Gid, I hate to say this, but maybe this is one of the reasons that you keep having problems with people in your town. You want others to do things you aren't willing to do. About your "rule." I think the better rule is "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I understand that you are just blogging and that most of this stuff isn't serious, but, I'm just a concerned friend and I really do care.
More and more I am disturbed with the lack of difference that "Christians" show in their lives. "Difference" means that they show a true change and separation from the ways of the world. This includes choice of words, topics, and general way of living. As I have read blogs, talked with different people, and studied the culture we live in, I am amazed at the lack of
I'll admit, I've never been poor. I've never gone without a meal (even if someone else brought it), I've always had a roof over my head (even if someone else provided it), I've never had to go without clothing (even though...well, hopefully you get the idea.) I'll agree that there is genuine poverty in America, but not what I would call hopeless poverty; poverty with no hope of help. We have it easy. Even you, Gid, have it easy when compared to cou
Love is the foundation of our faith. We are commanded to love the Lord and each other. Without love, everything we are or claim to be crumbles. So, here is the problem. There is a difference between blind love and unconditional love. Blind love says, "I will let you do whatever you want to do (even if it is wrong and will hurt you)." Unconditional love says, "I
Gid - I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "professing Christians." I don't think that most of the people who think they are Christians truly are! Jesus said, "you will know them by the fruit they produce." If these people aren't producing fruit, what does it say? Now the problem comes in this: we can't be the ones to judge them and convince them, the Holy Spirit must be doing this. We can only pray for these people. And per
I just got off the phone with an elderly lady whose name we were given as someone needing a church home. I contacted her to see if we could come by and visit her tonight. Her reply: “No way. I don’t want to have anything to do with that church. It’s full of hypocrites.” It amazes me how easily people are to dismiss a church for “hypo
Thanks KFC - I agree that the church needs to be built up. I think our pastor feels that too. He has changed his ministry a lot this year; spending more time in the homes of the congregation, leading discipleship class for new believers in the church, reaching out to those who have been hurt by the church. I worry sometimes that he is spending so much time on this alone. We have no other staff and, as you have read, our people (with the exception o
I just finished reading an article about the fact that most churches have a large percentage of their role which they cannot find. Yikes! But it's true: In our little rural church, we have 500 people on role, but only have 75 people on average. Where is everyone?!!! The article talks about the days when church attendance was well OVER the membership, bec
If you have ever read John 1:41, you will find an example for all Christians to follow: reach out to those closest to you and bring them to Jesus. In this ever-changing world, plans are developed and discarded every day for ways to effectively reach people with the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, the more plans we make, the
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