All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

WHAT ARE WE HEARING IN CHURCH?

A question that I have wanted to ask my friends here on AAG---What are you hearing in church?

We often wonder why people are either not coming to God or why they are dropping away from the church?

Could it be what they are hearing when they go to church?

Are they hearing the "good news" or are they hearing hellfire and damnation?

Are they hearing the Grace of God or are they hearing the laws of God?

Are preachers preaching to draw people or to throw away their chance of eternal life?

A couple weeks ago, when I attended church, the pastor preached hellfire and damnation. I excused myself and left before the sermon really got started. My actions made me think about why I had reacted as I did. Why?

Because I think people need to hear the Gospel and not the Law. Simple as that.

I am interested in hearing how you rate your pastor. Is he preaching to draw people or to keep them away?

I have heard much criticism of *prosperity* preaching, BUT---God actually does want us to prosper.

Blessings as you ponder this topic!

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on March 21, 2011 at 6:12am

Beloved Rita -

I love you, I really do and with the brotherly love I have for you I tell you today beloved that your reason for being in that church must drastically change. It can be inclusive of what you have expressed but not the primary reason. Build up and edify beloved - DO NOT GROW WEARY OF DOING RIGHT - Turn pastor over to Christ and be a blessing to all those God allows you to impact by the power of love and prayer. I know you know this and believe it and by no means am I saying you are not doing that already. I have no idea what you are doing but trust you are praying and loving them, I am simply reminding you not to get weary of believing and loving... which you already know, but I do not find it burdensome to remind you of these things :)

Love and blessings to you.

Ephesians 3

¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

>>maybe there is yet a remedy. I continue to study God's Word, and to continually learn from what I study.

Amen my Sister.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rita Cullimore on March 22, 2011 at 5:14am

Thanks for your reply, David.

I'm not sure I belong anywhere else is the reason I haven't left there. These people are family. They need all the guidance I can be for them, if that is what I am. I think they are still *sleeping* and I'm trying to wake them up. Will they be aroused? Only God knows. Time will tell. Until then, I guess I continue to keep on keeping on. Hanging out here at AAG and studying God's Word as much as I can, growing in the Lord.

Blessings to you, brother, in the Name of the Lord...

Rita

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on March 17, 2011 at 6:17pm

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Carla on March 17, 2011 at 8:36pm

Hi Rita,

The church i attend used to be more seeker friendly, because of that the message of 'hellfire' was not included...at the time i contemplated leaving the church, because i knew something was missing. We are a very large church..as a matter of fact, we are so large that we break into home groups throughout the week, because we are simply too large to experience proper fellowship on Sunday morning. The teaching Pastor used to preach God's Grace more, now, He is moving to a more balanced message...which i am personally very happy to see. He is presently finishing up a series called 'License to Sin'.. the emphasis is on how we cannot take advantage of God's Grace... God's Grace is not at all a license to sin. The first day of the series they handed out cardboard licenses to sin..on the reverse side it said 'Revoked'. It's a balanced message which challenges me and stretches me. My church is experiencing increased spiritual warfare because of the challenging messages being preached, this is one of the things we discuss in our home group and have an increased coverage of prayer over the church and the Pastors and their families. The balanced message is getting out... you can check it out if you want to..it's a very non-traditional church. The messages are posted as podcasts weekly, and you can view them through itunes. Let me know if you are interested and I will send you the link. Presently, I am away with my family in Florida on vacation.. The podcasts are very easy to view, and convenient, especially if I happen to be travelling.

WHAT ARE WE HEARING IN CHURCH?

Replies to This Discussion

The Good News

Meet Face-to-Face & Collaborate