Confession

We all sin. We all have done or do things that we need to get off our chest and confess to people who we have wronged or who is willing to listen. There is no coincidence that psychological research finds confession very therapeutic. But do we have to? And if so, how and when?

The Creed of The Universal Christian Faith

Being A Confessional Church

What does it mean to be a confessional church and why is it important?  In this day and age most people do not even know what being a confessional church is, in any shape or form.  This article will address a very important issue in the Body of Christ that most Christian leaders have neglected for generations.  We will review what 'confessional' is referring to, why it is important, discuss statements of faith, and clear up common misconceptions about historic Creeds and Confessions.

A Godly Husband

The God ordained responsibilities of a Husband are established by God for his will and purpose in this world as a visible reflection of God himself.  Though the Husband is a sinner, when striving to fulfill his ordained role, his home sees the Lord and his Grace despite his humanity. His responsibilities can be broken down as leader, unconditional and sacrificial lover, servant, and foundational support system for his wife and family.

10 Big Churchy Words

The following 10 big 'churchy' words are a big deal.  They describe very key and essential understandings of the over all work and process of God in the world. They are not in order alphabetically but ordered by the process of which they take place. These words are either stated in scripture or describe an idea that is stated in scripture and are not later invented doctrines.  They help in deeper understandings of what God has done and is doing in the world around us.  below are brief outline and definitions of the words:

Small/Home Groups

As local church communities grow into large congregations it gets harder for the church leadership to address all the needs of the larger growing congregation.   Creating small groups / home groups is a strategy to help fulfill the material and spiritual needs.  There are advantages in this strategy.  In this article we will address the strategy in a biblical way and discuss how to form a plan and execute it.  We will lay out the who, what, when, where, how, and why of small/house groups.

Fasting

What is fasting? Why fast and how do you fast? These are important questions for anyone who is seeking the Lord and wanting to glorify him.

First understand that fasting is NOT commanded. In the Old Testament it was only commanded 1 day out of year for The Day of Atonement in Leviticus 23:27, 29, and 32.  Jesus fasted (Matthew 4:2) and his apostles fasted (Mark 2:20) but again, they were not commanded to.  Anyone that says you are commanded to fast is incorrect as there is not biblical support for such a command.

Fasting is not a public spectral.  It is private and between you and the Lord.  Those who fasted and draw attention to themselves were called hypocrites (Matthew 6:16–18).  Thus we can see two things;  fasting is not commanded, and it is not to draw attention to yourself.

The Beauty of Accountability

It is human nature to NOT want to be held accountable for our wrongful actions.  From the very beginning; Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the snake.  But what if that resistance to being held accountable was actually our sinful nature and that God actually wants us to hold each other accountable;  and what if through that accountability we get to experience grace, mercy, forgiveness, and need for Christ on a deeper level of understanding.  An understanding that would not come otherwise.  What does scripture teach us about accountability and our duty out of love for each other?

Negative Name Dropping and Calling Out

It has become common in American society to view name dropping and calling people out in regards to something negative as 'wrong' even a 'sin'.  The question(s) we dive into are:  Is it ever 'okay' (right and not a sin) to name dropping and calling people out?  If and when it is appropriate?  To come to the answers to these questions, we need to first look at Jesus Christ and his apostles.

Don't Judge Me

At some point all genuine followers of Christ will be labeled judgmental and told to "not judge" someone for what ever reason.  Positivism and Emotionalism has crept into the church and infected the minds of some believers.  They are quick to water down God's own decrees in fear of offending the world.  They care more about their own likability and image before the world than they do making what God has already declared known.  They are scared of the 11th commandment; Tho Shalt Not Judge.  What what does God say about making his truths known?

Dating Non-christians

Should Christians Date a non-christian?  The better question to ask is what does GOD say about being in an intimate and mutually influential and supportive relationship with someone who does not love Jesus Christ as God.  In this article we will address God's decrees and Will for dating, What happens to believers who date nonbelievers, and 4 Godly Dating Tips.

The Gym of Jesus

So many people go to the gym to burn fat, build muscle, and shape their bodies to a highly efficient calorie burning machine resulting in a culturally desired physic.  At what point do our bodies become our focus of worship and the gym becomes our masters?  First we need to understand our bodies from God's point of view then we can see how to live a fit and healthy life that glorifies God.

How Old Are You, Spiritually?

What if our physical aging and maturing is symbolic of our spiritual aging and maturing?  Even as our bodies grow an developed they are still completely dependent on water and nutrition.  As we keep it hydrated and fed, it grows.  As toddlers and children grow into the teens and young adulthood; our parents or parental figures in our lives discipline us and help mold us into adults acceptable to the cultural and societal standards.  Our parents and older siblings help mold us all throughout our lives.

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ; we are Born Again.  As we learn and seek the Lord we grow in a child like faith.  As time goes on and the Lord disciplines our spirit, we are then expected to be more mature in faith.  As we reach spiritual adulthood we look more and more like Christ.  All the while we are fed by God's Word and grown by The Holy Spirit.  God The Father and our older spiritual siblings mold us though discipleship all throughout our lives.

The similarities of our physical maturity and spiritual maturity are uncanny. But as our body is in the world, our spirit is in Christ.

The 10 Elements of a Healthy Local Church

The true and genuine church is invisible and is made up of unnamed unspecified individuals but all share common elements.  It is these elements that help us see and know the Body of Christ- the church.  10 Elements are identified in scripture and we can use them to help determine if a local gathering of people is a healthy church or not.

Take the 26 question test to help determine if the church you are attending or considering is consistent with what The Bible reveals about a health church.  The test is based off the criteria below.  Scores below 70% should cause some concern for the healthiness of that church.

TEST HERE

This is the orderly hierarchy of The Body of Christ- the Church (Eph 4:15-16, Titus 1:5)

1.  Christ is Head (authority and guide) of that (and all) local body of believers (Eph 4:15, Col 1:18)
2.  Christ ordains individuals to manage and take care of the local body (1 Tim 3:5)
3.  The local body of believers follow the teachings and commands of Jesus Christ guarded and continued by the apostles and elders (John 10:27)
4.  The local body and its overseers and care takers seek to build each other up in the spirit and in life (Eph 4:12)
6.  Each local member has talents and gifts unique to help that local body (1 Cor 12:27)

ELEMENT 1:

Personal Bible Study: Method

Having a consistent and reliable method to research, study, and unlock the truths contained in scripture is key to really knowing and understanding divine truths.  God designed man to be methodical, logical, and rational beings and to glorify him with our minds.  There is no better use of our minds than to use our mind and thoughtful abilities to seek Him.

This method of bible study is known as Expository study or Exegesis study.  This is where the bible interprets its self and we just draw out the meaning in its original context by what it says.  The meaning comes from scripture and not from us into scripture. 

After your plan is made; choose a book of the bible to study.  For new believers, always start with The Gospel of John then move to Romans.  Understand that good thorough studies will take months and maybe years to go through one book.  You never want to be in a rush and you want to take your time in every sitting to absorb every thing God has to offer.  After your plan is made and the book is chosen, repeat the methodology below.

THE 5 STEP STUDY METHOD

Personal Bible Study: Getting Started

Your personal bible studies are one of the best times for you and God to spend time together.  You sit back and let him talk to you through His Word.  You learn more about Him and get to grow in knowing who He is.  But you want Him to do the talking and teaching and not to jump to any for your own conclusions when read his Word.

Before you get started there are a few things you should and need to do.

Open Letter to The Body of Christ Around The World

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus around the world,

I write this to everyone so that we all may be encouraged and hold strong to the faith that we are been called in.  In this modern world we can receive news from all around the world seemingly over night.  Information travels fast and we are able to react to it sooner.  I see all the countries that have access to this site and see the page visits from each country.  Knowing of the reach this blog has been given, I feel compelled to write this.

Christians that are 'too christian'

I have heard people called this, by other Christians.  That someone is "too churchy" or "too biblie" or "too Christian".  They are usually labeled this when they make something, a discussion, or a situation that is not in a religious context; about God.  They are accused negatively of making things in life about God, too often.  But that brings up a couple very important questions:

1.  Can a Christian, by making everything in life about God, be a bad thing?  That leads us to ask are Christians commanded to making everything about God?

2.  Is too much God wrong or is too little God wrong?  The reverse can also be asked; Is too much God right or too little God right?  Because they both can not be true.

3.  Is there a discussion, topic, situation, or thing in life where God should not be brought up?  Is there an area of life where we should leave God out?

Statement of Faith: The Church

           The Church, the Body of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all believers of this present age (1 Corinthians 12:12-14;2 Corinthians 11:2;Ephesians 1:22-23,5:25-27).

           The ordinances of believer’s water baptism as a testimony to Christ and identification with Him;  Baptism is an important action of obedience for a Christian and signifies a person's identification with Christ.  Baptism is not necessary for salvation.  It is an outward manifestation of an inward reality of trust in the sacrifice for Christ, of conversion, and of identification with Christ. The act of water baptism does not save anyone.  Man is made right before God by faith alone, not by faith and baptism (Rom. 3:28-30; 4:3, 5; 5:1; Gal. 2:16, 21; Phil. 3:9; see also Acts 10:44-48).