1. Is it wrong to doubt God’s existence at times in my life?
   What causes you to doubt? Does it stem from a situation or circumstance in your life? Is it related to a relationship failure of some type?
   Doubt is a part of being human. All of us doubt things in our lives, but to doubt the existence of God is a deeper seeded doubt than most.
   Is your doubt stronger than the proofs for God?
   Creation – how do you think everything got here?
   Changed lives – if God doesn’t exist, how do you explain the lives that have been changed by Him?
   People who live for Him – do they regret their choice to follow Him?
   Revelation 4:11, Psalm 14:1,
   
2. What books would you recommend as someone begins their walk with Jesus?
   This is by no means an exhaustive list – there are many other great books, but since I was asked the question – you get my answer.
   Basic Theology by Charles Ryrie
   Victory over the Darkness  by Neil T Anderson
   Just like Jesus by Max Lucado
   Scriptures: gospel of John, James, Proverbs
   
3. How can I find emotional satisfaction?
   Emotional satisfaction is fleeting. It is normally based in circumstances. Our emotions can change as quickly as us changing our socks. We can be having the best or worst day ever, and one statement from someone we care about their opinion can completely flip that feeling the other direction.
   The other side of the coin to emotional satisfaction is contentment. Contentment is being satisfied where I am right now. I understand that my circumstances could always change – most of the time I have no control over that. I could be in a great place – job is good, school is good, relationships are good, church is good, car is running well, etc. I could be in a tough place – job stinks, school is hard, friends or family are mistreating me, church seems stale, car is broken down or needs new tires, etc. Regardless of the situations in my life, I understand that God is in full control and knows everything. He brings peace through the Holy Spirit even when the difficult seasons come. I have to rest in Him and CHOOSE to trust in Him even when I don’t like where I am.
   Philippians 4:11-13
   

These are the 4 questions we tackled on night #2 of our fishbowl series. All questions are submitted by people in the GH Young Adults.

1. What is the best method to discern false doctrine?
   Compare anything someone says to scripture. If a person is speaking on behalf of God, then what they say will align with God’s Word. God does not change, and we can assume because of that, His words to us do not change. We do have to understand that scripture written 2000 years ago may not address every situation exactly as it appears in our lives today. For instance, scripture does not specifically mention pornography – because there was no such thing as pornographic pictures or videos in ancient times. However, the Bible is very clear about lust, adultery, fornication, and what we should be filling our minds with.
   1 John 4:1; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Matthew 7:15; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4
   
2. What does the Bible say about interracial marriage? Is it wrong?
   The Bible never condemns marriage between people of different races. The issue scripture takes against two people being married starts and ends with their belief in and willingness to follow THE one true GOD. In the old testament, the commands to the Israelites to not marry other people were not about their race, but about the gods they worshipped. The concern was, as you love your spouse more and more, it will be easier for them stray from worshipping God to allowing compromise in that part of their life. Here are a few examples of people who were not Israelites that married Israelite men and played a big part in God’s plan for Israel and ultimately Jesus coming to the world.
   Moses’ wife, Ruth, Rahab
   James 2:1-10; Romans 10:12; John 3:3-5; Deuteronomy 7:1-6
   
3. How would I explain why I don’t drink to friends who don’t understand and bring up the argument the Bible says don’t get drunk – but never says not to drink alcohol at all.
   This is a short version of a long answer:
   Spiritual issues: 1. Don’t be a drunk. 2. Don’t do it if it will cause someone else to stumble.
   Moral issues: 1. Too many other things to drink – why do I need alcohol when there are 2 whole aisles of things at the grocery store that aren’t intoxicating? 2. 100% of domestic violence cases in Henry Co involve alcohol to some degree.(This is per several friends I have in the police department) I did ask some police officers if they had been to a domestic dispute case that started with someone drinking too much mtn dew or sweet tea – they said no. 3. It contributes to poor decisions, drunk driving accidents, date rape, etc
   Proverbs 20:1, 23:29-35; Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:21; Romans 14:21
   
4. What does the Bible say about aliens?
   The Bible never specifically discusses beings from other planets or galaxies. A couple thoughts: 1. If there are beings from other planets, then does that alter my view of Jesus coming to earth and giving His life for me? 2. I believe God created the earth, our solar system, the galaxy, and the universe beyond our galaxy. I believe because of scripture we are unique creations. I believe God would have clued us in on other creations like us in other places in the universe if those existed. 3. The Bible says we are created in God’s image, then any other creation similar to us (intelligent beings on some other planet) would have to be created in His image also.
   

More to come…PWG