I’m a high school kid.  My group of friends is not a good one.  I nearly overdosed on pain medication.  I collapsed in the corner of the room, and I nearly died.  I had a very clear vision of hell, and it was not fire.  I just felt the worst pain I have ever felt.  In this vision, I was in that same corner of the room watching myself take that medication over and over.  All I could think of was God as I was motionless on the floor.  They say I died for three minutes at the hospital, and I was brought back to life when I repented to God and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  You may not believe me, but I went to hell and need help in changing my life situation to make it more appealing to God’s eyes.

Sincerely,
Never Again

Dear Never Again,

Whether you actually went to hell or not… you had a turning point in your life, and you are ready to make sure that you don’t ever go there – good for you.
There are a few things that you need to do to make sure you are ready to meet God and are prepared to go to heaven.  First of all, you need to take the steps to become a Christian.  Believing in Christ and repenting are two things that you must do to be saved, but they aren’t the only two things.  We recommend that you read our post “Five Steps To Salvation” and make a plan to do those things.
The last thing on that list that you must do is be baptized.  We would love to get you in touch with a congregation that can baptize you and that you can grow with over the years.  Not all churches are focused on the Lord, and we would be happy to help you find a congregation near you.  E-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org if we can help!

How did you know without a doubt that God is real?

Sincerely,
Asking

Dear Asking,

Your question is one of the fundamental questions of life: “Does God Exist?”  It is important that everyone asks this question at some point in their life; it is a basic question that is worthy of an honest answer.

We will try to give you some key evidence that there is a Creator, but we will also point you in the direction of some resources that may help you in your quest for answers.  So here we go:

1. Look at a watch and ask yourself the question, “Is this designed?”  Of course, a watch is designed – just like a house, a car, a camera, and other modern technological marvels.  You know they are designed because they are complex, they have purpose, and they are organized in a meaningful way.  Now look at your eye, your hand, even a single follicle of hair.  Are they designed?  They are infinitely more complex than a watch.  They have very distinct purposes, and they are all organized in a meaningful way.  You were designed by God; you have a Designer.  If you believe in watchmakers, you can believe in God.
2. The most basic laws of science tell us that nothing ever comes from nothing (1^st Law of Thermodynamics).  Einstein made it clear that nothing can be destroyed; energy can turn into matter and matter into energy, but everything that is here has always been here.  That begs the question, “Where did it all come from?”  Scientists all agree that everything we see had to come from somewhere, but the only logical answer to that question is ‘God’.  God, a supernatural deity not bound by the laws of physics, created all that we see and enjoy in this universe.
3. God’s Word is also proof that God is.  The Bible is a book that only God could write.  It has prophecies that are fulfilled hundreds of years after they are spoken.  It has remained unchanged by tradition or persecution for thousands of years.  It makes statements about how our world works hundreds of years before scientists realized the concepts for themselves.  The Bible is a book composed by over forty different writers over thousands of years, and yet it has no contradictions within it.  The Bible could not have been written by anyone but Deity.

These are just three reasons to believe in God; there are many more that space prevents us from mentioning.  We also recommend you go back and read through the posts in our EVIDENCES category.  You will see that you aren’t the only one who has questions about God, and you will also see that there are answers to every question.  We also recommend reading Case For A Creator by Lee Strobel and Has God Spoken? by A.O. Schnabel. Both books are well worth the read.

Where is the story about the master giving three servants money when he went away on business?  One made a lot, one made a little, and the third saved what he was given.  I can't remember the chapter.

Sincerely,
Investor

Dear Investor,

The parable you are thinking of is the parable of talents, and it can be found in Matt 25:14-30.  The parable tells the story of a man who entrusted three servants with five talents, two talents, and one talent respectively.  A talent was a large sum of money in Jesus’ day.  The point of the story is found in what happens to the man with one talent.  That man buried the talent he was entrusted with, and the master was furious because the man failed to do anything with what he had been given.  Matt 25:26-27 shows that God expects us to not be lazy and wasteful with our talents and gifts.  We should use our lives in the service of our Master.

     I have belonged to a church for the past two years that did not have a woman as a preacher.   I left a church nine years ago because they ordained several women to be preachers.  One month ago, my husband finally joined this church I am speaking of, and I was elated.  Approximately one week after he joined, the pastor of the church ordained a woman to be a preacher in the church.  I stopped going to that church the first time I saw her in the pulpit and wrote the church a letter to explain why I was stopping my membership.  I told him that I did not believe that a woman was supposed to be a preacher based on Scripture, and I no longer trusted him to correctly interpret the Bible.  He came to my house, and he, my husband, and I had a long discussion.  His feelings were hurt because I said that I no longer trusted him.  We were not harsh with each other, and I apologized to him because it was not my intention to hurt his feelings, but I felt like I felt.  He even stated that I needed to be at the church with my husband even though I may have reservations regarding this matter.  My husband was raised in the Church of the Living God, so he is very used to women preachers.  He also does not read the Bible, so he does not know what the Bible says.  I am not putting him down, but this is the truth.  It does not matter who I talk to; everyone seems to want to make every woman that was ever mentioned in the Bible a preacher.  I do not believe that to be so.  Please help me with this once and for all.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Frustrated

Dear Frustrated,

You are right to stand against women being in the pulpit.  1 Cor 14:34-35 makes it clear that women are not supposed to be in leadership positions during the church assembly.  Women have a zillion different roles within the church, but leading the public assembly isn’t one of them.  Men have the responsibility of preaching, teaching, and leading the worship services (1 Tim 2:12).  In today’s politically correct atmosphere, this can be hard for some to swallow, but as Paul said, “We have no other custom” on this topic (1 Cor 11:16).  There is simply no biblical precedence for women preachers.

I felt for a long time that God has called me to be a preacher (I have no clue how, why, or where).  I have just recently began re-walking with Christ after I fell off the path.  I feel I’m getting closer with God as I rid my sinful life, particularly one sin that’s been a huge addiction in my life.  As this sin fades, I feel the call more and more.  I started a Bible study group about two months ago.  Honestly, I put off the call because I knew that particular sin was still very present.  Every day I feel a little farther from this sinful life; I think I might be ready to accept the call, but how do I know if I’m ready?

Sincerely,
Eager To Speak

Dear Eager To Speak,

If you want to know whether or not you are qualified to preach, read through 1^st and 2^nd Timothy.  These are letters Paul wrote to the young preacher, Timothy, and see if you are doing what a preacher should do.  Preaching begins with studying to know what the Bible says and then actively doing it.  If you are in a faithful congregation, you can ask them about how to get practice preaching and experience in the pulpit – that is what we do with our young men in our congregation.  If you need a faithful congregation (after all, lots of them aren’t following the Bible pattern), we would be happy to help you find one.  Simply e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.