Smallshoulders

That is simply put. To put less would be a partial answer. That is a simple yet full answer.

An idol is not necessarily an image. It is anything we value and place ahead of God in our lives, so yes most people, probably everyone will have idols. If you seek God on this he will reveal your idols and if you are willing he will help you to overcome them. It's not easy but God will always provide a way for you to have a relationship with him.

Perfection is how God intended. Animals are created as God intended and are damaged through man's treatment of them but they survive on instinct given by God, not free will. So any animal with no contact with humans is perfect. Adam was given the job of naming and caring for animals but he brought imperfection into the world when he sinned the first time through his own free will. Humans are now born imperfect although this is not how God intended it to be and in order to rectify this sin Jesus had to come and pay the cost for the sins committed by us all. This has allowed us to receive forgiveness but we remain imperfect until the second coming when the dead will rise, believers will be given a new body and a new heaven and earth will be created. Until then we must repent of our sins, pray continuously and seek God in all we do so that we can have a solid relationship with God, as he intended us to.

Could you go to the boys mother with someone from church leadership and work together on how best to parent the situation together. It sounds like it is something where you could all easily become offended and defensive which will then achieve nothing except pushing the two closer together perhaps. The three of you, you, his parents and church leaders need to work together with both young people, placing blame with neither of them but also not condoning either of them

Why waste your time arguing this. The scriptures have been given, explained and discussed. This person clearly asked the question to rile people into an argument rather than to seek the answer to the question...perhaps we should discuss why Catholics consider themselves a Christian denomination rather than a completely different religion and if they are in fact a different religion with their own version of the bible (including the apocrypha) as the Mormons and jws also do, why are we surprised when they have their own misguided beliefs/interpretations of scripture and why shouldn't we expect them to? This is not an issue of quibbling over differences in doctrine, this is an issue regarding the need for the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of the blind so that they can see the truth for themselves.

Because we live in a fallen world and the devil doesn't have to get us to not believe in God, he only has to stop us from having a healthy relationship with him. If it is acceptable to mock or disregard God as ridiculous, if people are apathetic towards God (church-going or not), if people believe God is there but doesn't care, if they believe in multiple gods or believe that all religions worship the same God, then he has succeeded. Having a relationship with God is undervalued, undermined and underestimated by many and because of this we don't walk in the ways God has intended.

I have this ALL the time. I try to think about verses like Matthew 10:14. But it's difficult and often interpreted by others as unforgiveness, which I don't believe it is in my case although I can see how it could be for someone else.

Thank you.

I don't think anybody will be 'ready', we can only try to be as ready as we can be

Thank you. Once this is understood and recognised, how should we act and implement this?

Lord. I pray that you're with Tigger now. Give her assurance in you and peace of mind. Still the fears that she feels. Guide her in your word and reveal to her anything that remains which prevents her from fully accepting your peace. Show her what she can do to get herself right before you. Bring her the people she needs to support her in this troubling time. Guide the doctors looking after her, give them wisdom and insight. Help Tigger to do whatever the doctors ask of her and bring her healing and renewal. I pray that in all these things, you remain her constant, her focus and her beacon. In Jesus' name I pray Amen

I actually don't think anyone can know who will inherit the kingdom. All sin is equal, we grade it but it all separates us from God and whether we are separated a little or a lot, we are still separated. All sin is forgivable by God (apart from the unforgivable sin which is grieving the Holy Spirit). I believe this is an easy sin to commit without even realising (scary). The Bible says we will be surprised at who is saved and who is not...and that's key. Christians talk about when they 'were' saved, the Bible talks about those who 'will be' saved... meaning, it hasn't happened yet...Paul talks about the importance of how we finish the race, not the importance of starting the race...and the Bible talks about the path to righteousness being narrow and the road to hell being wide, if saying the 'sinners prayer' was enough to get a ticket into heaven don't you think the road to heaven would be described as easy? We will see on the day of judgement. We can only seek our own path with God, don't be swayed by how we see others walking...plus salvation is more than a ticket into heaven...Are you seeking God, or are you seeking heaven? God wants a relationship with you, he wants you to want him...

After being a Christian for a long time, how do you regain lost joy? After looking into this, my husband found an inspiring video on YouTube from a man discussing this question...He stated that this is not a biblical issue where there is something you can 'do' but a relational one. If you feel like joy has been lost then time and effort must be invested in the relationship and regaining lost joy is one of the consequences. This is true also for our earthly relationships. I feel like a tide has turned and I appreciate anyone willing to join me in praying for this to continue in the new and fresh direction it seems to have taken.