Christian Living
John Fernandes
The Common and Weak Arguments of Pro-Choice ...

Roe V Wade was overturned yesterday and my social media feeds have been permeated with Pro-Choicers spewing arguments that are complete nonsense, whether I was a pro-lifer based in Christianity (or any religion) or a pro-lifer based in atheism. I will present those arguments and provide logical and scientific reasons why they are invalid. You may say “there is no absolute truth, truth is subjective.” If you do, you just contradicted yourself already and made a poor argument. To say definitely that no absolute truth exists, you are defining subjective truth as absolute truth…

The Common and Weak Arguments of Pro-Choice Unraveled
Mental Health, Life Experience
John Fernandes
Today, I Embraced My Inner Child

There is a trend in psychology going around about understanding and healing your inner child. I have never understood it until today. I think a reason seasonal depression hits me, is it brings back feelings and memories that were uncomfortable or negative for younger me. I sat on social media and observed the “memories” that it had for me for today. That only exacerbated my mood. Lost friends, past failures, broken relationships, etc. Nothing changes if nothing changes, so I took action.

Today, I chose to listen to my inner child. I chose to serve my inner child. I chose to embrace my inner child.

Today, I Embraced My Inner Child
Ministry
John Fernandes
Youth Deserve the Same Opportunity To Worship ...

Picture this. It is Sunday morning. You are attending your Sunday morning church service, yearning to experience God, working to deepen your knowledge of God, and aiming to deepen your relationship with God. You are in the middle of the musical worship portion of the service when people slam through the sanctuary doors with a ruckus. But it doesn’t stop there. They loudly speak to people throughout the congregation. Would you be distracted? I would be. Would it interrupt your worship? It would for me.

Youth Deserve the Same Opportunity To Worship As Adults
Mental Health
John Fernandes
Stages of Change for Leaving A Sinful Lifestyle

The Stages of Change Model is a key tool in addiction counseling and recovery. We can see the Stages of Change model active in more than just recovery from substances, but instead in any type of change we are endeavoring to make. This model even describes when the Holy Spirit starts convicting us for things in our life that are not of God.

Stages of Change for Leaving A Sinful Lifestyle
Mental Health
John Fernandes
Can Christians Say Addiction Is A Disease?

Recently, I have encountered many Christians who say that addiction is not a disease it is purely a matter of choice and self-control. As somebody in recovery and finishing up his Masters in Addiction Counseling, I firmly say that is bologna, and can be a very dangerous and harmful thing to say.

Can Christians Say Addiction Is A Disease?
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New Year, Same Me Please

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New Year, Same Me Please

This year, I experienced freedom for the first time. Freedom from addiction, freedom from shame, freedom from toxic relationships, freedom from self-loathing. I have grown a lot this past year, more than I realized I could grow. I have matured in many different ways. I set boundaries to protect myself and to respect myself. Last year, I was in a deep depression. It had been merely 4 months since my life was turned upside down. It had been only four months since I stopped drinking and self-harming. It had been only four months since I was in the mental hospital. It had been only four months since I was kicked out by the person who I admired the most. In this past year, I had a lot of growing up to do.

Can You Lose Your Salvation?

Can You Lose Your Salvation?

Many know the Church of the Nazarene as the church that believes you can lose your salvation. That is an erroneous oversimplification of a doctrine in the Church of the Nazarene. I think we can all agree that salvation is not like some kind of object that we can misplace or leave somewhere. When you use the phrase “lose your salvation,” you are not understanding the belief that the Church of the Nazarene holds to. In fact, it is a phrase that is not much used in the Church of the Nazarene and other denominations with a Wesleyan theological perspective. The language of “losing” just is not sufficient.

4 Lies Bipolar Depression Tells You About Recovery

4 Lies Bipolar Depression Tells You About Recovery

A journey through recovery from bipolar depression is like surfing on the ocean. There are waves and seasons in life. Sometimes the waves seem higher than you can manage. Sometimes there are no waves and you are just wading in the water. You have to learn how to surf and manage those waves. When you are in the midst of a wave that seems like a juggernaut, your depression starts talking, and talking loudly. It tells you that you are unlovable, a screw up, worthless, and more. Your reality becomes a distorted perspective of reality. Here are some lies my depression tells me when I am surfing a large wave that seems to have no end.

5 Tips For Loving Somebody With Bipolar Depression

5 Tips For Loving Somebody With Bipolar Depression

There are several sources for somebody with Bipolar Depression to learn to love themselves from self-help books to the Bible to therapy to more. However, there are limited sources available for people who love somebody with Bipolar Depression. You could be a family member, a significant other, or a friend and not know how to respond in love to somebody struggling with Bipolar Depression. I know sometimes it is difficult for my family and my girlfriend to know what I need when I am going through an episode, and it is difficult for me to articulate what I need at that moment. Here are some tips for how to love somebody with Bipolar Depression.