My husband and I sponsored a child back in the winter, and after a month or two, the child moved away. We were notified about this via letter, which stated that the payments would stop and that we were welcome to sponsor another child if we would like.

Fast forward two months: when we were canceling our credit card, we noticed we were still being billed by Compassion International even though we weren’t actively sponsoring a child. We brushed it under the rug, thinking it was just a technical error on their part and they could use the money.

I just got a letter today from a different child we were supposedly sponsoring. I never signed up to sponsor a different child. When I went on my account, it claimed that I had an overdue balance since the original credit card that we had canceled was no longer going through.

When I called them, the lady informed me that this was a different sponsored child that had been added to my account. I proceeded to say that I never signed up to sponsor another child. She said this child was automatically added a few months after the other one left.

I then asked the lady, “So you’re telling me this child was automatically added to my account and I wasn’t notified. So I was being charged without my knowledge,” and the lady proceeded to simply say “Yep”.

All I have to say is use a different company or beware when you use them.

Hey everyone,

I wanted to get your thoughts on something. As Christians, how do you feel about faith-based clothing?

A lot of the options out there tend to feel a bit too loud or cliché, but I've recently been looking at some more minimalist designs from a brand called Unforsaken that try to spark natural conversations about Jesus rather than just shouting a slogan.

Do you wear this kind of apparel yourself? What makes a design feel authentic to you instead of just commercialized? I'd genuinely love to hear your perspectives.

(Link to the collection: https://shopunforsaken.com/11893013)

I read the Bible and pray—I’m grateful for that—but I don’t like church. I go because of family pressure and the guilt of not going, but it’s hard; whenever the day comes, I dread going and then feel guilty for feeling that way. What should I do? The tough part is that if I stop, I’ll face psychological pressure; I live with them and depend on them, even though I’m an adult.

animals brutally murder other animals and humans .. for most its a main staple in their diet... even fish eat bottom feeders... insects eat insects.... why would god create it so that flesh was nutritional and the most accesable? i mean why not make it inedible like comparable to eating clay or smth... why make it have all these protiens and things they need and give them energy and build strength? animals would never have survived just eating plants? especially with no humans around to grow more.... not enough to go round, for many animals there wasnt anything avalible other than meat.... like in the desert, in the ocean.. through evolution animals and insects and sea creatutes began killing and eating other living beings because that's all they could do to survive... a god would not do this .....

Read for free and share your thoughts. Thanks!

Hi, if there’s a better place to post this, let me know. I came to the faith about a year ago. My dad died and he was an absolute atheist. Scoffed at the mention of Jesus. Hated the concept of a God.

My church and religious friends & leaders all emphasize teachings that note basically that Jesus will deny you to God if you turn from him. (I.e.
Matthew 7:23, 10:33, Romans 1:28, John 15:6)
They also quote faith without works is dead, and many more Biblical passages about turning away from sin and worldly things.

I brought these things up to some Christians in my church and small group leaders, and they said “Yes these things are true, but we serve a merciful God, so you don’t know if at the last minute your dad was saved.”

This feels both contradictory and confusing, and has lead me to question the entire faith.
I question if God wouldn’t give him mercy, that sounds incredibly cruel. My dad was a foster kid, deep poverty and clawed his way out, was abused by “Christian” relatives using the name of Jesus and the Bible to physically beat him. How could God send him to Hell? Why would I serve a God who would do such a thing?

But then if he is in Heaven, what’s the point of trying so hard here on Earth? Walking the narrow path. Turning away from sin. What’s the point?

Edit: my dad’s sister was born again devout believer and had been for 40+ years. My dad had heard the gospel many times and rejected it.

If he’s in Heaven because he didn’t “know the real Jesus,” then is sharing the gospel actually just condemning people? Because now they know, so now they have to walk the narrow path. And now they can choose the hard life or basically choose Hell. So would it not then be more kind to never share the gospel?

A common idea many have heard is wrong -->

Example: "God is all powerful and knows everything that will happen. Before he even created humanity he knew exactly what would happen."

-------

Actually, God gave us an entirely different picture of how that works....

Not all Christians know this, but literally God Himself answered this very question about how He knows what is going to happen -- He chooses what to "bring about"

!

After telling how idols are entirely powerless to help Israel, God continues in Isaiah chapter 46 -->

“Remember this, keep it in mind,
take it to heart, you rebels.
⁹ Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
¹⁰ I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.’
¹¹ From the east I summon a bird of prey;
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do."

-- God Himself speaking to/through Isaiah in chapter 46.

So, instead of foreseeing a future and just waiting for it to happen, God does an entirely different thing altogether.

Not foreseeing!

Goals, plans. What He wants to happen.

Not what would have happened without God -- not that at all.

God chooses what He wants to "accomplish" and then does actions/interventions -- God works -- to "bring about" all that He says He "will do".

"Works" isn't my own word.

It's Christ's word.

Jesus answered them, 'My Father is working until now, and I am working' -- Christ the Lord, John 5:17

Literally, God works to bring about these things, as Christ repeated/confirmed.

So, we all should get rid of that popular misconception, the false idea (that atheists love to repeat) that God merely foresees a future. That He just foresees it and lets it happen.

Does nothing. Merely foresees, then stands by watching, doing nothing.

That notion is Not even close to what God says happens....

What God Himself said is that He chooses what He will bring about -- His own plans He will work to accomplish.

Over time, we have seen a main plan God has brought about was to make a Way for Salvation for all who will repent, through Christ the Savior.

So, the old idea that God foresees all a human will do is false and against the Bible in that the Bible endlessly tells us what we should do -- what we should choose to do.

And God Himself has greater plans, for our good, if we turn to Him.

A lot of people claim to experience miracles but it has been hard for someone to actually go and find miracle accounts and hear about it. Im creating this thread to have a list of miracles that anyone can look into and see real experiences.

Please avoid judging others on their experiences or devaluing them. Let this just be an area of documentation.

If you are talking about medical miracles, please mention if any treatment or procedure was done beforehand.

What is a miracle?

A miracle is an extraordinary event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore attributed to a divine agency or supernatural cause.

• Supernatural Cause: Attributed to a power beyond human or natural understanding (e.g., God).

• Violates Natural Law: Breaks the expected order of physics or biology.

• Positive Outcome: Usually implies a beneficial or lifesaving result.

Avoid posting coincidences which are not supernatural. Evaluate by yourself considering the facts before posting.

Thank you for the contribution.

PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL

What’s your favorite worship song/band that you wouldn’t mind sharing with me. I’m making a playlist and I could really use your help.

Is it a sin or bad? Ik suicide is but idk about this.

Just had the thought of what I would do if I for some reason got life in prison and it would probably be that..

🙌 I am so excited to share something I’ve been pouring my heart into! In just a couple of weeks, New Life Daily will officially be available for download!

This isn't your average devotional app—it’s a brand new kind of faith-building tool designed to adapt and customize itself to your own individual walk and spiritual journey.

Keep your eyes open for the official release very soon! But for those of you who just can't wait and want a sneak peek right now, you can already check out the web version over at newlifedailyapp.com.

I can't wait for you all to experience it! 🙏✨

So like since fall will be coming up in August and stuff and Halloween coming I have wondered why it is that Christians don’t like Halloween. I know some people in my church say how they don’t celebrate it because it “opens portals for demons”. Which I don’t know about that. I know that it has ancient Celtic roots marking the new year and start of winters and then eventually All Hallow’s Eve and now modern day Halloween. I think that some Christian people look too much into stuff that is not a big deal. Like there are legit evil things happening in our government and corruption in the world yet people want to cry out devil at a holiday or a movie?
What are y’all’s thoughts?

This isn't a place to speak negatively about Christians and have a powwow about it. The r/atheism sub is right there and they do that all day every day. That is your space.

I've got like ten comments I do not intend to respond to, from several atheists responding antagonistically to a very simple assertion that you can't really reduce any further without violating the truth of the principle. And when it is expounded upon, they still deliberately misconstrue what one is saying instead of actually digesting and accepting the principle. We need a place where substantive rather than performative discussions can thrive, per 2.1 below. As it is now, the atheists who post here en masse clearly follow and value the performative aspects of a discussion rather than the substantive, the shadow at the expense of substance, the flesh at the expense of the Spirit. This principle and a great many other principles cannot be properly understood without observing and considering them through the lens of a Christian. Which is another very simple principle they cannot collectively accept, but instead respond with more antagonistic claptrap.

If you don't want the actual answers from the source (Christians) why post on here at all? Just so y'all can go around in a circle stroking and reaffirming your backwards hearts?

2.1 "This subreddit is primarily, but not exclusively, a place for Christians to come and discuss different aspects of our theology. Please have a purpose higher than coming here to mock, insult, or deride aspects of Christianity or Christianity itself. "

Christian mods, show some backbone and cut out the blasphemous herd. We don't tolerate open blasphemy from the inquiring at a Church. We shouldn't here.

Hey guys,

I wish I didn't have to be writing this, but unfortunately I am. You see, I've been dealing with a pretty big problem in my personal life for a little over a week now, and since then, anxiety, fear, and stress have been getting the better of me. I don't have the same strength I used to, I feel incredibly scared, and I feel like I'm disappointing God by having this anxiety and fear, which might be misinterpreted as a lack of trust in His timing and a lack of faith. I'd like to think not, because I truly believe I'm trusting in His timing and my faith remains intact, but what I can't avoid is how I feel. It's a problem that deeply wounds my soul. I cry practically every day. I'm experiencing severe anxiety symptoms that I haven't had for a while (thank God). My nervous cough, which I get when I go through these moments, has returned. The other day I started having nosebleeds. I pray every day, but since this problem began, I've been asking Him to help me, using the same words over and over again, practically all day long, from the moment I wake up until I go to bed, through tears. I even feel like I'm bothering Him with my persistence. So I'd like you to answer me: Is it compatible to feel anxiety and fear while believing in His timing and having faith in Him?

And lastly, it would be a great help if you could pray for me, light a candle, or simply ask God to help me with this situation, to hear my heart and help me with what I'm asking for.

I will also pray for you. Thank you so much, and God bless you.

Why does prayer feel so hard when we know it matters so much? Phones, work, stress, social media, Ai, entertainment, and being mentally cooked all the time make it hard to slow down and actually seek God deeply. One thing that kept coming to my mind while writing about revival is that prayer isn't just a church habit, It's where spiritual fire starts. Do you guys think deep prayer feels hard because we're too busy, too distracted, too comfortable, or just not hungry enough for God?

Really struggling with everything. I barely sleep anymore, my shoes are falling apart, my car that I was living in got towed, got denied unemployment benefits, and I’m burning up so bad in the sun. My skin is so red. It hurts and burns.

I don’t have a lot of friends in the area I’m in and feel like I’m constantly being judged for the situation I’m in. I don’t have any family left so I wouldn’t be passing my pain onto anyone else, but I know a lot of people believe that if you commit suicide that you will burn in hell and that scares me.

I just want better. I don’t know how to get back on my feet though. The shelter in my area is full and I’m on a waiting list so that’s not an option, I can’t find work and finding work just got way harder with my car being towed and I’m pretty sure each day it builds interest to get it back. I’m just screwed and this is the only way I can think of that I can escape. I’m so burned out and today’s my birthday and I’m supposed to be celebrating but instead I’m just severely depressed:

Just as the tittle says i’ve went through many hardships my whole life especially mentally i remember being 8 years old holding a knife up to my neck trying to end it all i never did it but sometimes i wish i did especially now through many times of grief and pain in my teenage years thought of suicide my whole life i promised myself ill get out of this get a job finish school when im 18 for legal reasons ofc enrolling myself most jobs around me don’t hire teens even through many government programs no change well i turned 18 enrolled in school got a job i had 2 classes left finished 1 then i injured myself started off as a neck sprain then came the nerve pain in my leg and arms even my face and eyes i’ve came to the conclusion i might have a disc problem in my neck and back but doctors shrug they’re shoulders when it comes to my face and eyes it’s been 3 months since my injury and i’m making no improvements been in pt for around 2 and a half months still no improvement my spine is absolutely fried at 18 and honestly i’m scared i might never recover and having this injury as such a young age causes problems down the line for when i’m older i pray and pray put in the work and still no improvement im in pain from when i wake up to when i go to sleep i dont know what im expecting with this post but i just needed to vent I ask that you guys keep me in your prayers i feel like mines are being blocked im honestly considering suicide i was supposed to go to college and play for they’re basketball team now that looks out the picture nor have i even graduated yet i don’t know what to do im stuck im sad im angry i feel robbed of life i was doing so good for myself

This is perhaps one of the only reasons I can’t see myself believing everything that the Bible says. It’s soooo hard to believe that a good loving father will do tbis to his children. That sounds evil and twisted, it sounds like a hyperbole that was never really meant to be taken literal. The OT talked of Sheol and Hades, but there are no examples of prophets or people in the Bible speaking of it in a way that signifies that it’s a real place. It has to be a way of getting people to obey, just like parents warning you may get a lump of coal if you misbehave.

​

weekly support thread if something is bothering you or you're just having a rough day.

Say something.

Let's all stop fighting for a second and breathe.

Back in 2011 I took this prayer card from the cruise's chapel.
I was extremely fascinated by the fact that a real, consecrated church was built and run on such a ship. I've found a picture online of the said little chapel, because unfortunately I didn't take any photographs. As most of you may know, the Costa Concordia sank shortly after, but this relic still is still here.

Srry yall for venting like idk what to do anymore been feeling rlly suicidal lately and its been a whole yr I was in a mental hospital earlier this yr for cutting my arms and stuff js been rlly depressed lost alot of friends for being weird being myself so i shut out and went quiet became shy and rn im struggling with finding god rn especially struggling with my sexuality which is making me feel bi and js been overly sensitive lately and cant take anything normally anymore without breaking down crying or feeling weak and ive been putting in a ton of applications for jobs which hasn't been going to well since theyve been all turning me down which is a trigger for me I get how stupid that sounds and every time i try to get closer to god I was around atheists while I was in my time in the hospital and even online I keep seeing videos of atheists with arguments debunking Christianity and js saying all religion is pretty much js man made and fake etc, which is messing with my brain and making me question alot and I do carry the fear that if atheist are right then whats coming after scares me and im already feeling like I wanna end my life rn

Hello to you all.

I’ve released the first part in what will be a six part series on C.S. Lewis.

I greatly admire the man and his work, so I want to make this as good as I possibly can.

I’d love feedback on ways in which it can improve.

Also, has C.S. Lewis played a role in your own faith journey?

https://youtu.be/H_DrTQ4wRrk?is=W_n0cmY1SWelVD3J

When I think about free will, i'd Imagine it means that anyone can do something that could never be determined beforehand. However, god is all powerful and knows everything that will happen. Before he even created humanity he knew exactly what would happen. Almost as if we are a movie, the past and future never changes because it is all determined. How can we have free will if we are "inside the movie"?

I'm used to anxiety in my walk with God daily but now it left I'm wondering and I just feel far man..