I'm in a small town surrounded by seeker-sensitive, word of faith, non-denominational, motivational speech-like sermons with a verse taken out of context. I just can't sit through that anymore... I'd have to drive more than an hour each way to find expository preaching (I wouldn't mind that) but it's hard to be a part of a community an hour away.
I am in the same boat. I was driving over an hour away to Church every week for the last couple years. I did recently switch Churches due to doctrinal lissues and found one that I align more with, but it is still about 50 minutes away from me. It's worth the drive in my opinion, although it does make it hard to be a part of the community and fellowship. You just have to be willing to drive for special events, fellowship, etc.
Life long Calvary Chapel attendee here, but started craving something more a few years ago. During the pandemic, our church shut down for several weeks and then opened back up with masks and “distancing.” We got fed up with that nonsense pretty quick. It wasn’t until we discovered the Reformed camp that we began to see for the first time what we had been missing for many decades. I have taught the Bible for years, but now my teaching has taken on far more zeal for solid orthodox theology than ever before. Thanks to the Reformers, God has shown me so much more than I knew previously. I’ve discovered what was missing from my theology. It almost feels like graduation. Now, if I could just figure out where to go to church.
Great topic. Great discussion. Word, Sacrament, and Application. I am living in a foreign country. We don't have churches here. We have private clubs with good public speakers. No one here believes in Word and Sacrament. That's too Roman Catholic.They believe in the Power of the Spirit. They shun people like myself who have sound theology. The Faith has been in a steady decline since the end of the Civil War...All Churches were blindsided by materialism, the rise of the soulless corporation, death of community and an education system that worships science. Feminism was the final death blow. Here are many house churches of less than a dozen people. They all claim to be true Bible Believers. So why can't we all get along?..well they don't like your testimony...
I am a reformed Baptist pastor of a tiny church. We have like 6 members. Another church not far from me, reformed Baptist has about 12 members. We live in eastern Kentucky, we struggle very much. It's crazy to hear that people are looking for biblical churches when I can't keep mine afloat
My main issue with churches that I've been to here in Houston is that the moment the elders/pastor sees you're legitimately interested in theology and the Bible, you immediately get ignored/uninvolved with whats going on. Every pastor I've ever met wants an audience or slaves, not participants. I truly believe based on their fruit, the American churches are almost entirely false churches. I do think it's possible to be an 'Elijah' who was on his own for a good portion of his life!
Brother you just described my experience up here in Conroe. I’m not here to build their church but to build Christ Church. I feel they just want filled seats and shut mouths on the way they do things. The only gifts that were used were selected ones they have and everyone else can just serve in the children’s ministry.
It’s not arrogant nor an exaggeration to say that the vast majority of churches here in America are bad; i.e. either Catholic, charismatic, woke, prosperity gospel, Big Eva, etc.
The Church I go to now is one of the best since I was a kid. However, it's much the same. As soon as I talk about my daily Bible reading or some book that I thought was challenging for me (Like say fault lines by Vodie Baucham) or documentary that I watched on Canon+ that I thought was interesting...... then anyone in leadership makes themselves very scarce before I can talk to them about it or ask questions if I didn't understand something in daily Bible reading. It really does seem like if you are interested in theology you are kept on the edge. I also notice "service" means volunteering at children's section or with the teens only. As soon as you want to use your skill (for me that's furniture making and personal training) to offer help for someone that may need a dining room table or something nice for cheap or just material cost or help some people get healthy you get countered with helping in the nursery or doing the sound board but that's about it. Like I can only provide service directly for them in the walls of the church but nowhere else. Anyway I feel what you are saying. It's a struggle.
what's equally telling is that they will accuse of you being a "consumer"....but hold up a moment, if a pastor just wants a quiet tither, isn't he the one with the consumer mentality? Also, for many of us who are Baptist, our expression of faith demands participation in the work of the church through volunteering in the exercise of our spiritual gifts. It's amazing to see so many modern "baptist" or "bapticostal" 501c3's posing as church that reject this.
Who defined the church? Who is the head of the church? How many people do you need before you can call yourself a church? What is the "fellowship" around? What is a bad/good church? So many of these questions were answered by the Baptist religion I was raised in, but now that God has freed me, given me a new life, and is changing me, I do not find fellowship in the Baptist churches (who know the Bible and Preach the word, but don't know God on a personal level). The fellowship I have found is with believers whose lives were changed by the Holy Spirit and who are in love with Him, many hours a week on the phone truly encouraging each other in love and good works.
I had left a dead church, a year later sold my house and moved 130 miles away, then it took another 1.5 years to find a post-mil, reformed, CN, baptist church an hour drive away in another state.
I am currently a part of one of these so called 'bad-true Church' Churches. I have been visiting other Churches on and off for a while now (about 2 years) and have finally stumbled what I believe is a better Church. A little back story on things: First, I live in Japan. Biblical Churches don't exactly grow on trees over here. The Church I currently attend is a bilingual Church (Japanese, English) I speak English, obviously and my wife is Japanese. Both of us our fairly comfortable in each other's native language and often discuss things of deep importance in each language respectively. Needless to say, a bilingual Church is not necessary for either one of us. The problems with the Church we are currently attending are not exactly theological (though some issues certainly do fall into that category), rather it is on the issue of qualification. The Church is headed by three Elders (all preaching) and out of the three, I believe only one is actually qualified to be an Elder. The one who preaches the most often I believe lacks the gift of teaching and simply does not know how to exposit a Text of Scripture to save his life. The other is more liberal than I am comfortable with in leadership, but not to the point of heresy, more like Timothy Keller light. Suffice it to say, the sermons are almost never edifying, and are almost always shallow and superficial. Now, this is a young Church. It has literally existed for only 4 years, born in late 2020. I believe they are a true Church, just immature. They only recently began distributing the Lord's Supper every week (per my request). Worship (the songs) are usually hillsong, some are actually decent, and being in Japan we don't have to pay royalties, so I'm not too bothered by this, I just would rather do hymns and psalms. We have two male deacons and one female deacon, another point of disagreement, though not primary, I confess. It is also a non-denominational Church, which I disagree with at a fundamental level. There are very few things I think this Church does right, however, on a theological or doctrinal level, there is little the Elders and I would disagree on. If they were to be an actual denomination they would be Reformed Baptist, but they're cowards, so they're officially 'Non-Denominational'. With all that said, my question then is whether I should attend this new Church I found or remain where I am. Theologically, I am Reformed Baptist. The Church I found is Anglican. I have asked the Deacon there what they believe and they are from what I can gather a true Church. They are hurting as there is no Priest that teaches on Sunday (he preaches at another Cathedral in the next city over), and so the Deacon does the majority of the preaching here. Despite this, sermons are usually deeper and more theologically sound than the Church I currently attend. Still not amazing, but in comparison it is definitely a step up. I also enjoy the more liturgical style of things compared to the very contemporary style of my current Church. I am not an Anglican though, and there are definitely things we disagree on theologically and doctrinally, but all are secondary or beyond that. My wife and I are praying about it, but I would like other opinions also if they can be offered. Especially from Pastor Joel, if he is available to answer. Even though I am not an Anglican, should I begin attending these services or should I remain at my current Church? Keeping in mind that though I agree with my current Church more in terms of doctrine, I consider them to be a 'bad-true Church' whereas the Anglican would be more of a 'neutral-true Church'. Neither are 'good' persay, but bear in mind, this is Japan. a 'good-true' Church is extremely rare. I might find one in Tokyo if I lived there, but I don't. Given my options, what might you suggest? I am eager to receive any input on the matter. But please, be Biblical with the advice and don't just give me your personal opinion. Thanks in advance.
Good video. Very well handled. I am one of those who can attest to God intervening and removing an unruly, disobedient wife. I know what it's like to pray for both to be loosed and to bring a spouse to surrender to the Lord. I found the counsel regarding the churches to be very good too.
My church is definitely one that I am repelled by but which I had not gone far enough to where I’d have permission to leave or ditch 😔. The sermons and content and the way they kind of do this “copywriting preaching”, where it’s more about drawing in and leading a chosen demographic by the nose….i used to to struggle hard to understand what they were even doing, until I took a copywriting class and then the sermons made more sense. It’s copywriting. I listen to you guys and y’all are saying the things that I’ve been saying and thinking a long time-which I believe is because of the Holy Spirit working on all of us simultaneously. In any case my church has on every single issue kind of played the fence or chosen to accommodate and affirm the left leaning moderate normie stuff. Ie, George Floyd gets a shoutout, we prayed for Ukraine, canceled for Covid, required masks, etc. But it seems like they may be repenting, but it’s still really hard and messes with me. Especially because I am someone who needs a strong lead, and strong intellectual engagement. Anyways I think I’m just stuck and it’s really depressing to think about. I don’t want church to be something I am depressed about all the time.
I noticed one of you guys stated, “I would rather be in a bad true church, then in no church at all”. I respectfully disagree with that. If there is a church whose members are genuinely saved by the true gospel, however they are still preaching and teaching false doctrine we should avoid and not attend that fellowship (romans 16:17. Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:20-21 that in a great house (the body of Christ) there are vessels unto honour (those believers walking according to the spirit to sound doctrine) vs those vessels unto dishonour (walking according to carnality by incorrect doctrine). He then goes onto say we should purge ourselves from these people so that we don’t get corrupted and so that we can be more efficiently used by God.
I agree. I'm not going to a church that doesn't teach the truth. It's crazy that anyone would say they'd rather go to a bad church than no church at all. Times are different. We have many other options. We can tune into a church on the radio, TV or online now. That's how I discovered Cornerstone Chapel with Pastor Gary Hamrick. I'll stick with their church.
2 Timothy 3:5 "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." What fellowship has light with darkness? So many religions teach the Bible but do not walk in the Spirit.
As a combat vet for the US military, I can tell you firsthand that being in a crowd of people, is absolutely a no go. In any situation where there are many people I spend more time watching who is moving who is going in and out of the sanctuary any sudden movements catch my attention I get absolutely nothing from the service. I can stay home watch the same service live wave it my wife when she waves at me and I get much more from the service.
This is tough. My family and I have been at the same church for over 25 years. We recently started attending a new church that lines up as a reformed church. Our church is a dispensational church. This has caused a lot of heartache and grief for me and my family through the years. It’s gotten to a point to where my family feels shunned by leadership. We have tried to stick it out for more than 15 years. We can no longer bare to stand, therefore we started attending a new church. This has been and continues to still be a great struggle for us.
The real question is where will all the predatory leaders with Narcissitic Personality Disorder start over, and where will the victims they cultivated go to survive?
First of all, thank you so, so much for covering this topic. It is something that I’ve been struggling a lot with lately. I have been praying for answers and this has helped so much. I do have some questions though regarding my specific situation and I desperately need some help. (Apologies in advance since this is really long.) My dad is trying to plant a church in the New Orleans area and as it stands, I am unsure if it really counts as a true church, though I know it isn’t a good one. His preaching is fairly solid though I disagree with his views on predestination, eschatology, and other things (my mother and I are far more Reformed than he is), but the majority of what he preaches is solely for the purpose of evangelism. Most of the people who come to the services are not strong believers (if they are believers at all), and sometimes the majority of the chairs are filled with young children who walk over without their parents. Basically, he’s preaching spiritual milk twice a week, when what our family needs is meat. We get our meat at home through our personal studies, but shouldn’t we have it at church as well? As far as the sacraments go, I know that is not done properly. In recent years, we’ve only ever taken the Lord’s Supper at Easter, and while certain people have been meaning to be baptized for a while now, no date has been set. We have no elders, and no reliable men who could become elders. My sister and I are the ones who help set up chairs under a tree for services, as my dad won’t trust anyone else with having a role in the church. There is one man who helps if he doesn’t have to work and can make it, and he is a faithful Christian, but his job keeps him away too often for us to rely on him being there. I take no pleasure in our services, nor does my sister or mother. It is mostly an obligation, and we are more excited about getting lunch afterwards. I feel a bit guilty for that, but I don’t know what to do about it. We don’t have a healthy community with the people who come, my sister and I don’t even have friends our age. We have some friends in our homeschool group, but it’s not a close enough community to be sufficient. I have really found my own community elsewhere, and while it’s not ideal, I love it to death and it’s the only reason I’ve chosen to remain in New Orleans instead of moving back to our hometown in Mississippi as I’d originally planned. We’ve been here for eight years, my dad sorta rushed to resign from pastoring his previous church and move us down here, and we have had no solid church that we’ve been able to stay with, or any family down here at all. We church hopped for a while but after 2020 and a particularly heartbreaking final church ordeal, we stopped trying to find somewhere for us to go while also helping with my dad’s mission work. He seems to think that his mission is sufficient for our family but I don’t think it is. I know that I would certainly rather my own future children have a better church with better teaching. So, when I am older and able to find a church on my own that aligns with my beliefs, may I leave, must I leave, or should I stick it out and help my dad with his church plant? (Again, really sorry for how long this is but eight years of problems kinda pile up and I’m desperate for some help.)
I really pray the Holy Spirit leads you. This is tough because it is so personal. You honor your parents while under their roof. Then you become an adult. Can you not split your time between the church you love and your dad's work? He is called to be a missionary, but it does not sound as if you have that same calling? And if you dream of Mississippi, I don't think there's anything wrong with going to school there, pursuing a career there, etc. That's part of growing up. Ultimately, your allegiance is to the Heavenly Father. I pray for God to speak to you and give you direction for YOUR life. He has a purpose just for YOU, I am sure of it. God bless you with His direction and peace.
I would be curious to know why your dad left that first church so abruptly, moved your family, church hopped, & then had a falling out with another church. To give some charity, perhaps some of the disagreement was over so many of the issues since 2020. However, who is your dad accountable to? If all of those departures were for biblical reasons, it seems that he is more of an evangelist than a pastor.
@@stringofpearls4551 Splitting my time is actually a really good idea. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it. I may not be able to be there on Sunday morning, but I could probably help with other things. I did want to go back to Mississippi, and to be honest, part of me still does. It hurts to know that I won’t get to raise my kids there. But I truly believe that God has shown me where I belong here. I’ve found a life and people that I love. As long as I have them, I have a reason to stay. If God wants me elsewhere, He’ll take them away. I believe I know what I’m meant to be doing here. Thanks so much for your reply and your prayers, they really mean a lot.
I don't know how old you are but if you are an adult, I believe you can honor your father by simply following the Lord, not his desire for a church. I stayed in a church for over 20 years that was started much like your father started this one. It is not enough to have a desire to have a church... A man must be called to the ministry by God, not by his own will. It may be that your father doesn't want to submit to the authority of a pastor in an established church. He may not even see this, but your sister and you and your mother might be supporting him in something that the Lord has not actually called him to do. If God calls a man to start a church, the Lord will be with him and will draw sinners and saints there and grow the work, and God will give sound men to serve as elders and deacons and make it a true church. Right now, he is being upheld in this effort by his own desire and by three women that love him. It's time for you all to sit down and put the cards on the table, and be honest with one another, and be willing to submit to the Lord and His ways ... what you have described does not have God's image or handprint on it. May God give you eyes to see, ears to hear and a willing heart to humble yourselves to do His will, according to His word. Praying you receive clarity from Him alone.
@@georgetteaguilar894 I do occasionally wonder whether it was God’s call or my dad’s own ambition that led him to surrender to preach, pastor, and become a missionary. Idk if I mentioned this before, but he fully surrendered to become a missionary during the time he was struggling with cancer. He says that he told God that if He chose to heal him, he’d go out into the mission field. It wasn’t like a deal, but more of a promise. Well, God healed him and so he kept that promise. Because of that, he is fully convinced in his mind and heart that he is doing the right thing and that this is God’s will. Now, I do see that we’re helping some people, especially when his supporting churches send mission teams to help, and because of that and the desperate need for a church in that area, I think we’re needed there. I think. I just know that he’s not doing it the right way. Much of it is not done decently and in order. It might get better if the Lord sent some people to help, but every time anyone who may have been qualified has come, they’ve left. They always leave. I can’t really blame them though. I don’t want to stay either. The problem is, dad is very hard to talk to. Sitting down with him and having a discussion just doesn’t seem possible. Mom has tried plenty of times but he doesn’t really listen. He’ll occasionally hear and even implement her suggestions on how to run the music, but not much else. He does what he wants. The main issue is that we’ve come too far to turn back now. There’s nothing to go back to in Mississippi, it would crush him to give up on this, and we’re finally beginning to find some people here worth staying for. At least, I know I have and I don’t want to leave them. I do feel terrible for my mother, though. She doesn’t have any friends anymore and is entirely stuck in this situation. (Though maybe not having many friends isn’t a terrible thing for her since she’s so introverted, but I know she does get lonely.) Even if the Lord really isn’t in my dad’s efforts to plant a church, there’s no way he’d ever be convinced of that, so there’s no way he’d ever stop. I can’t imagine him doing anything else. I can’t see him submitting to the authority of another pastor. I am almost an adult; my dad has just given me my mom’s old car and I’ve almost got my license. Once I have that, I’ll probably be looking for a better church to go to on Sundays. At least, I might. He does still need my help as my younger sister and I take turns helping on Sunday mornings. The other will get to the service with mom and help with our baby sister. He’ll probably be very upset if I look for another church, and my sister will just be plain angry at me for leaving her to do all the work. Mom will understand though. She’s warned him before that I’d probably do that. Thank you for replying and for your prayers, it really means a lot. We really have no-one to talk to. None of the people in our supporting churches know about any of this. I don’t think our family knows either. It’s nice to finally talk to some people about this.
I left a mega church to find a smaller community church where I could be more involved. Found a local small church with a lot of empty seats, but the preaching is excellent and the congregation is mostly elder. I'm a family of four with two high school kids. I myself as the dad get along really well with the men of the church and attend their bible study as I was invited to it very early on. All the men are really welcoming and have great fellowship with each other. However, there is hardly anything for the youth and the women are not as inviting, so now my kids and wife haven't found their place here and honestly, I dont know if they will. I dont see anything changing. I pray for the Lord to stir something up here OR give me a word to leave. Any advice?
Come to Bryan/College Station in Texas. Great, solid reformed Baptist church. We moved from from the Seattle area to find a farm land and a great church and found both.
Funny :) I always say 95% of government schools are bad but 95% of parents say it's the other school, theirs is good. I was raised in Baptist churches, my Faith was in the men who taught me (thinking: how can they not know God after all these years) When God began His work in me and freed me from the slavery I had been in, when I shared with those I was raised under, they denied the work that God is doing in my life. I realized they deny the Holy Spirit and prefer knowledge of God and the book. When I visit those churches I was raised in, I only see religion, I don't see the presence of God in the building or in their lives.
Not attending a church. None measure up. I am partial preterist. And no one practices this. So my church is you and others on you tube. I consider myself a short season saint. ❤
I think you should at least go to the least progressive church in your area and try to reform it, if that makes any sense. Plus, in-person sociality is healthy for one, especially with other (at least professing believers. Even if only some are believers, then you get people to witness to that wag
Please provide the scriptures backing up the comment about 'Christians are required to attend church'. I can't seem to locate a verse like that. I haven't attended a church in years, a decade or more and my relationship with The Father and His Son is deeper, more truth filled and I am more dedicated to Yahuah rather than the church, (Baptist and Pentecostal AG) that me taught all lies, taking all scriptures out of context and required pagan holiday worship as part of Honoring Yah 😮
@asj-124 Hebrews was written to the first century believers. Encouraging them to have meetings does not equate requiring them to attending "church" because, literally it says nothing to them about attending a weekly church service...
@asj-124 the Ruach Ha'Kodesh is my teacher, I have a fellowship of people that I am able to meet with. I have no need for any pastor and a sermon of a denominated (divided) church system. I follow the Word of Yahuah and I have my salvation through faith in Yahshua, I believe every word of Messiah and I am obedient to Him. I am also married, so I have accountability with my husband. But again, like I said, there is nothing in the Word of Yahuah that commands us to attend, and become members of a denominated (divided) church doctrine, under the pagan holiday system, holding the govt by the hand in a 501c3 agreement with them. You can align with the beast system in those types of places. We are called to be Set Apart and kodesh (Holy) and not like the world. Unfortunately today, so many of the churches are part of the world, teaching paganism and twistings of the scriptures.
@@denisehamilton943 How do you reconcile your philosophy on church attendance with Jesus teaching on serving one another (John 14). Remember, the church needs you, and you need the church. We were not made to walk our Christian existence alone. Paul, who wrote the majority of the New Testament wrote most of his letters to who again? The church. Stop making excuses and go.
@@DBallantino you think I cannot serve someone outside of the church? So why do ppl go out into the world to share the gospel and not just stay at the church? Show me the verse that REQUIRES (which is the word the original commenter used) us to attend church. No one can provide any such verse, only their poor interpretation of it. Stop trying to force your twisted view of scriptures on me. I don't serve the church, rather, I serve Yahshua and He directs me, not you or some pagan 501c3 church... especially since there aren't very many churches that even teach the Truth. Most just regurgitate what they were indoctrinated into believing. Quit being rude and hateful to believers who choose to not align with the Sunday worship of a pagan "Christian" church system. What we are required to do, for salvation, is have faith in and obedience to Yahshua. Not to attend church.
@@DBallantino and btw the churches Paul wrote do are destroyed churches...but it wasn't because a lack of church attendance, read Rev and you'll see exactly why they were destroyed. His writings were to them, but can be used for our benefit today. But under no circumstances was he writing those letters to anyone other than whom he addressed and also those (HOME BASED) churches were to send to the other churches.
The part on divorce was very weak. God hates divorce. If there are problems in the marriage, the goal is to restore not to find justification to end it.
"Joel went off on a tangent talking about how to leave a church, and somehow turned it into a discussion about leaving an unruly wife. It's amazing how he can switch from one subject to another, even though they're not related."
We were ousted from our churches, Sad but it is loyalty to Christ vs. what? I am 1689 Federalist and no church within any rational distance. Nice Independent Baptist Church welcomed me in. Others have begun forming small home churches where their denominations have gone woke.
@@Pho3nixII a divorced woman ἀπολελυμένην (apolelymenēn) Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Singular Strong's 630: From apo and luo; to free fully, i.e. relieve, release, dismiss, or let die, pardon or divorce. Lie about scripture more to people. See how that ends for you.
I’d been going to an anabaptist church but I felt like I didn’t fit in & had some reservations about their theology & church rules for membership so I went to a reformed baptist church & found their use of the Niv & modern praise worship a little unappealing & began making a long commute to attend a self styled orthodox Presbyterian church. I like it but the commute is less than ideal & complicates getting more involved with small groups & studies, building community outside the Sunday morning service. Should I go back to the reformed baptist church & set aside my preferences?
in the first 3 minutes, if all your church does is the superficial trappings of "worship" for 2 hours a week, there is zero reason I would ever join let alone tithe. If you read Ephesians, the work of the Church is more than just the Sunday morning worship; and the early church did meet daily as they were able. That guy on the left is way off the mark again at 21 minutes. Can you imagine telling people they must sacrifice fellowship and community in order to be only given a good sounding but dead sermon? While the ideal is to belong to only one church, all too often churches where there is solid preaching there is zero community and no invitation to visitors to be incorporated into the body.
I think you misspoke here BIblically. A Pastor is not "accountable for my soul.... if I am an adult Born again Believer IN Jesus Christ, I am accountable for MY soul... The pastor is a watcher over my soul but he is not accountable for it. Hebrews 13:17: "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." WATCH over me , yes, and they will give account for doing it correctly OR incorrectly! Accountable FOR my Soul and for the things I chose to do or not do.....No
@@alantysinger2552 you are correct, but your statement response has nothing to do with what he said, nor my response, Nor are they equivalent to one another.
20 minutes spent on backtracking and justifying the Young guy on screen left bouncing when the pastor had an affair. Kind of undermined the whole discussion.
That wasn’t the only reason we left. We moved from the area as for one reason (among others) there were no good churches (as exemplified by the affair). We also purchased a home elsewhere, which was another big reason we left.
Hebrews 13:17 "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."
Im in utah and its all mormon churches which is ok with me since we all come out of the mother anglican church and calvanism (even though mormons think they are the center of the universe and the only actual church, they're confused and dont know they are actually protestants, one GA even said other denominations are "playing church") but anyway some of us dont feel called to attend church. Church is for families, many are called but few are chosen, and some arent called or chosen but like Abraham of old are strangers in a strange land and dont go to church.
Bruh, sounds like you need some polishing up of your theology. For one, we are ALL commanded to go to church. Also, mormonism did not come out of anything close to what Anglicans and Calvinists come from, Mormonism is a cult
Mormonism comes out of a man that received another doctrine. "Another testament of Jesus Christ". The bible clearly warns in Gal. 1:6-10, that if someone, even and angel comes to you with a different gospel. Church is not just for families, its for anyone that has a love for Christ expressed by a love for brethren.
By not seeking out a faithful church, or at least one you can contribute to and help make more faithful, you’re not a stranger in a strange land. You’re just estranged from the family of God.
I have arrived at a point where I can confidently say " I am God ...I am Church. The more I live at the best of myself, God/Church becomes flesh through me.
I'm in a small town surrounded by seeker-sensitive, word of faith, non-denominational, motivational speech-like sermons with a verse taken out of context. I just can't sit through that anymore...
I'd have to drive more than an hour each way to find expository preaching (I wouldn't mind that) but it's hard to be a part of a community an hour away.
I am in the same boat. I was driving over an hour away to Church every week for the last couple years. I did recently switch Churches due to doctrinal lissues and found one that I align more with, but it is still about 50 minutes away from me. It's worth the drive in my opinion, although it does make it hard to be a part of the community and fellowship. You just have to be willing to drive for special events, fellowship, etc.
Life long Calvary Chapel attendee here, but started craving something more a few years ago.
During the pandemic, our church shut down for several weeks and then opened back up with masks and “distancing.”
We got fed up with that nonsense pretty quick.
It wasn’t until we discovered the Reformed camp that we began to see for the first time what we had been missing for many decades.
I have taught the Bible for years, but now my teaching has taken on far more zeal for solid orthodox theology than ever before.
Thanks to the Reformers, God has shown me so much more than I knew previously.
I’ve discovered what was missing from my theology.
It almost feels like graduation.
Now, if I could just figure out where to go to church.
Great topic. Great discussion. Word, Sacrament, and Application. I am living in a foreign country. We don't have churches here. We have private clubs with good public speakers. No one here believes in Word and Sacrament. That's too Roman Catholic.They believe in the Power of the Spirit. They shun people like myself who have sound theology. The Faith has been in a steady decline since the end of the Civil War...All Churches were blindsided by materialism, the rise of the soulless corporation, death of community and an education system that worships science. Feminism was the final death blow. Here are many house churches of less than a dozen people. They all claim to be true Bible Believers. So why can't we all get along?..well they don't like your testimony...
I am a reformed Baptist pastor of a tiny church. We have like 6 members. Another church not far from me, reformed Baptist has about 12 members. We live in eastern Kentucky, we struggle very much. It's crazy to hear that people are looking for biblical churches when I can't keep mine afloat
We sure could use a good church/pastor in Arizona north of Kingman
@@neverpc4404 Western New Mexico.....nada..
It’s my goal to move my Family to Eastern Kentucky to find a church like yours among the main reasons.
Wrangell Bible Baptist needs a pastor. Wrangell Ak
You sound like my small Reformed church in upstate New York.
My main issue with churches that I've been to here in Houston is that the moment the elders/pastor sees you're legitimately interested in theology and the Bible, you immediately get ignored/uninvolved with whats going on. Every pastor I've ever met wants an audience or slaves, not participants. I truly believe based on their fruit, the American churches are almost entirely false churches. I do think it's possible to be an 'Elijah' who was on his own for a good portion of his life!
Brother you just described my experience up here in Conroe. I’m not here to build their church but to build Christ Church. I feel they just want filled seats and shut mouths on the way they do things. The only gifts that were used were selected ones they have and everyone else can just serve in the children’s ministry.
It’s not arrogant nor an exaggeration to say that the vast majority of churches here in America are bad; i.e. either Catholic, charismatic, woke, prosperity gospel, Big Eva, etc.
The Church I go to now is one of the best since I was a kid. However, it's much the same. As soon as I talk about my daily Bible reading or some book that I thought was challenging for me (Like say fault lines by Vodie Baucham) or documentary that I watched on Canon+ that I thought was interesting...... then anyone in leadership makes themselves very scarce before I can talk to them about it or ask questions if I didn't understand something in daily Bible reading. It really does seem like if you are interested in theology you are kept on the edge. I also notice "service" means volunteering at children's section or with the teens only. As soon as you want to use your skill (for me that's furniture making and personal training) to offer help for someone that may need a dining room table or something nice for cheap or just material cost or help some people get healthy you get countered with helping in the nursery or doing the sound board but that's about it. Like I can only provide service directly for them in the walls of the church but nowhere else. Anyway I feel what you are saying. It's a struggle.
what's equally telling is that they will accuse of you being a "consumer"....but hold up a moment, if a pastor just wants a quiet tither, isn't he the one with the consumer mentality? Also, for many of us who are Baptist, our expression of faith demands participation in the work of the church through volunteering in the exercise of our spiritual gifts. It's amazing to see so many modern "baptist" or "bapticostal" 501c3's posing as church that reject this.
Who defined the church? Who is the head of the church? How many people do you need before you can call yourself a church? What is the "fellowship" around? What is a bad/good church? So many of these questions were answered by the Baptist religion I was raised in, but now that God has freed me, given me a new life, and is changing me, I do not find fellowship in the Baptist churches (who know the Bible and Preach the word, but don't know God on a personal level). The fellowship I have found is with believers whose lives were changed by the Holy Spirit and who are in love with Him, many hours a week on the phone truly encouraging each other in love and good works.
I had left a dead church, a year later sold my house and moved 130 miles away, then it took another 1.5 years to find a post-mil, reformed, CN, baptist church an hour drive away in another state.
I am currently a part of one of these so called 'bad-true Church' Churches. I have been visiting other Churches on and off for a while now (about 2 years) and have finally stumbled what I believe is a better Church.
A little back story on things:
First, I live in Japan. Biblical Churches don't exactly grow on trees over here. The Church I currently attend is a bilingual Church (Japanese, English) I speak English, obviously and my wife is Japanese. Both of us our fairly comfortable in each other's native language and often discuss things of deep importance in each language respectively. Needless to say, a bilingual Church is not necessary for either one of us.
The problems with the Church we are currently attending are not exactly theological (though some issues certainly do fall into that category), rather it is on the issue of qualification. The Church is headed by three Elders (all preaching) and out of the three, I believe only one is actually qualified to be an Elder. The one who preaches the most often I believe lacks the gift of teaching and simply does not know how to exposit a Text of Scripture to save his life. The other is more liberal than I am comfortable with in leadership, but not to the point of heresy, more like Timothy Keller light. Suffice it to say, the sermons are almost never edifying, and are almost always shallow and superficial.
Now, this is a young Church. It has literally existed for only 4 years, born in late 2020. I believe they are a true Church, just immature. They only recently began distributing the Lord's Supper every week (per my request). Worship (the songs) are usually hillsong, some are actually decent, and being in Japan we don't have to pay royalties, so I'm not too bothered by this, I just would rather do hymns and psalms. We have two male deacons and one female deacon, another point of disagreement, though not primary, I confess. It is also a non-denominational Church, which I disagree with at a fundamental level. There are very few things I think this Church does right, however, on a theological or doctrinal level, there is little the Elders and I would disagree on. If they were to be an actual denomination they would be Reformed Baptist, but they're cowards, so they're officially 'Non-Denominational'.
With all that said, my question then is whether I should attend this new Church I found or remain where I am.
Theologically, I am Reformed Baptist. The Church I found is Anglican. I have asked the Deacon there what they believe and they are from what I can gather a true Church. They are hurting as there is no Priest that teaches on Sunday (he preaches at another Cathedral in the next city over), and so the Deacon does the majority of the preaching here. Despite this, sermons are usually deeper and more theologically sound than the Church I currently attend. Still not amazing, but in comparison it is definitely a step up. I also enjoy the more liturgical style of things compared to the very contemporary style of my current Church. I am not an Anglican though, and there are definitely things we disagree on theologically and doctrinally, but all are secondary or beyond that. My wife and I are praying about it, but I would like other opinions also if they can be offered. Especially from Pastor Joel, if he is available to answer. Even though I am not an Anglican, should I begin attending these services or should I remain at my current Church? Keeping in mind that though I agree with my current Church more in terms of doctrine, I consider them to be a 'bad-true Church' whereas the Anglican would be more of a 'neutral-true Church'. Neither are 'good' persay, but bear in mind, this is Japan. a 'good-true' Church is extremely rare. I might find one in Tokyo if I lived there, but I don't. Given my options, what might you suggest? I am eager to receive any input on the matter. But please, be Biblical with the advice and don't just give me your personal opinion. Thanks in advance.
well said fellas. 👏💯
Good video. Very well handled. I am one of those who can attest to God intervening and removing an unruly, disobedient wife. I know what it's like to pray for both to be loosed and to bring a spouse to surrender to the Lord. I found the counsel regarding the churches to be very good too.
Thank you. God bless.
🫢
My church is definitely one that I am repelled by but which I had not gone far enough to where I’d have permission to leave or ditch 😔. The sermons and content and the way they kind of do this “copywriting preaching”, where it’s more about drawing in and leading a chosen demographic by the nose….i used to to struggle hard to understand what they were even doing, until I took a copywriting class and then the sermons made more sense. It’s copywriting.
I listen to you guys and y’all are saying the things that I’ve been saying and thinking a long time-which I believe is because of the Holy Spirit working on all of us simultaneously.
In any case my church has on every single issue kind of played the fence or chosen to accommodate and affirm the left leaning moderate normie stuff. Ie, George Floyd gets a shoutout, we prayed for Ukraine, canceled for Covid, required masks, etc. But it seems like they may be repenting, but it’s still really hard and messes with me. Especially because I am someone who needs a strong lead, and strong intellectual engagement. Anyways I think I’m just stuck and it’s really depressing to think about. I don’t want church to be something I am depressed about all the time.
I noticed one of you guys stated, “I would rather be in a bad true church, then in no church at all”. I respectfully disagree with that.
If there is a church whose members are genuinely saved by the true gospel, however they are still preaching and teaching false doctrine we should avoid and not attend that fellowship (romans 16:17. Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:20-21 that in a great house (the body of Christ) there are vessels unto honour (those believers walking according to the spirit to sound doctrine) vs those vessels unto dishonour (walking according to carnality by incorrect doctrine). He then goes onto say we should purge ourselves from these people so that we don’t get corrupted and so that we can be more efficiently used by God.
so you choose the "no church at all"?
I agree. I'm not going to a church that doesn't teach the truth. It's crazy that anyone would say they'd rather go to a bad church than no church at all. Times are different. We have many other options. We can tune into a church on the radio, TV or online now. That's how I discovered Cornerstone Chapel with Pastor Gary Hamrick. I'll stick with their church.
@@danamissouri amen !
2 Timothy 3:5 "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." What fellowship has light with darkness? So many religions teach the Bible but do not walk in the Spirit.
As a combat vet for the US military, I can tell you firsthand that being in a crowd of people, is absolutely a no go. In any situation where there are many people I spend more time watching who is moving who is going in and out of the sanctuary any sudden movements catch my attention I get absolutely nothing from the service. I can stay home watch the same service live wave it my wife when she waves at me and I get much more from the service.
PTSD is a very distracting thing
This is tough. My family and I have been at the same church for over 25 years. We recently started attending a new church that lines up as a reformed church. Our church is a dispensational church. This has caused a lot of heartache and grief for me and my family through the years. It’s gotten to a point to where my family feels shunned by leadership. We have tried to stick it out for more than 15 years. We can no longer bare to stand, therefore we started attending a new church. This has been and continues to still be a great struggle for us.
Toledo OH and looking hard!
The real question is where will all the predatory leaders with Narcissitic Personality Disorder start over, and where will the victims they cultivated go to survive?
This was so good. Thank you so much.
The Church of Philadelphia was not chastised by Christ but was praise and is still in existence today Believe it or not
First of all, thank you so, so much for covering this topic. It is something that I’ve been struggling a lot with lately. I have been praying for answers and this has helped so much. I do have some questions though regarding my specific situation and I desperately need some help.
(Apologies in advance since this is really long.)
My dad is trying to plant a church in the New Orleans area and as it stands, I am unsure if it really counts as a true church, though I know it isn’t a good one. His preaching is fairly solid though I disagree with his views on predestination, eschatology, and other things (my mother and I are far more Reformed than he is), but the majority of what he preaches is solely for the purpose of evangelism. Most of the people who come to the services are not strong believers (if they are believers at all), and sometimes the majority of the chairs are filled with young children who walk over without their parents. Basically, he’s preaching spiritual milk twice a week, when what our family needs is meat. We get our meat at home through our personal studies, but shouldn’t we have it at church as well?
As far as the sacraments go, I know that is not done properly. In recent years, we’ve only ever taken the Lord’s Supper at Easter, and while certain people have been meaning to be baptized for a while now, no date has been set.
We have no elders, and no reliable men who could become elders. My sister and I are the ones who help set up chairs under a tree for services, as my dad won’t trust anyone else with having a role in the church. There is one man who helps if he doesn’t have to work and can make it, and he is a faithful Christian, but his job keeps him away too often for us to rely on him being there.
I take no pleasure in our services, nor does my sister or mother. It is mostly an obligation, and we are more excited about getting lunch afterwards. I feel a bit guilty for that, but I don’t know what to do about it. We don’t have a healthy community with the people who come, my sister and I don’t even have friends our age. We have some friends in our homeschool group, but it’s not a close enough community to be sufficient. I have really found my own community elsewhere, and while it’s not ideal, I love it to death and it’s the only reason I’ve chosen to remain in New Orleans instead of moving back to our hometown in Mississippi as I’d originally planned.
We’ve been here for eight years, my dad sorta rushed to resign from pastoring his previous church and move us down here, and we have had no solid church that we’ve been able to stay with, or any family down here at all. We church hopped for a while but after 2020 and a particularly heartbreaking final church ordeal, we stopped trying to find somewhere for us to go while also helping with my dad’s mission work. He seems to think that his mission is sufficient for our family but I don’t think it is. I know that I would certainly rather my own future children have a better church with better teaching.
So, when I am older and able to find a church on my own that aligns with my beliefs, may I leave, must I leave, or should I stick it out and help my dad with his church plant?
(Again, really sorry for how long this is but eight years of problems kinda pile up and I’m desperate for some help.)
I really pray the Holy Spirit leads you. This is tough because it is so personal. You honor your parents while under their roof. Then you become an adult. Can you not split your time between the church you love and your dad's work? He is called to be a missionary, but it does not sound as if you have that same calling? And if you dream of Mississippi, I don't think there's anything wrong with going to school there, pursuing a career there, etc. That's part of growing up.
Ultimately, your allegiance is to the Heavenly Father. I pray for God to speak to you and give you direction for YOUR life. He has a purpose just for YOU, I am sure of it. God bless you with His direction and peace.
I would be curious to know why your dad left that first church so abruptly, moved your family, church hopped, & then had a falling out with another church. To give some charity, perhaps some of the disagreement was over so many of the issues since 2020. However, who is your dad accountable to? If all of those departures were for biblical reasons, it seems that he is more of an evangelist than a pastor.
@@stringofpearls4551 Splitting my time is actually a really good idea. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it. I may not be able to be there on Sunday morning, but I could probably help with other things.
I did want to go back to Mississippi, and to be honest, part of me still does. It hurts to know that I won’t get to raise my kids there. But I truly believe that God has shown me where I belong here. I’ve found a life and people that I love. As long as I have them, I have a reason to stay. If God wants me elsewhere, He’ll take them away. I believe I know what I’m meant to be doing here. Thanks so much for your reply and your prayers, they really mean a lot.
I don't know how old you are but if you are an adult, I believe you can honor your father by simply following the Lord, not his desire for a church. I stayed in a church for over 20 years that was started much like your father started this one. It is not enough to have a desire to have a church... A man must be called to the ministry by God, not by his own will. It may be that your father doesn't want to submit to the authority of a pastor in an established church. He may not even see this, but your sister and you and your mother might be supporting him in something that the Lord has not actually called him to do. If God calls a man to start a church, the Lord will be with him and will draw sinners and saints there and grow the work, and God will give sound men to serve as elders and deacons and make it a true church. Right now, he is being upheld in this effort by his own desire and by three women that love him. It's time for you all to sit down and put the cards on the table, and be honest with one another, and be willing to submit to the Lord and His ways ... what you have described does not have God's image or handprint on it. May God give you eyes to see, ears to hear and a willing heart to humble yourselves to do His will, according to His word. Praying you receive clarity from Him alone.
@@georgetteaguilar894 I do occasionally wonder whether it was God’s call or my dad’s own ambition that led him to surrender to preach, pastor, and become a missionary. Idk if I mentioned this before, but he fully surrendered to become a missionary during the time he was struggling with cancer. He says that he told God that if He chose to heal him, he’d go out into the mission field. It wasn’t like a deal, but more of a promise. Well, God healed him and so he kept that promise. Because of that, he is fully convinced in his mind and heart that he is doing the right thing and that this is God’s will.
Now, I do see that we’re helping some people, especially when his supporting churches send mission teams to help, and because of that and the desperate need for a church in that area, I think we’re needed there. I think. I just know that he’s not doing it the right way. Much of it is not done decently and in order. It might get better if the Lord sent some people to help, but every time anyone who may have been qualified has come, they’ve left. They always leave. I can’t really blame them though. I don’t want to stay either.
The problem is, dad is very hard to talk to. Sitting down with him and having a discussion just doesn’t seem possible. Mom has tried plenty of times but he doesn’t really listen. He’ll occasionally hear and even implement her suggestions on how to run the music, but not much else. He does what he wants.
The main issue is that we’ve come too far to turn back now. There’s nothing to go back to in Mississippi, it would crush him to give up on this, and we’re finally beginning to find some people here worth staying for. At least, I know I have and I don’t want to leave them. I do feel terrible for my mother, though. She doesn’t have any friends anymore and is entirely stuck in this situation. (Though maybe not having many friends isn’t a terrible thing for her since she’s so introverted, but I know she does get lonely.)
Even if the Lord really isn’t in my dad’s efforts to plant a church, there’s no way he’d ever be convinced of that, so there’s no way he’d ever stop. I can’t imagine him doing anything else. I can’t see him submitting to the authority of another pastor.
I am almost an adult; my dad has just given me my mom’s old car and I’ve almost got my license. Once I have that, I’ll probably be looking for a better church to go to on Sundays. At least, I might. He does still need my help as my younger sister and I take turns helping on Sunday mornings. The other will get to the service with mom and help with our baby sister. He’ll probably be very upset if I look for another church, and my sister will just be plain angry at me for leaving her to do all the work. Mom will understand though. She’s warned him before that I’d probably do that.
Thank you for replying and for your prayers, it really means a lot. We really have no-one to talk to. None of the people in our supporting churches know about any of this. I don’t think our family knows either. It’s nice to finally talk to some people about this.
You might not want to leave. It might not be optimal for other reasons to move. But you can move.
I left a mega church to find a smaller community church where I could be more involved. Found a local small church with a lot of empty seats, but the preaching is excellent and the congregation is mostly elder. I'm a family of four with two high school kids. I myself as the dad get along really well with the men of the church and attend their bible study as I was invited to it very early on. All the men are really welcoming and have great fellowship with each other. However, there is hardly anything for the youth and the women are not as inviting, so now my kids and wife haven't found their place here and honestly, I dont know if they will. I dont see anything changing. I pray for the Lord to stir something up here OR give me a word to leave. Any advice?
Come to Bryan/College Station in Texas.
Great, solid reformed Baptist church.
We moved from from the Seattle area to find a farm land and a great church and found both.
What church is it? Houston resident here.
West Oaks Baptist
We are in the end, therefore the church is in it's path of becoming completely apostate...
"But my church is not like the rest"...😅
Funny :) I always say 95% of government schools are bad but 95% of parents say it's the other school, theirs is good. I was raised in Baptist churches, my Faith was in the men who taught me (thinking: how can they not know God after all these years) When God began His work in me and freed me from the slavery I had been in, when I shared with those I was raised under, they denied the work that God is doing in my life. I realized they deny the Holy Spirit and prefer knowledge of God and the book. When I visit those churches I was raised in, I only see religion, I don't see the presence of God in the building or in their lives.
Not attending a church. None measure up. I am partial preterist. And no one practices this. So my church is you and others on you tube. I consider myself a short season saint. ❤
I think you should at least go to the least progressive church in your area and try to reform it, if that makes any sense. Plus, in-person sociality is healthy for one, especially with other (at least professing believers. Even if only some are believers, then you get people to witness to that wag
You should not be dividing over....tertiary issues.
@@willfull1604I would not call eschatology a tertiary issue when it make a church salt that has lost it’s saltiness and good for nothing.
Heretic
Your church is not a church. It’s a hologram of the real thing. God gave bread and wine not pixels.
Please provide the scriptures backing up the comment about 'Christians are required to attend church'. I can't seem to locate a verse like that.
I haven't attended a church in years, a decade or more and my relationship with The Father and His Son is deeper, more truth filled and I am more dedicated to Yahuah rather than the church, (Baptist and Pentecostal AG) that me taught all lies, taking all scriptures out of context and required pagan holiday worship as part of Honoring Yah 😮
@asj-124 Hebrews was written to the first century believers. Encouraging them to have meetings does not equate requiring them to attending "church" because, literally it says nothing to them about attending a weekly church service...
@asj-124 the Ruach Ha'Kodesh is my teacher, I have a fellowship of people that I am able to meet with. I have no need for any pastor and a sermon of a denominated (divided) church system. I follow the Word of Yahuah and I have my salvation through faith in Yahshua, I believe every word of Messiah and I am obedient to Him. I am also married, so I have accountability with my husband.
But again, like I said, there is nothing in the Word of Yahuah that commands us to attend, and become members of a denominated (divided) church doctrine, under the pagan holiday system, holding the govt by the hand in a 501c3 agreement with them. You can align with the beast system in those types of places. We are called to be Set Apart and kodesh (Holy) and not like the world.
Unfortunately today, so many of the churches are part of the world, teaching paganism and twistings of the scriptures.
@@denisehamilton943 How do you reconcile your philosophy on church attendance with Jesus teaching on serving one another (John 14). Remember, the church needs you, and you need the church. We were not made to walk our Christian existence alone. Paul, who wrote the majority of the New Testament wrote most of his letters to who again? The church. Stop making excuses and go.
@@DBallantino you think I cannot serve someone outside of the church? So why do ppl go out into the world to share the gospel and not just stay at the church? Show me the verse that REQUIRES (which is the word the original commenter used) us to attend church. No one can provide any such verse, only their poor interpretation of it. Stop trying to force your twisted view of scriptures on me. I don't serve the church, rather, I serve Yahshua and He directs me, not you or some pagan 501c3 church... especially since there aren't very many churches that even teach the Truth. Most just regurgitate what they were indoctrinated into believing. Quit being rude and hateful to believers who choose to not align with the Sunday worship of a pagan "Christian" church system.
What we are required to do, for salvation, is have faith in and obedience to Yahshua. Not to attend church.
@@DBallantino and btw the churches Paul wrote do are destroyed churches...but it wasn't because a lack of church attendance, read Rev and you'll see exactly why they were destroyed. His writings were to them, but can be used for our benefit today. But under no circumstances was he writing those letters to anyone other than whom he addressed and also those (HOME BASED) churches were to send to the other churches.
Anybody know about any good patriarchal churches in southeast Pa/South Jersey/north Delaware? Asking for a friend.
Does anyone know of a reformed church in sandpoint, ID?
The part on divorce was very weak. God hates divorce. If there are problems in the marriage, the goal is to restore not to find justification to end it.
"Joel went off on a tangent talking about how to leave a church, and somehow turned it into a discussion about leaving an unruly wife. It's amazing how he can switch from one subject to another, even though they're not related."
He has no clue
Timely
We were ousted from our churches, Sad but it is loyalty to Christ vs. what? I am 1689 Federalist and no church within any rational distance. Nice Independent Baptist Church welcomed me in. Others have begun forming small home churches where their denominations have gone woke.
It would be nice if the IFB were not KJV Onlyests and Dispensationalists.
"What God has joined together, let no man separate." "Anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."
Marries a 'put away' woman. Not divorced.
That's like the majority of the female population, 80% of marriages are instigated by women, they don't want to be married.
@@Pho3nixII a divorced woman
ἀπολελυμένην (apolelymenēn)
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 630: From apo and luo; to free fully, i.e. relieve, release, dismiss, or let die, pardon or divorce.
Lie about scripture more to people. See how that ends for you.
I’d been going to an anabaptist church but I felt like I didn’t fit in & had some reservations about their theology & church rules for membership so I went to a reformed baptist church & found their use of the Niv & modern praise worship a little unappealing & began making a long commute to attend a self styled orthodox Presbyterian church. I like it but the commute is less than ideal & complicates getting more involved with small groups & studies, building community outside the Sunday morning service. Should I go back to the reformed baptist church & set aside my preferences?
No
Probably
I would steer clear from the Anabaptists. Their theology is iffy.
in the first 3 minutes, if all your church does is the superficial trappings of "worship" for 2 hours a week, there is zero reason I would ever join let alone tithe. If you read Ephesians, the work of the Church is more than just the Sunday morning worship; and the early church did meet daily as they were able.
That guy on the left is way off the mark again at 21 minutes. Can you imagine telling people they must sacrifice fellowship and community in order to be only given a good sounding but dead sermon? While the ideal is to belong to only one church, all too often churches where there is solid preaching there is zero community and no invitation to visitors to be incorporated into the body.
I left two church's the first one was preaching politics and not the Bible the second cheating on the wife pasters know it and did nothing😢
I think you misspoke here BIblically. A Pastor is not "accountable for my soul.... if I am an adult Born again Believer IN Jesus Christ, I am accountable for MY soul... The pastor is a watcher over my soul but he is not accountable for it. Hebrews 13:17: "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." WATCH over me , yes, and they will give account for doing it correctly OR incorrectly! Accountable FOR my Soul and for the things I chose to do or not do.....No
Just because you are accountable for your soul doesn’t mean the pastor is not also held to account for how he handled his ministry in relation to you.
@@alantysinger2552 you are correct, but your statement response has nothing to do with what he said, nor my response, Nor are they equivalent to one another.
What about if our pastors are for the regulation of abortion? Is that a may or must leave?
Any good church recommendations in Houston, TX?
I’m in Conroe. Looking as well.
Definitely not Lakewood 😁
I was a member of Metropolitan Baptist Church, Jones Road in Northwest Houston, but don't know how it has fared in the last 20 years.
20 minutes spent on backtracking and justifying the Young guy on screen left bouncing when the pastor had an affair. Kind of undermined the whole discussion.
That wasn’t the only reason we left. We moved from the area as for one reason (among others) there were no good churches (as exemplified by the affair). We also purchased a home elsewhere, which was another big reason we left.
"pastor is accountable for your soul"
Said no bible verse, ever 🤣
Hebrews 13:17 "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."
Bonhoeffer is a heretic?
Im in utah and its all mormon churches which is ok with me since we all come out of the mother anglican church and calvanism (even though mormons think they are the center of the universe and the only actual church, they're confused and dont know they are actually protestants, one GA even said other denominations are "playing church") but anyway some of us dont feel called to attend church. Church is for families, many are called but few are chosen, and some arent called or chosen but like Abraham of old are strangers in a strange land and dont go to church.
Bruh, sounds like you need some polishing up of your theology. For one, we are ALL commanded to go to church. Also, mormonism did not come out of anything close to what Anglicans and Calvinists come from, Mormonism is a cult
Mormonism comes out of a man that received another doctrine. "Another testament of Jesus Christ". The bible clearly warns in Gal. 1:6-10, that if someone, even and angel comes to you with a different gospel. Church is not just for families, its for anyone that has a love for Christ expressed by a love for brethren.
Mormonism came out of The Restoration Movement which bred cults, Like: Mormonism, Johovas Witness, Seventh Day Adventists, and Church of Christ.
By not seeking out a faithful church, or at least one you can contribute to and help make more faithful, you’re not a stranger in a strange land. You’re just estranged from the family of God.
I have arrived at a point where I can confidently say " I am God ...I am Church. The more I live at the best of myself, God/Church becomes flesh through me.
That is the spirit of anti-christ. Mankind is NOT God!
The internet is a strange place.