Born Again

Hey Jen- I know exactly how you feel. My membership currently resides with a Baptist church- this church, like all but one Baptist church I've ever been to, is DEAD. The preacher preaches on things people want to hear, not what they need to hear. You can look around and see the joy on peoples faces (please sense the sarcasm here ) There are no hands raised, no clapping along or dancing- no joy. There are only a handful of people in that church that are on FIRE. It's extremely discouraging. Then, on the opposite side of the spectrum, I attend a church 1 1/2 hours away on days I don't have to work. It's incredible! The worship service is exhilarating, the sermon is bold and truthful and you can see the joy on the people's faces. Can you guess which one I prefer? Unfortunately, with my job, I'm not able to go there as much as I can. Pray about your church- especially pray for the leaders. Pray about where you need to be- maybe God is leading you to another church home? You should go to a church that meets your needs on every level- one that is challenging and fun, not one that is boring and complacent. And believe me when I say, this is for my own edification as well, since it's something I've been struggling with for a while. God will give you the answer you need- He's GOOD like that :il: I'll be praying for you sis- keep us updated, ok? God Bless Love in Him- Shannon

I'm not surprised to see it is a Baptist church! No offense to you Baptists out there (my membership currently resides with one), but Baptists can't get together without food!

Excellent post! This is something that I used to struggle with (and sometimes still do). I was so cautious of how others perceived me, and I would beat myself up over things I said and did. But one day as I was sitting in my car about to head to work, I prayed and told God that from that day forward I was going to change my attitude with His help,of course. Since them, He has opened up opportunities for me to share my faith with non-believers and believers alike. He continues to bless my life more and more. :il:

Check your local churches- many of them will have an Halloween alternative- for example, my church hosts a fall festival on Halloween night. They play Christian games, bob for apples, give out candy, etc.- and it's open to the public. It's a great opportunity to fellowship and share the Gospel with non-believers!

I just can't get over the thread title! Did you get that from a song, Jedi?

Just thinking of this thread is making me itch!

I used to have dreams about the Rapture and being left behind all the time. In my personal experience, I believe it was another conviction of the Holy Spirit- I had them all the time before I was born again. God spoke to me in a dream, more or less telling me to get my life on track. I knew the error of my ways, but chose to ignore Him. Boy was I stupid! Thank God for His Patience! Again that was my personal experience, not necessarily what's happening with you. His gave excellent advice! Search your heart and lay it all before the Lord- He'll give you the answer. God Bless

Or if it's really unbearable, you can just slap yourself silly... then pretty soon, you forget about the itch Hey- it's works for me! Love you sis! :hug:

I really like Burberry London- it smells fantastic, not to mention it's very classic. I don't know if it's the most popular, but it's one of my favorite scents! :oww:

I see God's hand woking through your parents. His wisdom brought you to Christ. Prase God. Very good name to give to a girl. Thanks! Last I heard, one of my sisters wanted to name her baby (when she has one ) Shannon. Not necessarily because of me, but because she likes the name! Anyone who knows me, knows that we don't need another one of me in the world! Can I get a witness?

My favorite "rock" group is Kutless- but I normally listen to praise and worship music :il:

I chose "Born Again" because I was born again on March 1st of this year! My real name is Shannon, which I think means "Godly Wisdom"- last time I checked! My dad chose that name for me

OMgosh, I know you didn't mean that to be funny, but I am ROTFL here! What else are sisters for??? No really- it is funny! Deb always says that was her first witnessing experience! My sisters are bad!

Excellent thread Jake It's easy to love our friends and family, but what about complete strangers? Do you ever find yourself looking at a stranger and getting mad at them for cutting you off in traffic, being rude, etc? It's easy for me to struggle with that with customers at my job- anyone that works with the public could probably agree. But, if our eyes are focused on Jesus, you look at others in a different light. You see through eternal eyes, rather than temporal eyes. It brings soul-winning to a whole new level and perspective! Look through the circumstances and see the soul for what it really is... a Saint or another lost soul that needs Jesus as his/her Savior. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

Born again at age 24 Not too long ago!

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 Don't give in girl! That's the devil tempting you! Don't give him a stronghold!! We are talking about you, I assume?

That's great Kelli! :hug:

It depends on where I go to church! If I go to the church where my membership currently resides, I go at 8:30- if I go where I want to go, it starts at 10:45, but it takes me almost 2 hours to get there. Unfortunately though, I can't go to church every Sunday, because I work in retail (as a manager) and I'm required to work some Sundays

I want to lift up the moderators today- God bless you my brothers and sisters in Christ. Your decisions are Spirit led and your fruits are evident. You speak with truth and grace, and aren't afraid to keep us in line, or hold us accountable. You all are faithful servants and true vessels of God. You have blessed my life tremendously. My prayer is that He continues to pour His Blessings out to each of you. Love in Him- Shannon :hug:

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. Hebrews 3:12-14

I was having the same probelm too, so I checked to see if Photobucket was down (many people save their graphics there), but it is up and running! Maybe someone who is more computer literate than myself could help us out!

You're exactly right Daisy! BTW- Daisy, FrenchPhenom and scrambled_brain- Welcome to Worthy! Be blessed! We all see lukewarm Christians everyday- and I know because I used to be one! It's very sad and very scary at the same time, because the word says in Revelation 3:16, God spits them out of His mouth.

Before a decision is made, you should look at their fruits- that's the deciding factor. I've seen many Christians, who have been a believer for decades have less fruits than one who has been a Christian for 6 months.