cautious

Should we be concerned about a child who doesn't like to take risks? My husband thinks he should be pushed harder and forced to face his fears. I feel we should give him time to develop confidence at his own pace. What's your perspective?

16 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

keeping valentine’s day positive for kids

Can you give me any ideas for helping children celebrate Valentine's Day in a healthy and uplifting way? I always loved February 14 when I was a kid, and I'd like my kids to have the same experience. But I don't want to reinforce our culture's misguided ideas about romance…

13 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

Child is afraid of being alone

How should we handle our eight-year-old son's strong aversion to being by himself? He sleeps in the same room with his younger sister because he doesn't want to be alone. He won't play in his room unless someone else is there. The last time he tried, he suffered a panic…

12 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

Child has a negative attitude

What can we do to help our son develop a more positive outlook on life? He complains about everything and seldom seems happy. His negative attitude is affecting his school work, and I'm sure it's hurting his ability to make friends as well.

11 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min

Teaching children about self-denial

Should I teach my child about the importance of self-denial? We don't hear much about it in the modern church, and contemporary secular culture doesn't value it at all. But I'm not sure how our kids will understand what it means to follow Jesus if we neglect this aspect of…

10 Feb 2020 5PM 4 min