Do You Go to Church?

[JohnDB]

Oh yes and I couldn't always go even if I wanted to. I'm just not a huge religious person that's all. I believe (most) everything that everybody else on here believes but I'm more of a spiritual person than a religious person.

Well,
Just as an opinion...
I think that if you were to find a Small Group Bible study, AKA Sunday School and AKA Life Group class of other people your age...you would make some concrete friendships in that class. And it's not like you have too many of those.

 

[stovebolts]

HeIsRisen2018,
Anytime you feel the need to prove your right is an opportunity for Satan to come in and divide us. You can't force your view on others by proving to them your point any more than they can force their views on you by proving their point.

This is why we use scripture as our authority. Without question, there will be disagreements on what it looks like to live out our faith based on how each understands the scripture, but we must try to focus on reconciliation as much as possible.

For me, I get excited most of the time that I get to go to church. But I am not just a pew warmer. Instead, my wife and I are very active in our church and community.

The church is an opportunity for some pretty awesome things to happen that can't be had outside of the congregation. Things that require a healthy community.

For people like yourself, it's possible your not at that place where you've found joy in doing things with other people for other people. As a result, you may not see the mission and the benifit of the true Church.

When you find a great congregation where you can worship together and take communion with the Body of Christ, you may just start to feel the same as some of us that attend church regularly, and enjoy doing so.

 

[stovebolts]

When I do decide to go to church I like both the sermons and the music, and you can't beat the dress code. I go to the contemporary service so I get to just go in my jeans. I go there because I want to and I enjoy it and the people there are extremely nice and loving,.. but it isn't something that I feel like I have to do. It never was for me and it never will be.

Ha, you just dont like the idea of anyone "Telling" you what to do lol!

I dont "have" to go to church. I "Get" to go to church! ;-)

 

[JohnDB]

HeIsRisen2018,
Anytime you feel the need to prove your right is an opportunity for Satan to come in and divide us. You can't force your view on others by proving to them your point any more than they can force their views on you by proving their point.

This is why we use scripture as our authority. Without question, there will be disagreements on what it looks like to live out our faith based on how each understands the scripture, but we must try to focus on reconciliation as much as possible.

For me, I get excited most of the time that I get to go to church. But I am not just a pew warmer. Instead, my wife and I are very active in our church and community.

The church is an opportunity for some pretty awesome things to happen that can't be had outside of the congregation. Things that require a healthy community.

For people like yourself, it's possible your not at that place where you've found joy in doing things with other people for other people. As a result, you may not see the mission and the benifit of the true Church.

When you find a great congregation where you can worship together and take communion with the Body of Christ, you may just start to feel the same as some of us that attend church regularly, and enjoy doing so.

My wife swore up and down she didn't want to go to the same church week in and week out...but she made friends anyway. (I made her go)
Then when we got kicked out of the singles class due to our married status she swore she wasn't going to like the class I picked. (Still forcing her to go)

That was 8 years ago.
Today they are some of her dearest friends. She's so glad I forced her to go. Now she drags me if I'm running late. LOL.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Well,
Just as an opinion...
I think that if you were to find a Small Group Bible study, AKA Sunday School and AKA Life Group class of other people your age...you would make some concrete friendships in that class. And it's not like you have too many of those.

I have been trying to find some activities that my church offers to get involved in. So far nothing has interested me yet, but if something does I probably will volunteer my time into it.

 

[JohnDB]

I have been trying to find some activities that my church offers to get involved in. So far nothing has interested me yet, but if something does I probably will volunteer my time into it.

Small group bible studies are for YOUR benefit. I get nothing from your attendance or lack thereof.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Small group bible studies are for YOUR benefit. I get nothing from your attendance or lack thereof.

Ik, I was talking about different church projects that my church does. I sure hope that you're not taking anything the wrong way. :/

 

[JohnDB]

Ik, I was talking about different church projects that my church does. I sure hope that you're not taking anything the wrong way. :/

No,
I'm giving you suggestions for YOUR benefit. Because at times you have said that you wished you had more friends that you could "hang out with ".
And I was thinking about all the friends my wife has made in our small group classes. (We have kept them all...even those from singles classes)
You don't have to volunteer for projects...but it's nice to do so.
Many projects can be found out about in my small group class.

People have been known to blow off services and just attend small group.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

No,
I'm giving you suggestions for YOUR benefit. Because at times you have said that you wished you had more friends that you could "hang out with ".
And I was thinking about all the friends my wife has made in our small group classes. (We have kept them all...even those from singles classes)
You don't have to volunteer for projects...but it's nice to do so.
Many projects can be found out about in my small group class.

People have been known to blow off services and just attend small group.

I think there are two reasons why I'm being so stubborn about this issue:


1. I was forced to go to school for twelve years or so even though I was basically a bully target both physically and emotionally.


2. At my old church they pretty much had the same attitude that if you weren't there every Sunday they thought that there was something wrong with you, and those dudes were scary and made me think that God was scary. If it wasn't for you, I would still be afraid of Baptists.

 

[WIP]

I have been trying to find some activities that my church offers to get involved in. So far nothing has interested me yet, but if something does I probably will volunteer my time into it.

Sometimes you just need to take that leap and jump in. Can start out small like singing in the choir or helping out at a church fund-raiser. We sponsor an annual pie and ice-cream social and the funds raised are usually given to one of our missions or maybe to support youth group activities. That event takes a few people to organize and produce. Some bake pies, some help serve the goodies, some help with the cleanup, and so on. It's actually quite fun when everyone is pitching in.

 

[JohnDB]

I think there are two reasons why I'm being so stubborn about this issue:


1. I was forced to go to school for twelve years or so even though I was basically a bully target both physically and emotionally.


2. At my old church they pretty much had the same attitude that if you weren't there every Sunday they thought that there was something wrong with you, and those dudes were scary and made me think that God was scary. If it wasn't for you, I would still be afraid of Baptists.

There's a couple of major things here...people went to public schools because of the threat of prison. I go to the church I wish to attend...and if the membership of my church doesn't wish for me to attend I can always find another.

And as far as Baptists go....
Well I got the same thing except mine is for people from a section of Connecticut.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

There's a couple of major things here...people went to public schools because of the threat of prison. I go to the church I wish to attend...and if the membership of my church doesn't wish for me to attend I can always find another.

And as far as Baptists go....
Well I got the same thing except mine is for people from a section of Connecticut.

Wait a second, are you actually saying that you're a Baptist who's afraid of Baptists? I'm sorry but that made me laugh right there.

 

[stovebolts]

My wife swore up and down she didn't want to go to the same church week in and week out...but she made friends anyway. (I made her go)
Then when we got kicked out of the singles class due to our married status she swore she wasn't going to like the class I picked. (Still forcing her to go)

That was 8 years ago.
Today they are some of her dearest friends. She's so glad I forced her to go. Now she drags me if I'm running late. LOL.

Lol, sometimes that's just the way it works lol!

 

[WIP]

When I first joined our congregation I didn't know anyone. Then, once a year we had a congregational meeting where we managed things like election of council officers and mission giving, and other things that the council felt needed to be handled by the full congregation. I began to attend those meetings and the next thing I know I'm asked to serve as a church trustee for a 3-year term. After finding out a little about what that was I decided to accept the nomination. After that I was council chair and then..... well you get the picture. We are a very small congregation so I have served on all council positions over the years. Once you get started it gets in your blood or heart and you keep going.

 

[WIP]

The point that I think comes from this is that belonging to a church congregation is more than just warming a pew on Sunday morning. It's a family of believers and family members are more than just people. They are family.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

The point that I think comes from this is that belonging to a church congregation is more than just warming a pew on Sunday morning. It's a family of believers and family members are more than just people. They are family.

Ik that I'm probably going to wind up dodging tomatoes here when I say this but I already was discussing this with Book Keeper earlier today. The fact of the matter is that we are ALL God's children therefore we are all one big family. Whether you are Christian, Jewish, Mormon, or He loves us all and Jesus died for every single one of us so we should all love each other and respect each other regardless of our individual beliefs.

 

[WIP]

Ik that I'm probably going to wind up dodging tomatoes here when I say this but I already was discussing this with Book Keeper earlier today. The fact of the matter is that we are ALL God's children therefore we are all one big family. Whether you are Christian, Jewish, Mormon, or He loves us all and Jesus died for every single one of us so we should all love each other and respect each other regardless of our individual beliefs.

Family interacts with family. If not, they become estranged.

 

[for_his_glory]

I have been trying to find some activities that my church offers to get involved in. So far nothing has interested me yet, but if something does I probably will volunteer my time into it.

These need to be the activities of the Church and if it's not then I would challenge them to do that which Jesus said to do as we all need to be a part of His ministry. These are the things we must be involved with in our time and effort. These are the works of Christ while on this earth and left to us to continue in that others will see the light of Christ shine through us.

Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Family interacts with family. If not, they become estranged.

And I do interact. I am very sociable.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

These need to be the activities of the Church and if it's not then I would challenge them to do that which Jesus said to do as we all need to be a part of His ministry. These are the things we must be involved with in our time and effort. These are the works of Christ while on this earth and left to us to continue in that others will see the light of Christ shine through us.

Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

What do you mean the activities of the church? We have fundraisers and going out and doing stuff for people to help them. Isn't loving and helping each other out what Jesus taught and was all about?