What do I do?
Posted by Mandi on June 25th, 2006 . Filed under: Personal .My friends say that I have a Bible in my head. The funny thing is that I don’t know nearly as much Scripture as I used to. The sad thing is that the reason I knew so much was because I was constantly hearing it in church. For me to not know it anymore means I don’t get it in church anymore.
I only recently started carrying my Bible to church again. I don’t need it at church. Often there’s only one or two verses used to make a point, and they are always shown on the screen. But God convicted me of it a few weeks ago, so now I make a point to take my Bible.
I miss real church. Today got close to it. Our church is in the process of hiring a new pastor, and the speaker today was fabulous. This was his second time preaching, and honestly, he’s the best preacher who’s spoken at New Hope Christian Church.
But it still isn’t good enough.
Wow. I feel like a heathen saying that. But God is most definitely stirring within me. I have this hunger for him that isn’t getting fed at New Hope. It never has, but then again, I wasn’t hungry before. My friends go to New Hope, so it’s been good enough for me. But it isn’t anymore.
NHCC only has services on Sunday morning. I really don’t think that’s enough. At the very least it should be Sunday morning and one night a week. In addition to any small groups. A small group shouldn’t take the place of a sermon.
So what do I do? Do I stay at New Hope Sunday mornings and find somewhere else Wednesday night? I don’t like the idea of dividing my time between two churches. I feel strongly that you should have one church home. So does that mean that I need to find a new church altogether? One that I really can call “home”?
I need clarity and wisdom here. I’d appreciate your prayers.
Tags: Christianity, Church
June 26th, 2006 at 1:14 am
“What is my local church?”
That is indeed an important question in the walk of a Christian. Its almost as vital as “Who am I?”
“What am I supposed to do/be?”
But “Where am I supposed to go to Church?” is often ignored in modern Western Christianity these days, which is regretable, as the local church where God wants you to be at makes all the difference in answering the first two questions.
My advice, if you have not read “A Purpose Driven Live” by Rick Warren, read it.
If you have, take some time and re-read Day 15-21. It will help get your head straight as you listen to God’s voice.
June 26th, 2006 at 4:32 am
Thank you Jeremy for seeing this as a valid question and concern. All too often folks think that once you go to a church, you have to stay there, no matter what.
I’m NOT an advocate of church-hopping, but I do know that you’ve got to be where God wants you to be.
June 26th, 2006 at 1:48 pm
My wife and I have faced a similar dilemma, albeit for different reasons. My comments may not help, but…
The first question I would ask – “is your church Biblically sound?” A pastor once told me that the church should be the equipping grounds, not the mission field.
If your church is sound, maybe think about how you could help in the interim rather than splitting. People today (not saying this is you) tend to be more committed to “specific causes” rather than “institutions” and this often hurts the local church because when things hit a rough patch, people bolt.
I guess that is taking the long view of things (not something I have always done). With that said, however, at some point you may determine that the problems won’t be fixed and you may have to serve elsewhere.
You may be interested in a series of sermons recently broadcast by Pastor James MacDonald, based near Chicago. Go to http://www.walkintheword.com and select broadcasts. The series deals with “God’s will” and wisdom. I think this may help for what you are going through now.
Mike
June 26th, 2006 at 2:51 pm
Find a good Bible study. I’m in church Sunday and Wednesday, but I’ve found that the place I grow the most is in my Bible study group. We’re working our way through the Bible one book at a time, and because it’s a smaller group, we have more chances to dig deep and discuss what we’re reading.
June 26th, 2006 at 8:02 pm
It sounds like you simply need to hear from God and find out what His will is. The question isn’t whether or not your current church is a good church, but where God is calling you to be. Keep asking Him to reveal His will to you and He’ll do just that. Let me know if I can help. (Prayer or otherwise.)
June 27th, 2006 at 4:12 pm
Re: Ontheedgeofmy seat…
I think you would find the recent teaching by James MacDonald interesting as well…
His recent teaching concerning “God’s will” really has me thinking…
His main points:
1) God has a sovereign will
2) God has a moral will (i.e. the Bible and its teachings)
3) Life should be lived with respect to the two items above, but other than that, there is a lot of leeway and life should be lived to please and honor God.
Again, check out http://www.walkintheword.com
Have a great day,
Mike
January 5th, 2010 at 5:29 am
Out of curiosity, back then, why did you feel 1 day of service per week wasn’t enough? What, exactly, did you want more of?
Just wondering.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:03 am
Well, at the time I was a servant of dogma. You remember the church I grew up in. That church left me with a lot of baggage and the need to have everything just so. The foundation that I gained while in that church haunted me for years while I struggled to find a balance between what I had been incorrectly taught and want I wanted.
Of course, that’s my answer NOW. Back then my answer would have been, simply, that I wanted more of God.