Hi Mary,

The answer to this problem is giving thanks to God and praising Him. This gets your eyes off yourself with your shortcomings and onto God with His more-than-enough possibilities and resources. The prayer you seek is found in Psalm 103:1 - 5. Pray those words with a whole heart daily.

Hi Robin,

Are you trying to sell something or are you offering to promote this web site via advertising for free?

Hi Ronnie,

The key is to counsel in such a way that the new Christian is able to recognise that as they grow in the Lord they can get answers for themselves to life's challenging questions from God's Word and the Holy Spirit.

This is done by not sounding like you, as the counselor have all the answers, but by presenting your counsel as counsel you have yourself received and found based of the words of the prophets and apostles in the Bible.

For example, you might say, "The apostle Paul refers to the feelings and emotions you tell be you are experiencing in his letter to the Romans. Let's look at it together and see how what he says might help you at this time." Another example, might be to say, "I've experienced that exact same problem you are having. I got on top of it by copying what David declared that he said and did when faced with a similar problem. Let me show you it Psalms."

I don't know of any material teaching this type of counseling but I'm sure there must be a book in existence that provides it.

Hi Temelso,

If I understand your posting correctly the responsibility for your present troubles lies with someone who betrayed you, your wife who betrayed you, your enemies and satanic curses that have been put on you by enemies.

Do you not feel there is any responsibility for your current woes that you should be accepting yourself?

Hi Roger,

I have no idea. This is not a spiritual matter or even a body of Christ matter. It is a legal matter. These earthy denominations have to answer to civil regulators regarding their handling of their financial affairs.

Hi Lisa,

What kind of spiritual guidance are you looking for? Do you have in mind guidance on how to develop or move forward spiritually in life? Or do you have in mind guidance on some very personal and specific life issues?

If it's the first kind of guidance you have in mind then I can help you. Simply post your question or query here and I'll do my best to reply.

If it's the second kind then really you need some face to face dialog time. Obviously, this will need to be local to you and ought to be with a pastor or mature Christian who regularly gives spiritual guidance on specific personal life issues.

Hi Ginger, The often quoted and so-called "scriptures about women preaching" are not actually about women preaching at all. When the Greek text is looked at (and the context of the scripture are acknowledged) they are seen to be about wives hushing up in church so the meeting/service can proceed without unnecessary disruption. See 1 Cor. 14:33-35.

It needs to be recognised that when it comes to the apostle Paul's writings about women and ministry in church it is difficult to make much of them because he moves between two points of view on the matter. For example, in 1 Timothy 2:12 he writes he doesn't allow them to teach but in Titus 2:1-4 he exhorts that they should be teaching. Ultimately, I think his word on women as Christians has to take precedence - "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28.

By the way, a discussion like this should be on the Questions/Counsel page of this web site instead of this interaction page.

Hi Ginger, Women played a major role in the early church. The church at Sychar in Samaria was started by a woman - see John 4:39-42. The first person commanded by the Lord to proclaim the fact of the resurrection was a woman - see John 16-18.

Hi Colin,

I have had some difficulty understanding exactly what you are asking in this question.

Perhaps you are asking for advice on what to read in the Bible as a new Christian. The best place for a new Christian to start in the Bible is with the Gospel of Mark. This Gospel will quickly give you an overview of the life of Jesus as He lived and ministered it on Earth.

After this read the Gospel of John. This Gospel will give you the words of Jesus in a very intense and powerful way. In reading this Gospel you will start to grasp how, what and why Jesus was ministering.

After this read Paul's epistle to the Ephesians. This will introduce you to the "every spiritual blessing in Heavenly places" that you have received through Christ.

Hi Colin,

Every man has sexual thoughts, its called being in a body as a human male. However, we don't have to allow our thoughts to rule our actions and we don't have to allow thoughts to continue without end. We have the ability to stop thoughts and control actions.

Hi Colin,

Sometimes good decisions are hard decisions to make but part of maturing as a person and as a Christian is in making those hard decisions and in making the decision choosing what you know on the inside is right.

Making the right decision when it needs to be made always leads to a future benefit, blessing or reward.

Hi Colin,

How wonderful to hear you have found God through Jesus Christ! May you grow in Christ and discover the grace and blessings given us in Him.

This eternal salvation you have now received is the beginning of your new life with God. It doesn't mean you are now immediately able to behave perfectly but it does mean that Christ has broken your bondage to sin and you can now start to move away from it by His grace and the strength His Spirit gives you in your inner man.

Your new life in Christ is one you are to live by His grace and His power. You can't work up goodness but you can receive it from God as you look to Him in prayer and meditating on His Word (the Bible's promises and counsel).

What's the next step? I suggest you work through my on-line Christian nurture and growth course. This Bible study course provides the foundation for spiritual life, growth and victory. Every class in the course shows you how to practically apply the teaching given. The Bible study classes are in six stages with three classes in each stage. The link below takes you there.