Minibook Categories

It's frustrating to be under imperfect authority. And sometimes it's more than frustrating—we suffer when someone's authority is unfair, capricious, or just plain wrong. But does that let us off the hook? Do we have to listen only to those we...

You don't want to make a big deal out of it. Isn't everyone else already talking about sex? Yes, they are talking, and their words are shaping your child's understanding right now. In a culture that glorifies casual sex, kids will only learn to think...

Do you own your smartphone, or does it own you? How quickly do you pick it up in the morning? Do you check it multiple times an hour to make sure you know what's going on in the world? Do you find yourself turning to it first when you're sad, angry, or...

Raising daughters is a joy. Nothing prepares a dad for the rush of feelings that accompany holding your baby girl for the first time. But along with the joy comes the questions. How do you protect her from harm, set her on a good path, and help her...

How is your church ministering to children in your congregation who have experienced sexual abuse? Jesus told us that whoever received a child in his name received him (Matt. 18:5). Is this the guiding principle that informs how your congregation cares...

Do you suspect that you or someone you love is suffering from marital domestic abuse? Is there intentional harm happening to you in your home, whether physical, verbal, sexual, or emotional? What should you do? How do you seek help? Heather Nelson...

People handle the hard things in life in all different ways. What do you do when you get upset? Cry? Blow-up? Get depressed? Or perhaps, no one notices when you're upset because you find a quiet place and cut yourself. You're looking for relief, but is...

Do past failures still trouble you? Perhaps regret over a mistake, the betrayal of someone close to you, an undone task, an angry outburst has left you feeling uneasy. You wonder if God really does forgive you. Sometimes he seems like a dark cloud...

Who should pay the bills? Do the laundry? Work outside the home? Stay home with the kids? For many couples, answering these questions is difficult and frustrating. How do you decide which family responsibilities belong to you and which belong to your...

Betrayed. Broken. Angry. Devastated. Chances are, you've felt one or all of these since discovering your husband's interest in porn. How can you possibly trust him again? How do you rebuild your broken heart and fractured marriage? Is it even possible?...

"If we're in love, what's wrong with having sex before marriage? And even if we're not, isn't everyone else doing it? Why should we be the only ones who wait?" Have you ever thought or said things like this? If your answer is yes, you have a lot of...

Four little words that will rock any parent's world: "I think I'm gay." If your child said this, you are probably experiencing a combination of shock, denial, anger, confusion, and uncertainty. Despite your shock you still want to respond well. What...

Shame is the experience of feeling unacceptable, less than others, or different. Children often experience the sting of this particular sense of failing to measure up. Whether this heavy feeling comes from internal or external pressures, children need...

Long before you decided to adopt, long before your child was born, God planned to put your adopted child into your home. Your child is an amazing gift from God, but nurturing an adopted child also brings unique challenges. Understanding your adopted...

Anyone who has suffered through a miscarriage knows that it is one of the most painful experiences a woman can have. There's an emptiness inside that you cannot describe and that no one else seems to understand. How can you grieve so much for a person...

Who should you date? You might be drawn to someone who is fun, good-looking, and interested in the same things you are, but even more important than what's on the surface is what someone is like inside. But how can you find that out? What should you...

Is someone you love struggling in the grip of opioid addiction? Is the person you once knew now obscured by a fog of half-truths, unfamiliar behaviors, and outright lies? As the opioid crisis in the United States intensifies, thousands upon thousands of...

It is difficult and sometimes frightening not to have the good opinion of others. No one likes to face the possibility of rejection, humiliation, or opposition. Yet, making our goal others' approval confines us to a small world where life consists of...

Past broken relationships, concerns about compatibility, and finances are just some of the reasons for the growing trend of couples living together without getting married. But marriage is not just a cultural institution by which people merge lives,...

Do you ever feel like your past is haunting you? Maybe it's a mistake you made that can't be made right or something that was done to you that can never be undone. You see the effects of it in your daily life, but struggle to know how to move forward...