Family Matters

Marriage is a God designed institution in which a man and woman become one flesh and commit to sharing life together for the rest of their days. The problem very often, however, is that couples don’t seek to serve each other in marriage but rather endeavor to have their individual needs met, sometimes by allowing themselves to be drawn into extra-marital relationships. Unfortunately when we take our focus off our spouse we can let outside influences gain a foothold in our lives.

If there is more than one child in your home, you can bet there’ll be some form of sibling rivalry at one time or another. The important question is, how much conflict between siblings should parents allow and put up with?

Is Christian sexual morality unhealthy or unnatural? I'm young woman who is trying to live a chaste life, but my boyfriend is always pressuring me. He says that my concerns about sexual morality are just an expression of an unhealthy "fear"-that in trying to live by God's standards, I'm basically rejecting the beauties of creation and avoiding the joys of life in the flesh as God intended it. I'm finding it harder and harder to answer him when talks this way. Can you help me?

If you have become despondent about the state of your Christian walk, you are not alone, many Christians wrestle with similar feelings every day.

Will my pet be with me in heaven? I'm really sad right now because my dog just died. We've had the same dog ever since I was a little kid, and I can't even imagine life without him. I asked my mom if I'd see him in heaven and she told me to go ask my Sunday school teacher. I asked my Sunday school teacher and he said no, heaven is for people, not animals. That really upset me. Do you think my Sunday school teacher is right?

As your child enters the teen years, you may notice that there’s been a shift in his or her loyalties. Where you were once your child’s safe place and confidant, you may realize that you’ve been relegated to the bench whilst friends take centerstage in their world.

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 this direction. I don't completely disapprove-after all, I'm sure we'd all be better off if we eliminated some of our modern luxuries and learned to live more simply. Still, I can't help wondering if this is really the way God wants us to behave as His witnesses in the world. What do you think?

There often comes a point in our adult lives when amidst our demanding task of parenting, we find that our own parents get to an age where they need our care as well. This is definitely not an easy situation to navigate.

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 and energy. More importantly, we have deep concerns about the moral aspects of what she's doing – her Life Drawing class regularly requires her to sketch the nude human figure from a live model! How do you feel about that?

As Christian parents we always want to make sure that our children know the principles by which Christ has taught us to live. However, we also need to ensure that they understand the fallen world that we live in.