Real Questions. Honest Answers.

Can o’ Worms Q&A Series – Kickoff Post Cornerstone Youth | Summer 2025

What is this series?

Last Friday, we hosted Can o’ Worms, a live Q&A night where students submitted their biggest and most honest questions about God, life, and the Bible.

It was real and weighty but I had a blast answering the questions the students are asking. It reflects what they are wrestling with and it was a great joy to offer biblical insight on so many different topics.

We made it through all twelve questions, but there was more that could have been said, so we’re continuing the conversation here. Over the next five weeks, we’ll take a deeper look at some of the most challenging questions in a blog series I'm calling:

Real Questions. Honest Answers. Unsurprisingly Biblical.

But first, here’s a full recap of every question that was asked along with a summary of how we answered each one live.

What did students ask—and how did we respond?

1. Since God is outside of time, can we pray for things that already happened? We live in time, even though God exists outside of it. Prayer isn’t about changing the past—it’s about trusting God with our hearts, circumstances, and concerns in real time. He works all things together according to His will.

2a. How would one, from a Christian perspective, help a person struggling with anxiety/depression? Support them patiently. Listen well. Encourage biblical counseling and offer gospel hope. We meet them in their pain with truth and compassion, not pressure.

2b. How would one guide a “believer” that does not walk the walk or respond well to the Bible’s correction? Start with gentleness, but don’t avoid hard truth. If there’s no repentance, Scripture gives us a path for loving correction and church accountability.

3. Is it a sin to use medication? No. Medicine can be part of God’s provision. It depends on how and why it’s used. Using medication wisely doesn’t mean you lack faith.

4. Is anxiety a sin? Sometimes. Anxiety rooted in fear and distrust can become sinful, but many kinds of anxiety are physiological, circumstantial, or involuntary. Jesus offers comfort, not shame.

5. How does sexual abuse work with pre-determination? God is a loving God but how and why does this become allowed in our lives? Abuse is always evil and God condemns it. He didn’t design it, but in His sovereignty, He can redeem even what others meant for harm. He is just, He is near, and He will not waste suffering.

6. Why do churches tend to move around the topic of abuse, specifically sexual abuse?Sometimes it’s fear or self-protection. But the church must reflect God’s heart for the vulnerable—by speaking clearly, reporting boldly, and caring well.

7. Why are things not explicitly in Scripture required to be saved? (Example: the Trinity) The word “Trinity” isn’t in the Bible, but the truth is. To knowingly reject the Trinity is to reject who God is. There's grace for misunderstanding, but not for rebellion against revealed truth.

8. If God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, does that mean He made Pharaoh sin? No. Pharaoh was already proud. God’s hardening was a form of judgment, giving Pharaoh over to his own rebellion. It reveals both God’s justice and human responsibility.

9. What does Jesus mean to have childlike faith? It means humble trust and dependence. Not immaturity, but a posture of receiving salvation as a gift, not earning it.

10. Can free will exist in a world where God is totally sovereign and nothing happens outside His plan? Yes. The Bible affirms both divine sovereignty and real human responsibility. We’re not puppets but our choices are part of God’s plan.

11. If Jesus really claimed to be God, why is that only clear in the Gospel of John? John states it most directly, but all four Gospels show it through Jesus’ actions, titles, and fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The truth is consistent; the presentation varies.

12a. If God has already predestined who will be saved, how does human choice matter? God’s sovereignty doesn’t cancel our responsibility. He works through our choices, desires, and responses to accomplish His will even when we don’t fully understand how.

12b. If God is sovereign over salvation, then what’s the point of evangelism? God saves, but He does so through people who share the gospel. Our calling is to go. He brings the growth.

What’s Next?

Over the next five weeks, we’ll dig deeper into five of the most challenging and meaningful questions from the night. Each post will include:

• A clear, accessible summary

• Key Scripture and theological foundations

• Real-life application

• Recommended resources

We hope it equips students to think biblically, wrestle honestly, and find confidence in God’s truth.

Coming Soon:

1. Why does God allow abuse if He’s in control?

2. Do I have a choice if God already decided?

3. Is anxiety a sin, or something else?

4. Why didn’t Matthew, Mark, or Luke say Jesus is God?

5. Do I have to believe in the Trinity to be saved?

Thanks for reading and don’t be afraid to ask your own hard questions. God is big enough to handle them.

Stay tuned. First full post drops soon.