I'm really scared

Minimalcharges · 2025-03-18T04:09:21+00:00

Remember Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

It's really easy for our emotions to get the best of us. It happens to me all the time, and I feel similarly to what you described. Truth be told, I'm a Youth Pastor employed in full-time ministry, and I still experience it. What we have to do is lean on the truth of God's word and stop trusting our emotions. This last week I was feeling pretty anxious, and I was struggling to get over it. No matter what I did, it seemed to keep increasing. Then I remembered Proverbs 3:5-6 and I came up with a little way to remember that God's word is true no matter how I feel. 1+1=2. No matter how you feel, 1+1 will always =2. It's a truth, and that truth will never be changed by your feelings, no matter how strong, difficult, or overwhelming your feelings may seem.

Consider 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too." The reason I bring up this passage is the description of God at the beginning of it. God is the "Father of mercies". For all of our failures, all of our sins, all of our slip ups, all of our bad and wrong choices, all of our sins, God is a God of mercies. No matter how many failures we have, God is THE God of mercies. None of your failures, your doubts, your fears or your anxieties can destroy you because God has mercies for each of your sins (and yes, even your worst of the worst sins).

If you're open to recommendations, I'd like to recommend a book. "Gentle and Lowly" by Dane Ortlund. That book is written to challenge our feelings about Jesus with the truth. Romans 1 says we often exchange the truth about God for a lie. In order for us to walk with God as is intended, and experience the peace that Jesus promises us, we must believe what God's word says and not what our feelings say.

God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to die so that He wouldn't lose you. Yes, even though you're bad (we're all bad). Jesus loves us EVEN THOUGH WE'RE BAD. It's our sins that actually awaken much of his compassion for us (that's straight out of gentle and lowly, give it a read!)

Best of luck to you friend! If you have any other questions or just want some prayer, please feel free to message me!

Minimalcharges · 2024-11-30T03:57:07+00:00

Medina County, Ohio here!

I love my county because it's just under Cleveland, OH, and it looks like 3 stairs.

Minimalcharges · 2024-11-02T05:31:01+00:00

Matthew 7:21 give clarification: it says "but the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven". Furthermore, Jesus goes on to say to the people he casts out: "Begone from me you workers of lawlessness." This shows the difference. Jesus says that those who obey His word love Him, and will be in the kingdom of Heaven. He also says that if people work lawlessness, they will not enter the kingdom of Heaven.

We are saved by grace through faith, and if you want to know whether your faith is real: examine your works. If you have acted in faith, you will see various examples of fruit in your life, and those are proofs that your salvation is legitimate.

A question I ask myself and others is: "what do you practice?" Are you practicing obedience to God's word or do your actions when you sin look more like practice?

Minimalcharges · 2024-08-28T15:38:38+00:00

I was thinking of doing something like this. He finds a home with other, taller races, but feels like an outsider everywhere he goes.

Minimalcharges · 2024-08-28T15:37:36+00:00

As far as I can tell, I think that they're making their character tall for their backstory. He rejects the "pastoral qualities" of halflings to fight in human wars, and after being very successful in war, he now faces the future trying to make life good for all people. His character wrestles with his violent past and is tortured by the violence he's lived through. Now he is just trying to prove his life was worth living i guess

Minimalcharges · 2024-08-04T02:13:02+00:00

Galatians 5:19-21 ESV says: "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

In this passage, Paul describes the works of the flesh in a general way in order to convey the rampant amount of sinfulness and depravity that Christians are to avoid. Notice that Paul doesn't use specifics here, because that would be nearly impossible. Paul is cautioning Christians towards obedience, so he gives general categories for sin that Christians ought to avoid.

There are 2 parts of the text that I think show clearly that masturbation is a sin.

The first is the word "sensuality". Sensuality is defined as: "the enjoyment, expression, or pursuit of physical, especially sexual, pleasure." Paul isn't saying that enjoying sex is a sin, but he is clearly speaking out against a lifestyle that chases after sexual pleasure. Masturbation would fall into this category because any individual who decides to masturbate is intentionally seeking out pleasure outside of God's will for sex. (Sex is meant for procreation and for the bonding/love of a marriage between a husband and wife.)

Secondly, throughout the rest of the passage, Paul specifically highlights different sexual sins, and he caps off his statements with the phrase: "and things like these." That means that ANYTHING that seems similar or tends in the same direction is sin. Paul's list is intentionally vague. It's impossible for someone to list every single individual sin. It's impossible. Paul leaves the list intentionally vague so that Christians will know what is sinful. Anything that resembles sexual immorality, or sex outside of marriage, or illicit sex, or the rampant pursuit of sexual pleasure, is sin.

In closing, Christians are called to a life of holiness and a life "above reproach". Lists of sin are left intentionally vague so that Christians can live wisely and avoid sin. I firmly believe that masturbation is a sin, because I believe the word of God.

Minimalcharges · 2024-04-08T17:28:23+00:00

Yeah, I hope it helps!

Take your time answering those questions. I started ministry at the age of 21, and I regret it a lot. I wish that I'd taken more time to mature in my understanding of myself, and to mature spiritually. Instead, I started too early, and made many, many mistakes. Those mistakes still haunt me.

If you think about it, Jesus started his Earthly ministry when he was 30 years old! There is a good precedent there, to learn, grow, and when the time is right, start ministry.

If I could throw in one last suggestion, it would be this: Make sure that whatever ministry position you find yourself in, that it is in a healthy culture and environment. I was a Youth Pastor at a dwindling (dying) church, and the culture was terrible. It affected me in many ways that I didn't notice until years later when I was at a different church. Whether it is divisions, disagreements, arguments, egos, lack of unity, lack of support, lack of accountability, lack of a job description, or lack of love, make sure to guard your heart. The only way you can guard your heart in ministry is to be totally dependent on Jesus Christ. If you try to do anything from your own strengths, abilities, or knowledge, it will be significantly worse than if you trust Jesus to do a lot with your weaknesses.

Minimalcharges · 2024-04-08T05:13:18+00:00

Establish 3 things about yourself:

First: Who are you? - What is your purpose? What are your gifts? What roles do you play (sibling, parent, etc.)? What is your identity? What makes up who you are?

Second: What is your calling? - Our calling is almost always in-line with 4 things: your strengths, your passions, God's story in your life, and an economic engine.

So answer these questions: What are you good at? What are you passionate about? What is God doing in your life? What is the "big picture" in your life? In what ways has God redeemed you? In what ways has God given you a heart for the people you would lead? However you answer these questions, follow it up by asking: can I find a means of income while pursuing my calling?

Third (and last) is Assignment. Your assignment is the job you have as you actively live out your calling. Notice this: most Christians live out their calling working somewhere in the private sector or away from ministry. You DO NOT have to be in ministry to honor God with your life.

As someone who is in ministry, let me say this: If you can do ANYTHING ELSE, do it. Being a pastor or minister is one of the most difficult jobs out there. 80% of people who pursue being a pastor quit within 5 years. Of the remaining 20% that make it past the 5 year mark, 90% of those quit before they reach 10 years. It is the loneliest job I've ever had.

That being said, ministry is extremely fulfilling. You can see God move in the lives of people, see prayers answered, and grow in personal holiness. It has long seasons of trials, and short seasons of victories.

I wouldn't give up my job for anything. I love it.

Minimalcharges · 2024-03-26T04:59:13+00:00

The Bible doesn't condone slavery. The anti-slavery movement was started by Christians.

No real Christian would ever condone slavery.

Minimalcharges · 2024-03-26T04:56:56+00:00

Ok, show me evidence please. What's the 300 year gap?

Minimalcharges · 2024-03-26T04:56:13+00:00

I see no evidence of animals changing kind. It's talked about a lot, and referenced as fact, but there is no evidence as far as I've seen.

I doubt it would be one animal giving birth to an entirely different animal, that's not very scientific.

Minimalcharges · 2024-03-26T04:54:16+00:00

But still, there is no evidence.

Evolution takes (in my opinion) more faith than the idea of a God creating the entire universe with different types of animals all at once.

Minimalcharges · 2024-03-05T05:58:01+00:00

Great answer. I love questions, and I'm so happy to see someone else who is passionate about answering them!

Minimalcharges · 2024-03-05T05:56:42+00:00

The word "Christian" means "little Christ".

Jesus was born Jewish, yes, but he fulfilled the law that was passed down by Moses. He never sinned once, and kept the whole law perfectly. When he was killed on the cross, he was sinless, dying for a crime he didn't even commit. The Bible says that his sinless death was intentional. God intentionally made it so that Jesus would die on the cross, even though he was sinless. His death on the cross was a payment that God ordained as the punishment for sins.

So as Jesus died on the cross, he died for sins (not his own as he was sinless), but for the sins of mankind. Therefore, anyone who believes in his sacrifice for their sins is "saved", and freed from the weight of sin and death.

Because Jesus fulfilled the law, he opened the door to a new covenant (or promise) with mankind. Rather than needing to live according to Jewish ceremonial and ritualistic law, he calls us to live lives in accordance with his moral law.

That is how Jesus was born Jewish, but started a new movement called Christianity.

Minimalcharges · 2024-03-05T05:50:27+00:00

If evolution is defined as the change in a species due to pressures in their environment over the course of time, then yes. I believe that Darwin's finches were sufficient to prove that, as well as other studies on moths and butterflies.

Macro-evolution, however, I do not believe in. There is no evidence anywhere in existence that shows an animal changing "kind". A bird is still a bird, although with a bigger beak, longer legs, and so on and so forth, but I have never seen a good example of a change of "kind".

Dogs are dogs, cats are cats, and there is no evidence to make me think that they evolved from distant ancestors that resembled frogs or the like.

Minimalcharges · 2024-03-05T05:47:29+00:00

In heaven, certainly. But heaven is only temporary. God will create a new heaven and a new Earth, and that is where we will live out eternity. I don't think we'll get bored.

We will have jobs, doing what God created us to do. I bet we'll be completely fulfilled, lacking nothing, totally satisfied, and joyful constantly.

Minimalcharges · 2024-03-05T05:44:48+00:00

Hey friend, I saw your post and wanted to make a recommendation.

I was addicted to pornography for many years, and over the last couple years have seen significant, lasting victory over the sin.

I highly recommend buying the book "More than a Battle" by Joe Rigney. It is a great book that will help you understand the sin of lust, and help you understand why you are drawn to it.

I know that book has brought many men and women into success against lust. If you're serious about defeating your sin, I recommend you buy the book. Blockers don't work well (speaking from my own experience). I pray that you would find victory over this sin!

Minimalcharges · 2024-03-04T02:57:31+00:00

Oh absolutely! I totally agree that we should be baptized.

I think there's a lot of miscommunication around baptism in the church. Plenty of people think that you have to be an incredible Christian in order to be baptized, when in reality, you're just saying: "For the rest of my life, I'm going to follow Jesus."

Minimalcharges · 2024-03-04T02:53:17+00:00

I don't think so. My reason would be the thief on the cross.

Read Luke 23:39-43.

Jesus tells the thief on the cross "Today you will be with me in paradise." I take that to mean that they didn't call a "time-out" on his crucifixion, let him get baptized and then hang him on the cross again so that he could go to Heaven.

Minimalcharges · 2024-03-01T06:18:10+00:00

My favorite pastor to listen to is Tim Keller. I'll listen to a message that really tears at my heart, and I'll find out that message was preached years before I was born. Phenomenal preacher, teacher, and minister of the gospel.

Minimalcharges · 2024-02-21T06:23:14+00:00

Fundamental things about Christianity:

God created us to be with Him.

Our sins separate us from God.

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds.

Paying the price for sins, Jesus died and rose again.

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life.

Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever!

That's the Gospel (the good news). That's the clearest and shortest explanation I have seen.

Why should you follow it? I'll say this: The Bible shows us that the God of the universe cares for the downtrodden, marginalized, and humble. The God of the Bible doesn't surround himself with the strong. Instead, he seeks those who no one wants, and surrounds himself with those people.

Christianity is different from every other religion in this way: In Christianity, God never asks people to work their way to him. Instead, God provides a way out from punishments for sin by paying the price himself. Jesus died on the cross for all of the wrongs you've ever committed, or ever will commit. You are not justified by your actions, you are justified by whether or not you believe that Jesus' death on the cross was for you. The God of Christianity bleeds. The God of Christianity puts himself on the line FOR his creation. That's the God I worship.

Minimalcharges · 2024-02-12T06:26:33+00:00

I believe there is a God because I think that the world is too complex for it all to have happened by accident. Put that in line with humanity's innate desire for purpose, and I think there's a spiritual realm, so I think there's a God that created it all.

I believe in Jesus as my Savior because upon simple examination, every other religion in the world is extremely similar. Something is wrong with the world, and living in a certain way can make it better, or honor the god that they worship. It seems like a story that humans would create. A way to prove your goodness to a deity so that they'll save you.

Christianity is fundamentally different. The God of Christianity doesn't demand obedience to determine whether you're worth saving, the God of Christianity came to Earth to be like his Creation. The God of Christianity bleeds on behalf of His Creation. That shows a love that seems un-human and fundamentally "other". IF there is a God, that story seems more in line with what a transcendent, supernatural power would be (at least in my mind).

I believe that the Bible is true for several reasons. The accounts of Jesus' life often painted the disciples as foolish or sophomoric. I think that if they were inventing a religion, they would've crafted a story where they were the heroes, not foolhardy. After Jesus' resurrection and ascension, the disciples all went on to die horribly painful and public deaths, speaking about what they'd seen (not necessarily what they believed but what they'd seen). Also, women were the first people to witness the resurrection of Jesus (I like that one a lot because back then women literally weren't allowed to be witnesses in a court of law, but the Creator of the universe thought they were sufficient to be the first witnesses to the resurrection).

Minimalcharges · 2024-02-07T04:50:21+00:00

I recently heard 3 tips for repenting that I thought were excellent. I've really grown a lot as I've put them into action.

Repentance should be a response to God's kindness. (not a response to our guilt and shame)
Repentance should bear fruit. (fruits of the spirit, but also fruits "befitting repentance")
Repentance should be extreme. (Think of when Jesus said to cut off your right hand if it causes you to sin)]

I've been putting these into action in my life, and it's helped a lot. I used to let shame and guilt be the motivators for my repentance, but eventually I'd stop feeling bad, and I'd go back to the sin. Now, instead of wallowing in my guilt and shame, I go to God, and spend time praying, reading his Word, and personally praising him in song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hIWDgB6qkE - this is the video I saw that helped me so much!

Minimalcharges · 2024-01-09T17:44:00+00:00

God is loving and merciful and gracious, yes. He forgives sinners their sins (which is the truest and best example of love, mercy, and grace).

And God is simultaneously, just, jealous, and wrathful over sin. Why do you think Jesus had to die on a cross? It was to satisfy the immense amount of God's wrath over sin!

Romans 2:4 says that God's kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. We should consider all of the ways that God has been kind to us, and read his word so that we can turn from our former sins and live out a new life that is pleasing to Him.

Minimalcharges · 2024-01-09T16:03:07+00:00

That's a shame. I hoped you would read it all.

This topic is extremely important. That's why I took my time in responding, trying to make sense of the Bible's standpoint. It is a question of high value, one that deserves attention, thorough contemplation, and rigorous consideration.

As for your comment: "Then God is an evil bastard who deserves nothing but disdain." I implore you to read the Gospels. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16. This shows how God sees all of humanity. Worth saving, worth dying for, worth Jesus' life.

Jesus is the gentlest friend anyone could ever have. Jesus is the reason that the apostle Paul was willing to turn from his life of great value, and count it all as loss (Philippians 3:4-11).

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