I realize now that I can be forgiven, so how do I get past the guilt?

Question: I’ve obsessed for a long time about committing the unpardonable sin, as some have called it. I have struggled with some addictions for a while (alcohol and pornography), and a few times had the thought come into my mind: “if you give in to certain temptations, you will lose the Holy Spirit.” Well, I…

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What do you suggest I do?

Question: Hi, I badly need someone to talk to and someone to give me advice as I am really in extreme emotional pain. I’m several months pregnant. My boyfriend is separated and has children from his ex-wife. I have accepted that for he is getting his divorce this year after his ongoing trial. We were…

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Flaws Found in Moderate Drinking Studies

Source: Alice Walton, “Moderate Drinking May Not Be as Healthy as We Thought,” Forbes, 2016-03-23 In reviewing past studies that seemed to indicate that moderate drinking had some health benefits, researchers found that former drinkers were being included in the categories of “abstainers” or “occasional drinkers.” The problem is the studies didn’t factor in why the…

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Leaving the Pit

by Wilson Adams It was the most compelling argument I’ve ever heard against social drinking… A young man in his 30s stood in front of the Leaving the Pit Conference in Indianapolis on Saturday and told his story. His alcohol use began in high school and intensified in college. He hid it well. He was…

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How is smoking weed any worse than drinking once in a while?

Question: Is smoking weed bad in God’s eyes? Yes, I know the horrible effects it can have on your health, but I’m talking from a Christian’s point of view. Some people get drunk and God will see them through, but when they smoke weed will God resent them? What if I want to try it?…

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Will having sex outside of marriage keep me out of heaven?

Question: Hello Minister, My question is regarding sex before marriage. I want to be clear that I know it is against God’s Word to partake in such activities. I am 21 and have been a virgin all my life, avoiding temptations wherever I go. Last week my mates and I drank too much. By the…

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A Question to be Answered

by Doy Moyer Will anyone defend this: “The wise and good thing to do today is to start drinking alcohol”? If one says, “But the Bible doesn’t condemn all drinking,” I will respond by asking that question again. If one says, “But there are passages in the Bible that speak of fermented drinks in a…

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How do I correct the mess I’ve made with my life?

Question: My question is regarding sex outside of marriage. I know God tells us not to do it. And I have regrettably led a life thus far where I knew God’s commands, but chose to ignore them thinking I knew what was best. I’m struggling to find my way back to the straight and narrow.…

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Does Proverbs 31:6-7 give approval to the use of alcohol?

Question: I was reviewing your articles on alcohol. I realize that you are not the author of all of the articles, but I did not see a reference to Proverbs 31:6-7. Proverbs 31 specifically does not condemn strong drink. However, you have a sermon, Drinking in the Old Testament, posted on your website that claims that…

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I’m slipping into sin, but I know I need to return to the Father

Question: I’ve been struggling horribly the past two years, going deeper into my desires and sins, going away from God and His purposes for me. I used to be “on fire” and always reading the Bible and spending time with God. But honestly, I gave up seeking. I gave up on the Spirit of God…

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Can I be forgiven of my sins?

Question: I need advice. I am in my early twenties. I was born in a Christian family. I was a clever child and a good learner under the guidance of my grandparents, who raised me and my siblings after our mother passed away. Around age 14, my life changed. I started drinking alcohol and attempted…

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Social Drinking

by Floyd Thompson Many times in trying to justify social drinking people will use as a defense Paul’s admonition to Timothy in I Timothy 5:23, which says, “use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake, and thine often infirmities.” I think this passage has not been thoroughly discussed until we recognize that Timothy was a…

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I Peter 4:3 and ‘Social Drinking’

by Ron Halbrook (edited for length) Searching The Scriptures, June 1973 Three words are used in I Peter 4:3 which have a bearing on modern drinking practices. All three words describe the lifestyle of the old man, dead in sin — living “in the flesh to the lusts of men.” Peter pleads with those who are…

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I’m so mad! I’m afraid someone is going to get killed!

Question: I’m a Christian, I’ve had the born-again experience. I know that we all slip sometimes, but I’ve done more than slip. I have ruined my testimony to my family, which I’m sure doesn’t matter to them anyway. They’ve all been in church their whole lives and treat Jesus like he’s a fairy tale. I…

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I need to testify against my alcoholic husband. What do I do?

Question: Hello, I came across your website and thought I would tell you my situation and get your perspective on it. I’ve been married for a little over five years. My husband is an alcoholic. He can go for months without a drink, then once he does, he’s usually off and running to do drugs.…

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Does “wine on the lees” support the use of alcohol?

Question: I am studying with a brother in Christ about alcoholic drinking. He is quite persistent in his assertion that moderate drinking is not only acceptable for a Christian but that it is beneficial. How would you approach Isaiah 25:6? His assertion is that this must be alcoholic wine and as a metaphor of the…

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I fear I’m becoming a lukewarm Christian

Question: I have been a Christian for about five years now. Recently I have found myself becoming a slave to sin instead of a slave to Christ. I don’t like to talk about my emotions and things, so instead of dealing with them, I choose to bottle them up until it finally feels like I…

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Notes on Alcohol

Based on a list by Dave Hart There is more Scripture condemning the use of alcoholic beverages than will be found on the subjects of lying, adultery, swearing, cheating, hypocrisy, pride, or even blasphemy. Genesis 9:20-27 – Noah became drunk; the result was immorality and family trouble. Genesis 19:30-38 – Lot was so drunk he…

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How do I let go of my girlfriend’s past?

Question: I am 21 and have been a Christian since I was 8, I am a virgin and plan to stay that way until I get married. A while back I started dating a girl who I had met at church, she had only been a Christian for about a year and a half. I…

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How do I deal with in-laws who are not nice?

Question: Hello and good morning, I recently came upon your website and saw a question and answer section and wonder why more churches of Christ do not have this. I struggle with pride and sometimes do not wish to ask questions at church or there just does not seem to be an opportunity. As I…

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My husband, who is an addict, left me. What do I do?

Question: I read the answer you gave regarding the woman who was still bitter as her husband left and she was still angry toward her mother-in-law although she had passed away. I wonder about my own situation and how your answers here apply. My husband left me and my two infants. Shortly after we married…

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I got drunk and had sex. I don’t know what to do now.

Question: Well, here goes. My family members are Christians and when I was a kid I believed in it all. But in my late teens and early twenties, I got involved in the wrong things and hung around the wrong people. I was involved in a lot of drinking. My dad finally kicked me out…

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Alcohol Consumption Linked to Cancer

Source: Lisa Chedekel, “Study Shows Alcohol Consumption Is a Leading Preventable Cause of Cancer Death in the U.S.” Boston University School of Public Health, 15 February 2013. A “new study finds that even low levels of alcohol consumption — just 1.5 drinks per day — is a major factor in cancer deaths, causing years of life…

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How do I say no?

Question: I am having this difficulty with saying no sometimes to things like sex, partying, spending money, too much work, overwhelming myself in a way. What is the right way to say N-O to a man I am in love with without hurting his feelings? Answer: “Do not think that I came to bring peace…

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Adolescent Alcohol Use

Source: David Murphey, et al., “Alcohol Use,” Adolescent Health Highlight, Child Trends, Publication 2012-34, November 2012. Though continuing a downward trend, alcohol use remains a problem among teenagers, despite the fact that the minimum drinking age is 21 throughout the United States. 40% of high school seniors, 27% of high school sophomores, and 13% of eighth-grade…

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Drinking in the New Testament

Drinking in the New Testament – Part 1Drinking in the New Testament – Part 2 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Proverbs 23:29-33   I.         Consistently in the Scriptures, drunkenness is condemned             A.        I Corinthians 6:9-10 – A drunkard cannot inherit the kingdom of God             B.        Romans 13:13 – Carousing and drunkenness is improper behavior             C.        Few people argue that…

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How do I handle a husband with a drinking problem?

Question: Hi, I am a member of the Lord’s church, as well as my husband. We have been married for about five years with a couple of kids. When we first move to where we currently live, we both attended church; fast forward a year later, he started hanging out with friends who drank, and…

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Changes in Alcohol Use Improves in Teens, Worsens in Adults

Source: Rick Ruggles, “‘Good, bad, ugly’ in alcohol report,” Omaha World-Herald, 11 October 2012 The good news is that alcohol use is declining among teenagers. Nationally alcohol use within the preceding 30 days declined from 51% in 1991 to 39% in 2012. Binge drinking, defined as having several drinks in one sitting, in the preceding 30…

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Drunk Driving Down Among Teens

Source: “Drunken Driving Down,” Omaha World-Herald, 3 October 2012 It is nice to have some good news once in a while. “In 2011, 10 percent of high school students reported drinking and driving, compared with 22 percent in 1991.” More notable is that this change is attributed in part to enforcing the law. “The legal…

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