Who Made God, Anyway?: And Other Questions: Straight from Teens’ Hearts Answers: Straight from the Holy Bible Explanations: Straight Talk to Inspire Godly Living

By Portia Turner Merriweather

Christian teenagers often face a variety of challenges in life that prompt introspective questions about faith and God’s role in their lives. Buoyed by the belief the answer to every spiritual and secular question can be found in the Holy Bible, Portia Turner Merriweather asked teens to submit their most perplexing questions to test her theory.

Within an easy-to-understand resource, Merriweather utilizes a modified scientific method to investigate the Bible, prove her hypothesis, and ultimately provide the answers to seventy challenging questions posed by teens such as “Can I be sure of my salvation?” and “What is the purpose of life?” or “How bad can vaping be?” and “Why does God allow suffering?” After each question, Merriweather shares biblical answers and concise explanations that invite teens to apply scripture as inspiration to not only solve daily challenges, but also build a solid foundation created from God’s Word.

Who Made God, Anyway? is a spiritual guide for teens that inspires godly living while providing clear, biblical answers to seventy introspective questions about faith and life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664200128

Portia Turner Merriweather

With many decades as a Sunday school teacher and seminary and Bible study student, thirty-eight years as an English teacher of both middle and high schoolers in city and county public schools, plus sixteen years as a grandmother, Portia Turner Merriweather feels prepared, positioned, and privileged for the mission of training young Christians to seek biblical answers to all their questions. This book gives them one easy to understand resource to consult when questions about life confound them. Since these questions were submitted by teens or those representing them, they exemplify actual areas of concern for them. Now, instead of reacting as the world dictates with its often misleading and destructive practices, Christian teens are equipped to apply scripture and to start building a solid biblical foundation. Portia Turner Merriweather has used her skills as a teacher to write another resource for Christians, this time especially for teenagers. Her first book, Nuggets to Nourish Your Soul, was written for both new and mature Christians. Portia and her husband, Anthony, have a combined family of five grown children and fifteen grandchildren and share homes in Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia.

Book preview

THE SEVENTY

TEST QUESTIONS

Question:

WHO MADE GOD?

Biblical answer:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8:)

Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. (Psalm 90:1–2)

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40:28)

Explanation:

No one made God. He has always existed. He is the Beginning (Alpha); He is the End (Omega). God is the Supreme Creator. Everything that exists was created by Him. He is eternal—everlasting. God is sovereign. God is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipresent (present everywhere), and omnipotent (all-powerful). God is the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Though a mystery to us and unsearchable, scripture teaches and Christians believe that God has existed from everlasting to everlasting.

Question:

WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SUFFERING?

Biblical answer:

But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. (1 Peter 5:10)

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18)

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2 Corinthians 4:17)

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

Explanation:

Scripture gives us some reasons why God allows suffering. The most important purpose may be to build our faith. The Word assures us that after we suffer awhile, God will restore and strengthen us.

Also, when bad things happen, we should turn in confidence to the Lord, who promised that this affliction is temporary—a short time when viewed through eternity. He may remove the pain while we are alive or not until that glorious day in eternity when all pain, disease, and sickness will be destroyed. Then, God Himself will wipe away all tears. Even if sin has caused the suffering, repentance will restore us.

Another explanation may be so we can recall that Jesus, who also suffered, made it plain that we would experience tribulation in this world. So, we have a choice to make. We can choose to dwell on the suffering and blame God, or we can trust God to go with us through the sickness, disease, or hard time and use it for His glory and our good.

Question:

ARE THERE MANY WAYS

TO COME TO GOD?

Biblical answer:

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)

Explanation:

No, the Bible unapologetically states that Jesus is the one and only way to come to God. As Christians, we believe this Truth. It is the foundational belief of our faith. We will not entertain any idea or theory that negates God’s Word. God wrote the Bible to teach us all about His Son, Jesus, and His great sacrifice in our behalf. We believe that Jesus alone saved us. That settles it. No further discussion is