Where Are You In Your Faith?

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bobinfaith

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Good morning, brothers and sisters;

I've read many threads and posts at Christian Forum Site on various Christian topics. Many members express their knowledge, Scriptures, experiences, thoughts and opinions forming a bond with other members who log on daily, while other members may only visit occasionally.

I have a question and it's open for anyone who wants to share their testimony, and no judgment toward anyone who may be hesitant about opening up.

In your current life;

Do you witness to others in your community?

Do you have conversations offline with other people about your faith?

Do you attend a Bible study?

Do you regularly watch Christian videos, listen to praise music and sermons online while receiving Biblical learning?

Do you attend a Church?

Overall, where are you in your daily walk with Jesus?

I speak often with others in our community and have conversations about my faith. Not everyone is interested and I'm aware.

I attend two Bible studies each week. The first one I attend are led by Bible study teachers who are 80 and 86. I'm the youngest (69 years old) and the rest are in their 70s, 80s, and one brother is 91. The second one I attend are those in their 20s and 30s. The Bible study teacher is in his mid 30s and I'm the eldest.

Many of you know my wife and I attend Church. After 6 years (post COVID) our Church is rebuilding and well, it's a lot of work.

I've been a member at Christian Forum Site since 2010 but didn't get more involved until 2017.


I'm old school and don't really watch Christian videos, listen to sermons online but I do enjoy praise and worship videos when I have time.

God bless everyone and your families.

Bob
 
Hi Bob,

Interesting question.

Now I do witness in our community especially where relationship have developed. I also like to talk to the JW`s who stand at a street corner waiting for people to talk to them. After I have talked with someone and know the Lord would have me pray, I do after I ask them.

Bible Study. I do that with different ones in different towns around here. I mentor them and now they are mentoring/discipling others. One of the ladies has started a Bible Study of my blogs in her town on request of some other ladies. I appreciate this as I don`t have the energy to go over to her town. She will visit me at times though where we fellowship, study, share and pray.

I don`t watch videos of church organizations except to now and then get an idea of what is being taught.

Since I am one of the `called out ones,` (church, body of Christ) I don`t have to go to a public meeting run by an organization. Instead we, hubby and I meet with other believers, encourage, pray and share God`s word.

In my daily walk I am letting `God be God,` and appreciate I am His child. I settle myself and rejoice that God is doing His wonderful work in me - highlighting when I need to repent of something, giving me wisdom for something I need, etc. Mainly rejoicing and praising God - less stressed about things.

I agree, so good to stir the heart with good praise and worship songs, hymns.
 
bobinfaith said:
Good morning, brothers and sisters;

I've read many threads and posts at Christian Forum Site on various Christian topics. Many members express their knowledge, Scriptures, experiences, thoughts and opinions forming a bond with other members who log on daily, while other members may only visit occasionally.

I have a question and it's open for anyone who wants to share their testimony, and no judgment toward anyone who may be hesitant about opening up.

In your current life;

Do you witness to others in your community?

Do you have conversations offline with other people about your faith?

Do you attend a Bible study?

Do you regularly watch Christian videos, listen to praise music and sermons online while receiving Biblical learning?

Do you attend a Church?

Overall, where are you in your daily walk with Jesus?

I speak often with others in our community and have conversations about my faith. Not everyone is interested and I'm aware.

I attend two Bible studies each week. The first one I attend are led by Bible study teachers who are 80 and 86. I'm the youngest (69 years old) and the rest are in their 70s, 80s, and one brother is 91. The second one I attend are those in their 20s and 30s. The Bible study teacher is in his mid 30s and I'm the eldest.

Many of you know my wife and I attend Church. After 6 years (post COVID) our Church is rebuilding and well, it's a lot of work.

I've been a member at Christian Forum Site since 2010 but didn't get more involved until 2017.


I'm old school and don't really watch Christian videos, listen to sermons online but I do enjoy praise and worship videos when I have time.

God bless everyone and your families.

Bob
Click to expand...
Hi again Bob,

I thought these two questions were needed also.

1. Are you making disciples and teaching them...?

2. And are you helping your disciples to disciple others?

eg. Paul - Timothy - faithful men - others... (2 Tim. 2: 2)
 
Marilyn C said:
Hi Bob,

Interesting question.

Now I do witness in our community especially where relationship have developed. I also like to talk to the JW`s who stand at a street corner waiting for people to talk to them. After I have talked with someone and know the Lord would have me pray, I do after I ask them.

Bible Study. I do that with different ones in different towns around here. I mentor them and now they are mentoring/discipling others. One of the ladies has started a Bible Study of my blogs in her town on request of some other ladies. I appreciate this as I don`t have the energy to go over to her town. She will visit me at times though where we fellowship, study, share and pray.

I don`t watch videos of church organizations except to now and then get an idea of what is being taught.

Since I am one of the `called out ones,` (church, body of Christ) I don`t have to go to a public meeting run by an organization. Instead we, hubby and I meet with other believers, encourage, pray and share God`s word.

In my daily walk I am letting `God be God,` and appreciate I am His child. I settle myself and rejoice that God is doing His wonderful work in me - highlighting when I need to repent of something, giving me wisdom for something I need, etc. Mainly rejoicing and praising God - less stressed about things.

I agree, so good to stir the heart with good praise and worship songs, hymns.
Click to expand...
Marilyn C said:
Hi again Bob,

I thought these two questions were needed also.

1. Are you making disciples and teaching them...?

2. And are you helping your disciples to disciple others?

eg. Paul - Timothy - faithful men - others... (2 Tim. 2: 2)
Click to expand...
Good morning, Marilyn;

God bless you for your response and your witness to the JWs. I continue to speak with Muslims, more so than I did 10 years ago.

The list of questions are various fundamental applications of becoming a Christian disciple but the objective is, where are we in our faith?

The extra two questions should be in the mix but I'd like to address that separately.

Christian videos, listening to praise music and sermons online while receiving Biblical learning has long become the norm in digital evangelism with most ages, especially the millennials (30-45 years old.) I've begun to see that digital evangelism has become an important reason people might continue to worship God at all.

But to be truthful, has digital evangelism merely become a convenience? Has our faith as a whole become an inconvenience to get out there in the community? Is it easier to just turn on the computer?

Here's an example of inconvenience. We attend Church on Sundays at 11am. I was also a guest preacher at a Church for 4 weeks while their pastor was healing from surgery. This Church has existed for 26 years and has all the reasons (being aware of their past) one would not want to attend this Church. Their service is supposed to begin at 4pm and end at 6pm, but each week it started 1 1/2 hours late. I wouldn't leave until almost 8pm and by the time I got home was tired.

Yes, it was an inconvenience but the same members who have been going there all these years yearned to praise the Lord and loved the fellowship. I questioned my faith, and had to let go of self and remember I was serving the Lord by delivering His message to His broken flock.

Has the Lord become an inconvenience? Do we desire an easier way to grow in our faith in these times?

God bless everyone.

Bob
 
Weak, to be honest. I have been fighting some health problems. Nothing horrible, just small stuff.
I have complete faith in God. Jesus, not so much. I used to, without question. But over the past few years. It has worn down to just an afterthought.
Jesus was always a rest and recovery thought. But that is gone. I think the world wore it away.
 
bobinfaith said:
Good morning, Marilyn;



Here's an example of inconvenience. We attend Church on Sundays at 11am. I was also a guest preacher at a Church for 4 weeks while their pastor was healing from surgery. This Church has existed for 26 years and has all the reasons (being aware of their past) one would not want to attend this Church. Their service is supposed to begin at 4pm and end at 6pm, but each week it started 1 1/2 hours late. I wouldn't leave until almost 8pm and by the time I got home was tired.



God bless everyone.

Bob
Click to expand...
Hi Bob,

When I was married, 40 years ago, my hubby had a farm and raised cattle. You can imagine early morning feeding out hay, checking for calves, etc. Still we decided to travel over an hour every Sunday to a Church meeting and stay all day. People would have us for lunch and then we`d go to the evening service and not get home till about 10.00 pm.

One time we found some of the cows had gotten out and were in our vegie patch and around the clothes line. Another time the bull was out and across the road. Some of the `fun` we had. However we appreciated the learning time in that fellowship.

Eventually we decided to go local and joined an Anglican fellowship after being invited to help them with their music. Hubby was made the warden (elder) to the minister, and I led the music team and took a ladies group. Many meetings and good fellowship finally came to an end when we decided to wind down and just disciple others. This has been a great learning curve and blessing as over the years as our disciples now are discipling others and teaching them.
 
CranberryArtworks said:
Weak, to be honest. I have been fighting some health problems. Nothing horrible, just small stuff.
I have complete faith in God. Jesus, not so much. I used to, without question. But over the past few years. It has worn down to just an afterthought.
Jesus was always a rest and recovery thought. But that is gone. I think the world wore it away.
Click to expand...

Hello CranberryArtworks;

Hang in there where you are in your faith today. That always remains a good start. Circumstances in many of our lives arrive at those questions to God about Jesus' role in Christianity.

How could we say such a thing?!? But it happens.

You have always been pretty open. Is there a time in your life's experience that you arrived and was led to question Jesus' role? If you prefer not to answer I respect that.

God bless you, Nelson.

Bob
 
bobinfaith said:
Good morning, brothers and sisters;

I've read many threads and posts at Christian Forum Site on various Christian topics. Many members express their knowledge, Scriptures, experiences, thoughts and opinions forming a bond with other members who log on daily, while other members may only visit occasionally.

I have a question and it's open for anyone who wants to share their testimony, and no judgment toward anyone who may be hesitant about opening up.

In your current life;

Do you witness to others in your community?

Do you have conversations offline with other people about your faith?

Do you attend a Bible study?

Do you regularly watch Christian videos, listen to praise music and sermons online while receiving Biblical learning?

Do you attend a Church?

Overall, where are you in your daily walk with Jesus?

I speak often with others in our community and have conversations about my faith. Not everyone is interested and I'm aware.

I attend two Bible studies each week. The first one I attend are led by Bible study teachers who are 80 and 86. I'm the youngest (69 years old) and the rest are in their 70s, 80s, and one brother is 91. The second one I attend are those in their 20s and 30s. The Bible study teacher is in his mid 30s and I'm the eldest.

Many of you know my wife and I attend Church. After 6 years (post COVID) our Church is rebuilding and well, it's a lot of work.

I've been a member at Christian Forum Site since 2010 but didn't get more involved until 2017.


I'm old school and don't really watch Christian videos, listen to sermons online but I do enjoy praise and worship videos when I have time.

God bless everyone and your families.

Bob
Click to expand...
That is a good and honest question. I would say my walk with Jesus is not where I want it to be, but it is not where it used to be either. I am still growing, still being corrected by the Word, and still learning what it means to follow Christ day by day.

My wife and I spend time in Scripture together, and that has become a steady part of our lives. The Bible is not just something to read so we can say we read it. It is where God exposes us, corrects us, strengthens us, and points us back to Christ. Jesus said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” ~John 17:17.

A lot of my witnessing is online through Bible discussions, forum posts, and writing. My desire is to point people back to what Scripture actually says. Not tradition. Not opinion. Not religious noise. Just the Word of God rightly handled. We live in a time where many people have church language, but not Bible grounding.

Offline, I do look for opportunities to speak about Christ when the door opens. I will be honest, I still need to grow there. It is one thing to type truth behind a screen. It is another thing to speak it across a table, in a store, or in daily life. But Jesus did not call us to hide the light. He said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid” ~Matthew 5:14.

As for church attendance, my wife and I have had some difficulty finding a faithful local assembly where Scripture is handled rightly. I do believe believers need fellowship, encouragement, correction, and accountability. The Bible says we are not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together” ~Hebrews 10:25. But I also believe we need to be clear: sitting in a building does not automatically mean someone is walking with God. The church is the people of God, and the real question is whether Christ is being honored and His Word is being obeyed.

So overall, I would say I am pressing on. I have not arrived. I still need grace. I still need correction. I still need growth. But I know who I belong to, and I know where I need to keep my eyes.

Paul said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” ~Philippians 3:14. That is the road I want to stay on. Not perfect, but pressing. Not finished, but following. Not trusting myself, but trusting Christ.
 
I have what I call a "thing"; my ongoing one-way conversation with the Lord a good portion of everyday.
He knows where my heart is as I randomly pray for others, and profess my faith.
We all can participate and be much more active in study and in our communities.

The associated depression that comes with ankylosing spondylitis symptoms can be disabling on many days.
Working on me is a lifelong process as I try to remain as positive as I can, while in constant pain.
I look forward to the day the Lord sets me free, and I can dance in heaven :)
 
thenami said:
I have what I call a "thing"; my ongoing one-way conversation with the Lord a good portion of everyday.
He knows where my heart is as I randomly pray for others, and profess my faith.
We all can participate and be much more active in study and in our communities.

The associated depression that comes with ankylosing spondylitis symptoms can be disabling on many days.
Working on me is a lifelong process as I try to remain as positive as I can, while in constant pain.
I look forward to the day the Lord sets me free, and I can dance in heaven :)
Click to expand...
Hi thenami,

I will pray that the pain lessens, and you find more relief. Not long now I believe.
 
Marilyn C said:
Hi Bob,

When I was married, 40 years ago, my hubby had a farm and raised cattle. You can imagine early morning feeding out hay, checking for calves, etc. Still we decided to travel over an hour every Sunday to a Church meeting and stay all day. People would have us for lunch and then we`d go to the evening service and not get home till about 10.00 pm. One time we found some of the cows had gotten out and were in our vegie patch and around the clothes line. Another time the bull was out and across the road. Some of the `fun` we had. However we appreciated the learning time in that fellowship.
Click to expand...

Marilyn C said:
Eventually we decided to go local and joined an Anglican fellowship after being invited to help them with their music. Hubby was made the warden (elder) to the minister, and I led the music team and took a ladies group. Many meetings and good fellowship finally came to an end when we decided to wind down and just disciple others. This has been a great learning curve and blessing as over the years as our disciples now are discipling others and teaching them.
Click to expand...
bdavidc said:
That is a good and honest question. I would say my walk with Jesus is not where I want it to be, but it is not where it used to be either. I am still growing, still being corrected by the Word, and still learning what it means to follow Christ day by day.

My wife and I spend time in Scripture together, and that has become a steady part of our lives. The Bible is not just something to read so we can say we read it. It is where God exposes us, corrects us, strengthens us, and points us back to Christ. Jesus said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” ~John 17:17.
Click to expand...
bdavidc said:
A lot of my witnessing is online through Bible discussions, forum posts, and writing. My desire is to point people back to what Scripture actually says. Not tradition. Not opinion. Not religious noise. Just the Word of God rightly handled. We live in a time where many people have church language, but not Bible grounding.
Click to expand...

bdavidc said:
Offline, I do look for opportunities to speak about Christ when the door opens. I will be honest, I still need to grow there. It is one thing to type truth behind a screen. It is another thing to speak it across a table, in a store, or in daily life. But Jesus did not call us to hide the light. He said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid” ~Matthew 5:14.
Click to expand...

bdavidc said:
As for church attendance, my wife and I have had some difficulty finding a faithful local assembly where Scripture is handled rightly. I do believe believers need fellowship, encouragement, correction, and accountability. The Bible says we are not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together” ~Hebrews 10:25. But I also believe we need to be clear: sitting in a building does not automatically mean someone is walking with God. The church is the people of God, and the real question is whether Christ is being honored and His Word is being obeyed.
Click to expand...

bdavidc said:
So overall, I would say I am pressing on. I have not arrived. I still need grace. I still need correction. I still need growth. But I know who I belong to, and I know where I need to keep my eyes. Paul said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” ~Philippians 3:14. That is the road I want to stay on. Not perfect, but pressing. Not finished, but following. Not trusting myself, but trusting Christ.
Click to expand...

Hello Marilyn and bdavidc;
Your good posts minister to many readers as well as myself. My problem for years was the "realm" of ministry where I served. I tended to put a fence around it. Then I learned I was limiting God. Examples,

Marilyn, I experienced a Christian community in a rural town in California, Missouri, South Carolina or a province in other countries such as Asia or Central America. The believers tended to the farm, cows, corn field at 4am, come in for breakfast and then get back to work. In other countries the pig or chickens were slaughtered early in the morning. Witnessing to the community in a rural area is different from witnessing in the suburbs, or the concrete of the big city.

bdavidc, online ministry, or digital evangelism has grown in proportions compared to lets say 25 - 30 years ago. I can't give a percentage in today's time, but it is much higher. I'm referring to the serious Christian seeking growth within digital evangelism, or online faith sharing. It's not to be taken lightly. Has anyone been online and in the thick of a serious Bible discussion turn into a round a bout debate, disagreement, twisting and spinning talking points in the mix while keeping a gentle heart? This can be exhausting.

I personally am learning God's resources for ministry, witnessing and teaching are indeed unlimited and sharing the Gospel has expanded, fast. Therefore, we can't expect to master our area of ministry but stay within our capacity and allow God to grow us, slowly but surely. What matters is getting the Truth out, honoring Christ and remaining steadfast.

1 Corinthians 15:58, 58 Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. - HCSB

Galatians 6:9, 9 So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. - HCSB

God bless everyone.

Bob




 
thenami said:
I have what I call a "thing"; my ongoing one-way conversation with the Lord a good portion of everyday.
He knows where my heart is as I randomly pray for others, and profess my faith.
We all can participate and be much more active in study and in our communities.

The associated depression that comes with ankylosing spondylitis symptoms can be disabling on many days.
Working on me is a lifelong process as I try to remain as positive as I can, while in constant pain.
I look forward to the day the Lord sets me free, and I can dance in heaven :)
Click to expand...

Hello thenami;

In my last post I made a point about online faith sharing. I don't know how I got involved with Christian fellowship on the internet but had I never bothered, I would not have ever known you, Alphabet Soup Garden Varieties, Haiku for All and how to pray for you daily.

Many posts from these two forums have ministered to me and I thank God you introduced them.

I'm praying God will cover you with relief from those days of discomfort and pain.

Bob
 
Thank you bobinfaith, and Marilyn C for the prayers. I thank our Father in the name of His Son Jesus Christ with all my heart,
for everyone here. This site has evolved into a special place for me through Gods great mercy, forgiveness, love and grace.
It is my sanctuary for poetic self expression, as I read others of self examination, and with determination for the enrichment of those reading.
Might my introspective reflections shine bright on these pages, as I continue to learn and grow through this beautiful online ministry.
I might not always be understood, but I do enjoy sharing my heart. Maybe a few souls read something that helped them somehow.
Maybe my poetry sparked a special memory, added some happiness, evoked prayer, or made someone not feel so alone in this world.

Peace happiness and love to all ox'
Might the Lord grant me some rest tonight. Its been a tough one.
 
BibleLover said:
I can't honestly and objectively say "where I am" in my faith journey right now, but I can guarantee where I WILL BE--(Romans 8:29).
Click to expand...

Good morning, BibleLover;

You have always shared encouraging and Bible knowledge posts. Thank you for your honesty.

I catch myself saying, "I'm exactly where the Lord has me." But how do I really know? Something I need to think about.

God bless you, John.

Bob
 
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