In this week's podcast Pastor Roloff shares how prayer is an essential part of the Christian life. Through faith in Jesus we place our prayers and requests and anxieties and praise before our Father's throne, and he hears us. Prayer is an expression of trust and worship that reflects the personal relationship that we share with God as his forgiven children through Christ.

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Answers from Above is an online ministry of Ascension Lutheran Church.

Find us on the web at: www.AscensionPlymouth.com

As parents we should always have a solid idea of what our kids are watching and reading and teach them how to discern good from bad, and where and how to draw boundaries about what is appropriate. Because just like "you are what you eat" so too what our eyes and ears and minds take in shapes and influences the way we think, what we believe, and the way we perceive our world.

During this podcast Pastor Brian and Michelle answer a question about the spiritual dangers of witchcraft in books and films like "Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings". We'll see how the Bible warns us about Satan and his demons and how we should be on our guard against his deceptions.

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ANSWERS FROM ABOVE is an online ministry of Ascension Lutheran Church

Find us on the web at: www.AscensionPlymouth.com.

As believers we are always being pulled in multiple directions. Through his Word and sacraments and his Spirit in our hearts God is always trying to draw us closer to him and his truth and holy living. In contrast the devil and his allies in the world and the sinful flesh within our own hearts is ever trying to tear us away from God's ways so live to satisfy ourselves and our own desires.

This week's question of whether a believer should live with their significant other before marriage is a "case study" on the pull that exists between God's Word on the one side and the desires of our sinful flesh and the culture in which we live on the other. Through this podcast Pastor Brian and Michelle will discuss what God's Word says about cohabitation before marriage and give us some practical advice for why despite people's good intentions, it's neither godly nor a good idea for any couple to live together before marriage.

ANSWERS FROM ABOVE is an online ministry of Ascension Lutheran Church, in Plymouth, MN.

Find us on the web at: www.AscensionPlymouth.com.

In a sin-filled world fraught with car accidents, life-threatening health conditions, and random acts of violence, every Christian should be prepared to meet their Maker every day, because we never know when God may call us home. What does the Bible say about untimely deaths and what comfort does God give us who are left behind and wondering, "Why?"

Answers from Above is an online ministry of Ascension Lutheran Church, in Plymouth, MN.

Find us on the web at: www.AscensionPlymouth.com.

We all have had times or seasons in our lives where we struggle with certain sins, sins that seem to have our number as it were. In this episode Pastor Brian discusses sins of habit, why they are dangerous, and how God's grace and forgiveness gives us the power to overcome our sins to God's glory. We all have particular sins that we struggle with, and God doesn't want us to face that struggle in silence or all alone. Talk to your pastor; get the help of a Christian friend; or seek Christian counseling.

Our congregation is associated with a group of psychiatric counselors called, Christian Family Solutions. You can find a link to their website on this podcast.

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It's a topic that's coming up on news websites more and more frequently: couples deciding to delay having children or perhaps not have children altogether. There are all kinds of reasons people come up with for not having children. Some couples cite all the tension and uncertainty in our world, others talk about global warming or pollution or other catastrophes, some simply don't want to be tied down with the expense and responsibility of raising kids. Have a listen this week as Pastor Brian answers from a Biblical perspective--"Is it a sin for a couple not to want to have children?"

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It's no secret that people are waiting until later in life to get married these days. In the 1950's the median age of first marriage was about 23 years old, today it's closer to 30 years old. This inevitably means that more and more questions are having to wrestle with the question of living singly. Other Christians may not feel the desire to be married. Join us as we go to the Bible to answer this timely question.

If you like these podcasts, keep on sending us your questions using the button below so we can keep going to the Bible for more answers!

This weeks question is: Are there ranks in heaven? It's not a question that the Bible talks much about and our corrupted human reason can't even contemplate this question without imagining eternal envy and competition in the life to come. However, we see that God in his free grace not only gives us salvation through faith in Jesus, but also so much more in the life to come.

If you like these podcasts keep on sending us your questions using the button below so we can keep going to the Bible for more answers!

With advances in medicine and modern technology enabling us to save and prolong life like never before, more and more Christians are coming up against the spiritual and emotional challenge of seeing our loved ones suffer a slow decline and enduring pain. This caused one of our listeners to wonder: Is it wrong to pray that the Lord take home (quickly) a person who has a terminal illness or is in constant crippling pain?

Every Christian believes that God is all-good and all-knowing, so our reason can easily lead us to ask: If God didn’t want Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and knew that they were going to sin, why did he put it there? Let's see what insights the Bible gives us, in this our first "Answers from Above" podcast.