Amos.. It seems to me thatyour thoughts have more to do with Church Attendance than living for God.. it seems..
Church attendance is only one thing I mentioned.
I do believe, though, that church attendance and participation is important for a healthy relationship with God.
Don't you?
Why would you willingly place yourself in a situation where you would be separated for long periods of time from the fellowship of the Body of Christ, and one's local church?
What is possible in unavoidable situations and what one should choose to do are two different things.
If you must, for some unavoidable reason, be away from fellowship, God is able to keep you; but why would you advise a young person to willingly embrace a lifestyle that would keep them away from churcy for long periods of time?
Please don't try and pigeonhole me as one of those people, whoever they are, that thinks all there is to a relationship with God is going to church. I know better than that.
Are you going to urge your own children to join the military, Rev?
Or do you just sort of want to disagree with me because I touched your sacred cow of athletics?
__________________ "Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel."
I do believe, though, that church attendance and participation is important for a healthy relationship with God.
Don't you?
Why would you willingly place yourself in a situation where you would be separated for long periods of time from the fellowship of the Body of Christ, and one's local church?
What is possible in unavoidable situations and what one should choose to do are two different things.
If you must, for some unavoidable reason, be away from fellowship, God is able to keep you; but why would you advise a young person to willingly embrace a lifestyle that would keep them away from churcy for long periods of time?
Please don't try and pigeonhole me as one of those people, whoever they are, that thinks all there is to a relationship with God is going to church. I know better than that.
Are you going to urge your own children to join the military, Rev?
Or do you just sort of want to disagree with me because I touched your sacred cow of athletics?
I have no sacred cow and really don't keep up with sports.. I do like to fish.. I and my wife have really enjoyed taking our kids to their games and watching them play.. (something my father never did with us) ..
and I would hope that in any situation that would take me away from fellowship my relationship with God would be stronger than the situation..
I know of many sick folk who couldn't go to church due to circumstances beyond their control and to many elderly folks who couldn't make a service but on TV by a false doctrine preacher but it was the only church they had...
and they maintained their relationship with God..
I have encouraged my sons to join the military... and if they choose so down the road I would be proud of them.. they are living for God at public school right now and seem to be suceeding.. I want them to know God for who he is and not just because someone tells them...
Amos.. I DO APPRECIATE Your Excellent Spirit in Talking with you here.. very commendable!!
I have no sacred cow and really don't keep up with sports.. I do like to fish.. I and my wife have really enjoyed taking our kids to their games and watching them play.. (something my father never did with us) ..
and I would hope that in any situation that would take me away from fellowship my relationship with God would be stronger than any situation..
I know of many sick folk who couldn't go to church do to circumstances beyond their control and to many elderly folks who couldn't make a service but on TV by a false doctrine preacher but it was the only church they had...
and they maintained their relationship with God..
I have encouraged my sons to join the military... and if they choose so down the road I would be proud of them.. they are living for God at public school right now and seem to be suceeding.. I want them to know God for who he is and not just because someone tells them...
Revrandy,
What people may be able to do in situations beyond their control is one thing; choices we make for ourselves is quite another. The latter is what we are discussing.
If I was marooned on a desert island with no Bible I could maintain my relationship with God too, but if I have my way, I am going to be near a good church.
One doesn't have much to do with the other.
__________________ "Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel."
I have no sacred cow and really don't keep up with sports.. I do like to fish.. I and my wife have really enjoyed taking our kids to their games and watching them play.. (something my father never did with us) ..
and I would hope that in any situation that would take me away from fellowship my relationship with God would be stronger than the situation..
I know of many sick folk who couldn't go to church due to circumstances beyond their control and to many elderly folks who couldn't make a service but on TV by a false doctrine preacher but it was the only church they had...
and they maintained their relationship with God..
I have encouraged my sons to join the military... and if they choose so down the road I would be proud of them.. they are living for God at public school right now and seem to be suceeding.. I want them to know God for who he is and not just because someone tells them...
Amos.. I DO APPRECIATE Your Excellent Spirit in Talking with you here.. very commendable!!
RevR, I know this is off the subject but were you in the military?
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
I do believe, though, that church attendance and participation is important for a healthy relationship with God.
Don't you?
Why would you willingly place yourself in a situation where you would be separated for long periods of time from the fellowship of the Body of Christ, and one's local church?
I agree with this.
There were two games my son missed last year because of church. When the coach approached him and asked him to play last year, our son told him he could not miss church at all.
When regionals came their first game was on a Wednesday evening. My son did not go and his coach never treated him any differently because of it. When sectionals came around he contributed in a big way to the team's success.
My son has arranged all of his course load to become a teacher, and wants to coach basketball eventually. His current coach is a great mentor. Unfortunately, that is not aklways the case.
Let me go see if I can find that story I posted last year.....
Considering sports, i think it is a mixed bag no matter how you cut it.
in my youth group a few years ago, I had two kids the same age who played high school sports. both lettered.
I believe that organized sports hurt their walk with God very much.
the other I believe it gave them many many positives including the dicipline to live for God even now that they have left home and are in college (playing football at a D2 school). this kid came from a broken home in the hood. sports gave him male roll models and drive to succeed.
so clearly sports can be dangerous but it can also save a kid.
__________________ If I do something stupid blame the Lortab!
Amos, yours are the most balanced arguments i have heard against participation in organzied sports.
Thank you Brother Ferd.
I certainly don't see it as an absolute that should be preached as if it were doctrine; these are just my own reasons and the logic (hopefully) behind the choices we have made.
__________________ "Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit:
And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel."
Hybrid Mode
