#STRask

A clear look at what the Holy Spirit actually does in believers' lives, focusing on regeneration, sanctification, and empowerment. Discussion of how the Spirit helps us understand and remember Scripture. Practical habits for growing intimacy with God, like prayer, Bible reading, journaling, and routines. Recommendations of wisdom-based decision resources and a critique of charismatic private-revelation practices.

A lively discussion about why Jesus' deity matters for salvation and how New Testament texts link divine lordship to being saved. They examine Jesus' “I Am” claims, Johannine language, and apostolic confessions. The conversation contrasts true Christology with counterfeit views and explains why correct beliefs about God shape worship and atonement.

They debate how to identify teachers who truly preach the same gospel Paul received. They examine Paul’s revelations, apostolic checks, and the role of Scripture in testing new claims. They contrast grace versus works in gospel differences with Latter-day Saints. They analyze Jeremiah 1:5 and argue it reflects divine election, not human preexistence.

A defense of using evidence and reason alongside revelation to ground faith. Thought-provoking analogies compare trust to reading gauges and researching medicine. Discussion about why Christianity needs objective truth and how to revisit reasons for belief. Practical steps are offered for battling emotional doubts and replacing false thoughts with Scripture.

They debate whether studying other religions is required before committing to Christianity. They compare religious choice to medical decisions and consider when exhaustive comparison is unnecessary. They explore whether religions offer incompatible worldviews and what it means to be open-minded. They discuss the consequences of choosing the wrong religion and hidden assumptions behind common criticisms.

A discussion about whether anything could be greater than a maximally perfect God and what that implies for omniscience. A debate on analytic claims about God’s nature and when skepticism is justified. A practical sketch for explaining immortal souls to nonbelievers using mental imagery and other lines of evidence. A look at why miracles alone may not persuade and how faith relates to reasons.

Thoughtful questions about whether to pray for spiritual growth or for material needs. A discussion on why prayer matters for everyday decisions and how to seek wisdom rather than a divine blueprint. Exploration of whether demonic forces can hear prayers and how temptation connects to our desires. A sensitive talk about praying for mercy or release from suffering and leaving outcomes to God.

Questions about why we should pray if God already knows what’s going to happen, how the effectiveness of prayer is measured, and whether or not things would have happened the way they did if no one had prayed for them.   Why should we pray if God already knows what’s going to happen? How is the effectiveness of prayer measured—e.g., would Christopher Yuan have been saved if his mother hadn’t prayed fervently?

Questions about why we should think Jesus is not a created being, and what it means to say God became fully human if part of being human means not being God.   Prove to me that Jesus is not a created being, that “begotten” doesn’t mean he was created, and that he has always existed. What does it mean to say God became fully human if part of being human means not being God?

Questions about good books on Christian apologetics, philosophy, and theology with more in-depth information and ideas, and resources to help an intellectually-inclined person with spiritual formation and developing the non-cerebral side of living a Christian life.   As a high school student, I have read many baseline books on Christian apologetics, theology, and philosophy, so could you recommend good books with more in-depth information and ideas? As someone with a passion for intellectual pursuits such as apologetics, theology, and philosophy, what resources might be helpful for spiritual formation and developing the non-cerebral side of living a Christian life?