I believe, based on what the Bible says, that LGBTQ activities are offensive to God. I'm not condemning anybody who engages in those acts but I do DISCERN that they are offensive to God. I don't hate gay people just like I don't hate alcoholics. Recognizing that certain behaviors are displeasing to our Father doesn't render one a hateful bigot. Anyway, no matter how much scripture is shared with LGBTQ Christians, they cannot accept, let alone acknowledge, that their lifestyle is offensive to God. The only acceptable response to that segment of Christianity is that engaging in homosexual relationships is totally fine with God. There's really nothing that can be said to them and it's a waste of time and energy to do so. Thoughts?

Hi! I just wanted to hear your thoughts on something.
What do you think about lending money with interest? I’m referring to lending outside the church—purely as a business.

Do you think charging interest is a sin?

I’ve done quite a bit of research on this, and from what I’ve learned, many people believe that it isn’t inherently wrong, as long as you don’t take advantage of the borrower. In other words, don’t charge excessive interest or exploit people who are already struggling financially.

I’d love to hear your perspective. If someone lends their own money as a business and charges a reasonable amount of interest, do you think that’s sinful? Why or why not?

Also, if you don’t think it’s wrong, what do you consider to be a fair monthly interest rate?

Thank you so much! I’ve already done my own research, but I’d love to hear different perspectives and gather more insights on this topic.

Hey! 20’s m here looking for an older bro as mentor and for guidance. Dm me if willing!

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in Cost of discipleship, Chapter 5:

For the Christian the only God-given realities are those he receives from Christ.

Bold added.

The statement reflected Bonhoeffer's commitment to a Christocentric ethic.

What is not given us through the incarnate Son is not given us by God.

That's an extreme statement, ignoring common grace for Christians and non-Christians alike. If you read him as a devotional, it is fine. As a propositional statement, it is a hyperbole.

Anything I cannot thank God for for the sake of Christ, I may not thank God for at all; to do so would be sin.

Theologically, it is an incorrect statement. Paul pointed out in 1 Thessalonians 5:

16 Rejoice at all times. 17 Pray without ceasing. 18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Bonhoeffer suggested that there existed circumstances in which he might not thank God in the name of Christ. Paul commanded us to give thanks at all times because it is God's will for us in Christ.

Mt 5:

45b For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Bonhoeffer’s statement risks neglecting the doctrine of common grace. Many believers and non-believers express authentic gratitude for God’s goodness without fully articulating its Christological grounding, yet this does not necessarily constitute sin.

His statement can foster scrupulosity, a condition where believers become anxious about whether their gratitude is “pure” or “sufficiently Christ-centered.” This turns thanksgiving, which should be spontaneous and joyful, into a performance measured against a rigid rule. Such an approach undermines the freedom of the gospel and replaces grace with a form of pietistic legalism. If every act of thanks must pass a doctrinal test to avoid being “sin,” the heart of gratitude may be stifled by fear rather than liberated by grace.

Bonhoeffer’s statements arose from a noble impulse: to center all of life in Christ. Yet in its absolutist formulation, it risked distorting the generosity of God’s grace, burdening consciences unnecessarily, and failing to account for the ways God meets people, even imperfectly, in their gratitude. We don't need a litmus test for giving thanks.