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Discipling

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  • #16
    Originally posted by Dave L View Post
    Edited by a Moderator
    We have quite a number of Churches, some Baptist but most Bible Churches, who do, in fact, have discipleship programs. Ours is based on 2 Timothy 2:2.

    While "discipleship" is obviously not as prevalent as it should be, I don't believe it's correct to say "no disciples today".
    Last edited by Bill the Cat; 01-12-2022, 10:12 AM.
    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

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    • #17
      Originally posted by Thoughtful Monk View Post
      A short update on my efforts at self-discipling.

      My wife and I are doing better at praying together. Also, we're beginning to pray more for needs of others than just our daily bread.

      Neither of us are reading the Bible like we should.

      Haven't started work on finding a missionary to support.

      Given my wife's fear of Covid, not expecting to start looking for a church home until April.

      Thanks.
      A simple suggestion.... (maybe I said this before)

      In addition to whatever Bible Reading Program you may use, I like to suggest the "Proverbs for the Day". (I made that up)

      Basically, whatever the date is (today is the 12th) you read that chapter of Proverbs -- Chapter 12.

      If you forget, or get out of the habit, you simply look at the date, read that chapter, and get back on course.

      Pray that God will give you understanding, but don't worry if it doesn't come right away - just be faithful in reading.
      The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

      Comment


      • #18
        My wife was recently connected on Facebook with a friend from the church we got married in. On the theory of if she likes her church, we have a good chance of liking it, too, we asked where she went to church. Couldn't make it this week but were able to connect to the streaming Sunday service. We both liked what we could see on the service. We're going to try to get there next Sunday.

        Praying this is where God wants us to be at this time - both to serve and be served.

        (PS: I don't like using 'like' in the above but it's the best I can come up with. It implies we view church as entertainment and that's not where either of us are at.)
        "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

        "Theology can be an intellectual entertainment." Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

        Comment


        • #19
          Originally posted by Thoughtful Monk View Post
          My wife was recently connected on Facebook with a friend from the church we got married in. On the theory of if she likes her church, we have a good chance of liking it, too, we asked where she went to church. Couldn't make it this week but were able to connect to the streaming Sunday service. We both liked what we could see on the service. We're going to try to get there next Sunday.

          Praying this is where God wants us to be at this time - both to serve and be served.

          (PS: I don't like using 'like' in the above but it's the best I can come up with. It implies we view church as entertainment and that's not where either of us are at.)
          We have live streamed the services a couple weeks now. The weather has been cold and snowy the past few Sundays and neither one right now has the energy to go out in cold weather.

          The songs are good. So far mostly ones we already know. The sermons pass my snooze test. (I discovered years ago that if I start dozing off during the sermon, the Gospel is NOT being preached.) I'm looking forward to actually going some Sunday.
          "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

          "Theology can be an intellectual entertainment." Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

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          • #20
            Hi TM, I read this book on Discipleship by Juan Carlo Ortiz many years ago. I remember it being excellent.

            https://books.google.co.za/books/abo...page&q&f=false

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            • #21
              Originally posted by Esther View Post
              Hi TM, I read this book on Discipleship by Juan Carlo Ortiz many years ago. I remember it being excellent.

              https://books.google.co.za/books/abo...page&q&f=false
              Scanned through a little. Looks like it would be very helpful.
              "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

              "Theology can be an intellectual entertainment." Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

              Comment


              • #22
                We finally made it to a church on Sunday. It's a small Assemblies of God about 5 minutes from our house.

                Most important plus: my wife likes it and is already talking about going back next Sunday.

                After one visit, what I see as the strong points
                • Smaller congregation. About 60 members they told me. Use to be 100 before Covid. Hope some people start returning soon. The last church we got lost in the crowd and were shut out of the cliches.
                • Good demographics. Descent representation of black and Hispanic members. Good age mix. The last church I was in was too white and too old. I think multiracial churches are more Biblically correct.
                • Worship style is very similar to the church we got married in.
                • They appear to have an interest in supporting missionaries.
                The weaker points
                • They don't have a choir/praise team, so they play a worship tape with words to sing along with. They put the volume so high you would think God is deaf.
                • The sermon was a bit weak. For the moment, I'll chalk this off to a bad sermon Sunday. (Every church gets those on occasion.)
                That's all for now.
                "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

                "Theology can be an intellectual entertainment." Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

                Comment


                • #23
                  Got back to church this Sunday. Generally, a very positive experience. The people seem genuinely interested in getting to know us. I was glad to see my wife interacting with people there.

                  For better or worse, I'm in a praise chorus church. Today they played 7-11 choruses. At the end, they had what I consider the better choruses. I can deal with this.

                  The pastor has a different sermon style than I've run into. Seems to be almost stream of conscious preaching. Just when I am about to give up on the sermon, he'll make some really good insight or strong proclamation of God. This is going to take some adjusting to. If you want strong expository preaching, this isn't the church for you.

                  Glad to see church isn't stuck inside its walls. They support some missionaries, the local Rescue Mission, a local crisis pregnancy center, and they're hosting a blood drive this week.

                  A church member is going on a year-long mission trip in July. I'm praying about providing part of her monthly support.

                  Next, I want to get the energy to go to their Friday night Bible study and see what that's like.
                  "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

                  "Theology can be an intellectual entertainment." Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Originally posted by Thoughtful Monk View Post
                    Got back to church this Sunday. Generally, a very positive experience. The people seem genuinely interested in getting to know us. I was glad to see my wife interacting with people there.

                    For better or worse, I'm in a praise chorus church. Today they played 7-11 choruses. At the end, they had what I consider the better choruses. I can deal with this.

                    The pastor has a different sermon style than I've run into. Seems to be almost stream of conscious preaching. Just when I am about to give up on the sermon, he'll make some really good insight or strong proclamation of God. This is going to take some adjusting to. If you want strong expository preaching, this isn't the church for you.

                    Glad to see church isn't stuck inside its walls. They support some missionaries, the local Rescue Mission, a local crisis pregnancy center, and they're hosting a blood drive this week.

                    A church member is going on a year-long mission trip in July. I'm praying about providing part of her monthly support.

                    Next, I want to get the energy to go to their Friday night Bible study and see what that's like.
                    Thank you for these updates which I read with joy!

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Originally posted by Thoughtful Monk View Post
                      Got back to church this Sunday. Generally, a very positive experience. The people seem genuinely interested in getting to know us. I was glad to see my wife interacting with people there.

                      For better or worse, I'm in a praise chorus church. Today they played 7-11 choruses. At the end, they had what I consider the better choruses. I can deal with this.

                      The pastor has a different sermon style than I've run into. Seems to be almost stream of conscious preaching. Just when I am about to give up on the sermon, he'll make some really good insight or strong proclamation of God. This is going to take some adjusting to. If you want strong expository preaching, this isn't the church for you.

                      Glad to see church isn't stuck inside its walls. They support some missionaries, the local Rescue Mission, a local crisis pregnancy center, and they're hosting a blood drive this week.

                      A church member is going on a year-long mission trip in July. I'm praying about providing part of her monthly support.

                      Next, I want to get the energy to go to their Friday night Bible study and see what that's like.
                      I've mostly attended "chorus" churches since the early '80s, all my Christian life. The quality of the choruses has decreased noticeably.

                      Did they do the usual Pentecostal routine -- a few up-tempo songs ("praise"), a few slow songs ("worship"), a pause (what some snarkily call the "Holy Ghost hush") to give an opportunity for prophecy and/or tongues and interpretation, then a final song or two?

                      That general preaching style is not real unusual in Pentecostal circles. They often have a loose outline, but expect to be "led by the Spirit" as they preach. Not many of them are Gordon Fee.

                      I always got more out of "Bible studies" than sermons, if they were interactive.
                      Geislerminian Antinomian Kenotic Charispneumaticostal Gender Mutualist-Egalitarian.

                      Beige Federalist.

                      Nationalist Christian.

                      "Everybody is somebody's heretic."

                      Social Justice is usually the opposite of actual justice.

                      Proud member of the this space left blank community.

                      Would-be Grand Vizier of the Padishah Maxi-Super-Ultra-Hyper-Mega-MAGA King Trumpius Rex.

                      Justice for Ashli Babbitt!

                      Justice for Matthew Perna!

                      Arrest Ray Epps and his Fed bosses!

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by NorrinRadd View Post

                        I've mostly attended "chorus" churches since the early '80s, all my Christian life. The quality of the choruses has decreased noticeably.

                        Did they do the usual Pentecostal routine -- a few up-tempo songs ("praise"), a few slow songs ("worship"), a pause (what some snarkily call the "Holy Ghost hush") to give an opportunity for prophecy and/or tongues and interpretation, then a final song or two?

                        That general preaching style is not real unusual in Pentecostal circles. They often have a loose outline, but expect to be "led by the Spirit" as they preach. Not many of them are Gordon Fee.

                        I always got more out of "Bible studies" than sermons, if they were interactive.
                        Worship isn't that fancy. Just about four songs. The style is more entertainment than actual worship. I try to ignore that and just worship.

                        I agree about interactive Bible studies.
                        "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

                        "Theology can be an intellectual entertainment." Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          On a personal level, I have a hard time understanding the idea of contemporary worship as "entertainment". It's a constant accusation, but the truth is I don't find it entertaining in the slightest. I do like rock music but praise/worship music is of such low quality for the genre that it's a slog to endure.
                          "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Originally posted by KingsGambit View Post
                            On a personal level, I have a hard time understanding the idea of contemporary worship as "entertainment". It's a constant accusation, but the truth is I don't find it entertaining in the slightest. I do like rock music but praise/worship music is of such low quality for the genre that it's a slog to endure.
                            When I say "entertainment", I mean the worship is done in such a way that the congregation sits and watches the musicians instead of actually singing along. I leave how "entertaining" it is to the individual.
                            "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

                            "Theology can be an intellectual entertainment." Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Originally posted by Thoughtful Monk View Post

                              When I say "entertainment", I mean the worship is done in such a way that the congregation sits and watches the musicians instead of actually singing along. I leave how "entertaining" it is to the individual.
                              Shared this before, but...

                              Even when I'm not pastoring, I still attend Church. I was between Churches for a while about 10 years ago, so we started attending a Bible Church.
                              REALLY GOOD expository preaching, but we had to endure the "praise and worship" music.

                              What was amazing --- the "praise team" would "lead" in such a way that they appeared to be "really into it" - eyes closed, faces heavenward, arms uplifted....
                              but I'd look around and almost NOBODY in the audience was singing --- the "praise team" was doing their own thing.

                              Then, every once in a while, they'd break out a traditional hymn, and I'd look around and see nearly EVERYBODY singing!!!

                              It's a mind-boggling thing!
                              The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Originally posted by Thoughtful Monk View Post

                                When I say "entertainment", I mean the worship is done in such a way that the congregation sits and watches the musicians instead of actually singing along. I leave how "entertaining" it is to the individual.
                                Aha, that makes sense now. I have heard the argument that the organ is the perfect instrument because it sustains the music loudly enough that everyone can hear, but doesn't actually drown out singing (though many churches that rent out their spaces likely can't afford one).
                                "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

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