Do you think Two Church services a month is enough?

[Michlow]

Originally Posted by Chan

What else is being done the rest of the time to equip the saints to do the work of serving God?

And once the saints are equipped? I mean, honestly, how long does the spoon-feeding needs to go on? Then need to be trained and then released to work. Just my opinion of course, and such worth very little.

[COOPER]

Originally Posted by Michlow

And once the saints are equipped? I mean, honestly, how long does the spoon-feeding needs to go on? Then need to be trained and then released to work. Just my opinion of course, and such worth very little.

Exactly, as much preaching and teaching I have heard in 17 years how much does someone need?

17 years, 52 weeks a year, 3 times a week, 1-1/2 hour a lesson equals: 3,978 hours of learing.

[Michlow]

Originally Posted by COOPER

Exactly, as much preaching and teaching I have heard in 17 years how much does someone need?

17 years, 52 weeks a year, 3 times a week, 1-1/2 hour a lesson equals: 3,978 hours of learing.

Keep in mind that you were only allowed to listen, not to ask questions or participate. That's not learning, that memorizing. Scripture is one thing. But the Pastor's opinion is another.

[COOPER]

Originally Posted by Michlow

Keep in mind that you were only allowed to listen, not to ask questions or participate. That's not learning, that memorizing. Scripture is one thing. But the Pastor's opinion is another.

Originally Posted by Michlow

Keep in mind that you were only allowed to listen, not to ask questions or participate. That's not learning, that memorizing. Scripture is one thing. But the Pastor's opinion is another.

Hey, Mich!

i see the pendulum is still swinging.

I pray you find the place of stability and balance that will satisfy your soul!

[Michlow]

Originally Posted by philjones

Hey, Mich!

i see the pendulum is still swinging.

I pray you find the place of stability and balance that will satisfy your soul!

Ouch. That stung a little

Of course, my skin is a little thin and sensitive right now, as I have had many bombs tossed at me over the past couple days.

So as I am feeling a little drained, I am going to cheat a little and cut and paste something that I wrote in the Obey them thread yesterday, I think it addresses the pendulum thing fairly well.

Originally Posted by Michlow

Thank you Felicity. I believe that too. Yes, I have issues, lots of them! And I avoided dealing with them for a very very long time. They started to surface when I originally found FCF, some of you might remember that. And then, I got tired of the dealing with it. I thought if I could just squish myself back into the same mindset that I had when I was first saved. When I believed everything I was told, and did everything I was told, and didn't question anything. Well, then I would be happy and comfortable again.

Guess how well that worked? I really tried, but I couldn't silence the questions or the doubts. It was on New Year's day when it came to a head. I was sitting on my bed, with my Bible, just kinda thumbing through. And of a sudden all the questions, all the apparent contradictions all the things that didn't make sense came boiling to the surface. And I just started to cry and said "God, I really don't think its supposed to be so hard! Why do we make it so hard? Nothing makes sense anymore and I can't stand it!"

And I prayed for a while I had a realization. I didn't care about standards, I didn't care about church or its programs, or tithing, or the role of women, or even doctrine. Because all of that junk had completely clouded my view of Jesus, and I didn't even know who he was anymore. Was he the harsh judge that was just waiting for me to show I wasn't "holy" enough so he could smite me? Was he the one that demanded absolute perfection? The one for whom nothing was ever enough?

At that moment, I made a New year's resolution, that the rest of that stuff could go in the garbage for all I cared. All I wanted to know is "Who is Jesus?"

So for right now, Yes, I do think that the rest of that stuff is unimportant. All that matters is my quest to find out Who He is. After that...well...who knows...

Originally Posted by Michlow

Ouch. That stung a little

Of course, my skin is a little thin and sensitive right now, as I have had many bombs tossed at me over the past couple days.

So as I am feeling a little drained, I am going to cheat a little and cut and paste something that I wrote in the Obey them thread yesterday, I think it addresses the pendulum thing fairly well.

Mich,

I didn't mean to "sting" you. I was simply making an observation based on posts you had made a little before nFCF came to an end. At that point you actually mentioned the vacillation that had existed in your walk (at that time you were accepting some of the standards and they were of no consequence to you).

I certainly did not intend it to be a flying bomb. My sincerest wishes for your spiritual success and satisfaction accompany this post and that one as well!

[Michlow]

Originally Posted by philjones

Mich,

I didn't mean to "sting" you. I was simply making an observation based on posts you had made a little before nFCF came to an end. At that point you actually mentioned the vacillation that had existed in your walk (at that time you were accepting some of the standards and they were of no consequence to you).

I certainly did not intend it to be a flying bomb. My sincerest wishes for your spiritual success and satisfaction accompany this post and that one as well!

Well I can't argue with this! But my problem seems to be that rather than dealing with all this junk, I get tired of feeling "uncomfortable" and try to push myself back into my little box. I am refusing to do that this time, because I want to deal with this and move on!!!

On a side note, you were right that the standards were of no consequence to me, I felt what I felt in my mind, but found it no problem to go along with the status quo. For some reason a breaking point came when I realized that I worried that some people I cared about would be disappointed or upset if I cut my hair, and at the same time was open and above board about my TV habits (Such as my love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer), one day I realized that chances are some people who could care less about my hair, would nevertheless be shocked by my TV habits, and I don't know, it all seemed silly somehow.

The truth is, my "convictions" about these things haven't changed, just my actions.

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by philjones

Hey, Mich!

i see the pendulum is still swinging.

I pray you find the place of stability and balance that will satisfy your soul!

For some people it never stops but for others once they work their way through things they find an even keel.

[Steve Epley]

Originally Posted by COOPER

Exactly, as much preaching and teaching I have heard in 17 years how much does someone need?

17 years, 52 weeks a year, 3 times a week, 1-1/2 hour a lesson equals: 3,978 hours of learing.

There is a difference between teaching and learning they are not the same.
Some learn faster other slower much slower and some sad to say never learn.