Worried
From our e-mail bag

Dear Worried:
It sounds as though you don’t know for sure if your grandmother is a Christian. If she truly knows and loves Jesus, she has probably invited Him into her heart and has committed her life to Him. But it’s possible for someone to know a lot about Jesus without really knowing Him personally.

If your grandmother has never repented and asked Christ to forgive her sins, she’s not a Christian — though she may know a lot about God and even enjoy talking about Him. At this stage in her life, I don’t think attending a church service is what’s most important. She may be experiencing some physical pain from the cancer.

I encourage you and your parents to simply share your faith with her. Consider asking a local pastor to make a visit. Read and discuss the following Scriptures with her, and ask her if you can pray together.

• Romans 3:10
• Romans 3:21-26
• Romans 5:1-2

Dear Susie:
I’ve never had a boyfriend and have been praying for one like I’ve never prayed before. When I tell my friends that I’d love to have a great guy to go out with, they don’t understand. They say, “You’re so beautiful; you could have any guy you want!” I don’t totally agree with that, and I’m really confused about what to do.

I know God will eventually fulfill my wants and needs, but should I even want this right now, since I haven’t gotten an answer from Him?

Perplexed
From our e-mail bag

Dear Perplexed:
I’m proud of you for taking your concerns to God. I wish every teen girl in the world realized what you already know: There’s nothing we can’t pray about! You say that God will eventually fulfill your wants and needs. Well . . . yes and no. God is definitely committed to meeting our needs. But He’s certainly not obligated to give us our wants. I want a lot of things I don’t really need.

It’s OK to want a Christian boyfriend. God wired you to desire a relationship with the opposite sex. So continue praying about it, but don’t allow yourself to become depressed, anxious or obsessive about it. Trust God. His timing is perfect! And remember that beauty is a whole lot more than how we look on the outside.

Dear Susie:
In a previous issue you talked about gay couples adopting, and at the end of the article you mentioned that it says in the Bible that those who practice homosexuality will not inherit God’s kingdom. I’m a little confused by this. Do you mean that all gay people are going to hell? What about bisexuals?

I’m really curious because I’m bisexual, and I have a lot of friends who are too. So what you’ve said scares me a little. Can you please explain?

Confused
From our e-mail bag

Dear Confused:
Let’s clarify some terms. A person can be tempted in the area of homosexuality without giving in to the temptation, just as someone can be tempted to have heterosexual intimacy outside of marriage. Being tempted doesn’t make a person a sinner. Everyone is tempted. Even Christ was tempted! It’s only when we yield to temptation that we sin.

Someone who claims to be bisexual (sexually attracted to both males and females) doesn’t sin until he or she yields to temptation — either physically or mentally acting out the sin in the mind. Let me also remind you that the emotions and desires you’re feeling as a teenager don’t define who you are! All your hormones are waking up and going wacko right now. You may think you have a crush on another female, when in reality you simply admire her and her feminine qualities. You’re still in the process of becoming. So don’t be so quick to label yourself. Again, what you feel doesn’t define who you are. Your identity is in Christ. Your relationship with Him defines you. And you are His princess!

I believe the Holy Bible is God’s absolute truth, and in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 it does say that those who practice homosexuality will not inherit God’s kingdom.

Homosexual activity is a sin — not because I say so, but because God says so. But there’s some good news! It’s a sin that can be forgiven, and you serve a God who’s crazy about you. He’d love to forgive you and help you arrange godly accountability to keep you from going down that path.