Awkward Questions

Why didn’t God answer my prayer?
2023-12-05T13:35:00+00:00By Robin Barfield
Do you have some prayer quandries you want to ask God about?
Why is there so much pain in the world? Why doesn’t God stop it?
2023-11-07T10:53:00+00:00By Kate Orson
What’s the toughest question on suffering you have had to answer?
Jesus says we can live forever. But how do we explain this to a child?
2023-11-01T09:05:00+00:00By Andy Peck
Does the idea of eternity thrill you?
The questions young people have about sharing their faith, and how to answer them
2023-10-30T11:00:00+00:00By John Kirkby
What do you think stops young people sharing their faith?
How to talk to your children about war
2023-10-12T08:55:00+01:00By Kate Orson
Has war ever been a topic you have discussed?
Why did God make the world?
2023-10-10T07:34:00+01:00By Robin Barfield
Is this a question you have ever been asked?
Did God have a mum or a dad?
2023-09-14T08:41:00+01:00By Robin Barfield
Have you ever been asked this?
Why should I wait to have sex?
2023-08-22T08:00:00+01:00By Suzanne Lees-Smith
The idea that you should not have sex before your marries is wierd isn’t it?
‘Does Jesus eat in Heaven?’
2023-08-17T08:00:00+01:00By Robin Barfield
How would you answer your child if they asked you this?
Why didn’t God just kill the devil?
2023-07-26T10:14:00+01:00By Andy Peck
What’s the last question one of your children asked you?
Why do only two gospel writers describe the events of the first Christmas?
2022-12-21T15:42:00+00:00By Ali Hull
Which is your favourite birth narrative?
“Mummy! Is Santa real?” How do you answer?
2022-12-13T11:10:00+00:00By Claire Hailwood
When did you first know the truth about Santa?
Will there be toilets in heaven?
2022-11-17T13:06:00+00:00By Robin Barfield
What is the oddest thing you have been asked?
Why did God put the snake in the garden?
2022-04-28T07:19:00+01:00
Sometimes the deepest questions come from our children
Is the nativity an actual true story?
2019-11-19T00:00:00+00:00By Justin Brierley
“Christmas? Myth-mas, more like?”
If God created everything, who created God?
2019-10-22T00:00:00+01:00By Justin Brierley
These days, many people claim that science has disproved God. But if you look at what scientists are actually discovering about the universe, you will realise that the opposite is true.
Can I believe in the Bible and evolution?
2019-10-11T00:00:00+01:00By Justin Brierley
Does believing in evolution mean Adam and Eve didn’t exist and the Bible is wrong?
How can I hear from God?
2019-10-11T00:00:00+01:00
“What do people mean when they say God talks to them? It’s not like he says: “Hello, Phoebe. How are you?”
Who made the devil?
2019-10-11T00:00:00+01:00By Ruth Jackson
How would you answer this question?
Will my pet go to heaven?
2019-10-10T00:00:00+01:00By Ruth Jackson
“What happens when Susan my sausage dog dies?”
What happens when you die?
2019-10-10T00:00:00+01:00By Justin Brierley
What Marvel movie Doctor Strange teaches about this life and the next
Was Jesus a magician?
2019-10-10T00:00:00+01:00By Justin Brierley
“He behaved like one. So does that mean he just did tricks?”
If God forgives, can I do whatever I want?
2019-10-10T00:00:00+01:00By Ruth Jackson
“If Easter tells us that God forgives everything, can I just do whatever I want and then say sorry?”
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
2018-06-08T00:00:00+01:00By Ruth Jackson
It’s hard to scientifically prove whether Jesus rose from the dead. But, like in a law court, eyewitnesses play an important part in helping us figure out what actually happened.
Was Jesus white?
2018-06-08T00:00:00+01:00By Sarah Lumgair
To some, ‘was Jesus white?’ is a stupid question, right up there with ‘do birds fly?’ and ‘is grass green?’ But to others it is vitally important.
What does the Bible say about dinosaurs?
2018-06-08T00:00:00+01:00By Ruth Jackson
Mentions of God’s creation appear at various points thoughout the Bible but the main place where we read about this is in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. Genesis doesn’t talk about dinosaurs roaming the earth. But then neither does it mention cats, penguins or squirrels!
Do miracles happen?
2018-06-08T00:00:00+01:00By Ruth Jackson
Miracles are hard to get our heads around, but if we believe in God it shouldn’t be too difficult to also believe in miracles.
Do questions always need answers?
2018-02-16T00:00:00+00:00By Danielle Young oversees the 60/40 Project, an initiative of Ascension Trust, the Methodist Church and London City Mission (ascensiontrust.org.uk/60-40-project).
I take my hat off to the young people of today. Everyone is telling them who to be and what to think. Meanwhile, their education encourages them to reason, rationalise and evaluate texts, equations and hypotheses.
Does God need suntan lotion?
2017-12-13T00:00:00+00:00By Ruth Jackson
This question asks if God is like us. Does God struggle with the things we struggle with?
Was Mary really a virgin?
2017-11-22T00:00:00+00:00By is the editor of Premier Youth and Children's Work, head of Youth Apologetics at Premier and a contributor to Hope Rising 365 (SPCK), a devotional for girls and young women.
This time of year is full of magic and mystery. Alongside guiding stars, angels and divine dreams, the virgin birth tops the list of hard-to-believe Christmas stuff.
If ‘God is love’, why are there so many natural disasters?
2017-10-20T00:00:00+01:00By is the editor of Premier Youth and Children's Work, head of Youth Apologetics at Premier and a contributor to Hope Rising 365 (SPCK), a devotional for girls and young women.
Recently, we’ve seen hurricanes annihilate towns, earthquakes devastate communities and floods kill thousands across the world. Even for hardcore believers, these heartbreaking circumstances raise questions about the goodness of God. Surely someone so ‘loving’ wouldn’t allow such awful things to happen?
Big Question: Do ghosts exist?
2017-09-21T00:00:00+01:00By Ruth Jackson
Even the most ancient stories contain accounts of ghosts, and interest in the supernatural doesn’t seem to be waning. A 2016 YouGov survey reported that more Brits believe in ghosts than a creator God. A 2006 Barna group study of 4,000 teenagers found that 73 per cent had engaged in at least one type of psychic or witch-related activity.
How could a good God send people to hell?
2017-08-24T00:00:00+01:00By is the editor of Premier Youth and Children's Work, head of Youth Apologetics at Premier and a contributor to Hope Rising 365 (SPCK), a devotional for girls and young women.
Some people don’t believe in God. Others think that that if God is real, he’s not nice. One reason for this is the idea of hell. How can someone nice send people to hell?
Can you prove God exists?
2017-05-25T00:00:00+01:00By Ruth Jackson is the editor of Premier Youth and Children's Work, head of Youth Apologetics at Premier and a contributor to Hope Rising 365 (SPCK), a devotional for girls and young women.
Can you prove that God exists? Well, that depends what you mean by ‘prove’. True proof only exists in maths. I can prove 2 + 2 = 4, but even scientists need a certain amount of ‘faith’. In order to ‘do’ science, they have to believe there is order to the world - that things will react in a certain way because forces, such as gravity, are at work.
Will my pets be in heaven?
2017-04-21T00:00:00+01:00By Ruth Jackson is the editor of Premier Youth and Children's Work, head of Youth Apologetics at Premier and a contributor to Hope Rising 365 (SPCK), a devotional for girls and young women.
The Bible is full of passages which show us how much God cares about animals. In the story of Noah, the animals’ safety is a huge priority for God. They are also included in the promise and special relationship (covenant) which God makes with Noah and his family after the flood. Does this mean that when the end of the world comes, animals will be saved again?
What about dinosaurs?
2017-03-22T00:00:00+00:00By Ruth Jackson is the editor of Premier Youth and Children's Work, head of Youth Apologetics at Premier and a contributor to Hope Rising 365 (SPCK), a devotional for girls and young women.
Some Christians think that the Earth isn’t old enough to support the existence of dinosaurs. Using various Biblical family trees, they trace the start of the world to around 6,000 - 12,000 years ago. Dinosaur fossils however suggest they existed billions of years ago, making the world and its inhabitants much older. Christians who believe in this ‘young’ Earth may either argue that dinosaurs never existed or that they existed more recently and the dating of fossils is unreliable.
If God forgives everything, does it matter what I do?
2017-02-17T00:00:00+00:00By is the editor of Premier Youth and Children's Work, head of Youth Apologetics at Premier and a contributor to Hope Rising 365 (SPCK), a devotional for girls and young women.
Why do we need forgiveness? Christians talk about ‘sin’, which is a bit of a confusing, old-fashioned word. It makes more sense if we look at its original meaning: the Greek word for ‘sin’ came from an archery term meaning ‘to miss the mark’. Sin isn’t just the obvious stuff like murder or stealing, it’s anything that ‘misses the mark’, that falls short of God’s perfect standard. A standard none of us can meet.
Will my Muslim friend go to hell?
2017-01-23T00:00:00+00:00By Ruth Jackson
There are many questions that stop young people wanting to know more about God. Welcome to The Big Question, which will tackle one of these huge issues each month.
Why does God hate my gay friend?
2017-01-19T00:00:00+00:00By Ruth Jackson is the editor of Premier Youth and Children's Work, head of Youth Apologetics at Premier and a contributor to Hope Rising 365 (SPCK), a devotional for girls and young women.
It’s tragic that many LGBT+ teenagers think they would not be welcome in a church or a Christian’s home. For any part that we as youth workers, or the Church have played in giving that impression, we’re sorry. We’re sorry because it is utterly heart-breaking but also because it isn’t true. In fact, this anti-welcome couldn’t be further from the truth. The Church isn’t, nor was ever meant to be, a museum of saints (thank God!), but a place where broken people (all of us) get to come and meet with a God who loves them unconditionally.
Loaded Questions
2017-01-19T00:00:00+00:00By Jamie Cutteridge is the director of With, a new Christian community and retreat centre dedicated to praying for and with young people bewith.community
Last month, we were all captivated by Channel 4’s Porn on the brain documentary. The show followed Martin Daubney, former editor of Loaded, as he explored the impact of online pornography on teenage brains. Through the course of the investigation, it was proved for the first time that regular use of pornography can have an addictive effect, similar to that of alcohol or substance abuse. The programme also highlighted one teenager, Callum, whose addiction was shockingly severe. Martin spoke to Youthwork’s Jamie Cutteridge.