Christians, non-denominational or otherwise

[starbuck]

Mar 12, 2020 7:12:27 GMT -6 Kida said:

Mar 12, 2020 6:51:25 GMT -6 starbuck said:

I dusted off 2 devotionals today that had been collecting dust. So, progress (as long as I don't let them sit and collect dust this time).

Awesome! I was browsing Walmart yesterday, making a list of books I'd like to get. I can't wait for tomorrow. For now, I've been just reading from the beginning and also each day looking up a verse that is on a devotional plan I found on pintrest. I'm doing the SOAP method where you read your verse or passage, copy down the Scripture in writing, write in your own words the Observation of what you got out of it, write down an Application of how you can apply it to your life, then write a Prayer pertaining to the scripture.

I'm trying to decide how to read more - like just crack it open at the beginning and dive in or think through the topics and issues I need more guidance on and start with associated scripture? 

When I was younger I used to pray, then open my bible to a random page and verse and see what came out of it. That led to some interesting moments.

[Kida]

Mar 12, 2020 7:24:23 GMT -6 starbuck said:

Mar 12, 2020 7:12:27 GMT -6 Kida said:

Awesome! I was browsing Walmart yesterday, making a list of books I'd like to get. I can't wait for tomorrow. For now, I've been just reading from the beginning and also each day looking up a verse that is on a devotional plan I found on pintrest. I'm doing the SOAP method where you read your verse or passage, copy down the Scripture in writing, write in your own words the Observation of what you got out of it, write down an Application of how you can apply it to your life, then write a Prayer pertaining to the scripture.

I'm trying to decide how to read more - like just crack it open at the beginning and dive in or think through the topics and issues I need more guidance on and start with associated scripture? 

When I was younger I used to pray, then open my bible to a random page and verse and see what came out of it. That led to some interesting moments.

I used to do this! I was just thinking about how I would do this yesterday! So crazy!

For me, I've never actually read the bible, so in my free time that I would normally be just scrolling through whatever, I read the bible on an app. I started at the beginning since I've never read it. Then at night while I'm laying in bed, I read from my bible wherever I left off on the app.

For my daily study time, which is separate for me than the reading, the soap method, I went through and saved a ton of 30 day scripture writing/devotional things that have to do with different things like, love, joy, anger, your identity in Christ, saved, that kind of thing. I don't do each one of the 30 day things, instead, I scroll through and pick one of the topics that I feel like I want to study on today, then I read the verses out lined until I find one that I feel like is resonating with me. Then I read the entire passage that verse is in because context matters when reading the bible lol, and I pick however many verses I think, for example, Friday I did 2Peter 3:2-18. Then I write the scripture in my notebook and read it again while underlining the parts that I think are very important in the message. Then I go on to the OAP parts.

[shadows]

I love reading all of your stories. I grew up going to church, all of my friends went to church, and it was just sort of expected. I pretty much stopped attending when I was in college and didn't really start attending regularly again until the past few years. Recently, I have definitely let life get in the way, and I have not felt as connected as I would like. I had been attending a bible study group, and had decided to make it a priority at the first of the year, and I've only been once in 2020. This thread is inspiring me. I want to reignite my relationship with God; I just need to commit the time to it. Hopefully, this will light a fire under me.

Through my church, all of the congregation has a subscription to Rightnow Media. I have never actually signed up, but I need to. We watch videos from there in my Sunday School class and they have some good bible studies.

[Kida]

starbuck I'm doing Psamls 37:3-24 today. My outline was for quietness and stillness and I picked Psalms 37:7 but ended up choosing 3-24 as my study.

shadows I'll have to check out that Rightnow Media!

[Kida]

The scripture that stood out to me today in my study was 23-24: The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not utterly be cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.


Even when I fall in my faith walk and mess up, God's got me.

[willow]

Kida I also think that with the change in the way people live their lives now, there are a lot of churches that are making their community available outside of Sunday morning services. Saturday nights, weeknights, lots of different types of bible studies depending on interests, etc. So that is nice. I would like to find somewhere that fits my progressive ideas but also isn't trying SUPER hard to be "trendy" and contemporary. I don't want old fashioned services either really (not to say it is wrong to like traditional services, I just am not into them), so I guess I want something in between? There is a church pretty close to us that always has a pride flag flying and it seems pretty progressive. I have thought about checking into it. I would probably want something that isn't Sunday mornings though just because I do value that weekend time, especially with two more babies coming.

[McBenny]

I like a good devotional. It's like get in, get scripture reading and study done, get out.

[starbuck]

I'm just starting a Faith and Culture Devotional, which has daily devotionals linked to art, science, literature, and life. Flipping through, it's really meant to get you thinking about how to find, see, and connect with God through all these different aspects of life- versus familiarizing you with scripture. There is some scripture, but it's more philosophical in nature.

I also have 52 Weeks with Jesus which features one scripture followed by analysis that is short and to the point - almost too much so.

Kida, for accountability, I read one devotional out of each of these books to get things going.

[Kida]

Mar 12, 2020 11:35:14 GMT -6 starbuck said:

I'm just starting a Faith and Culture Devotional, which has daily devotionals linked to art, science, literature, and life. Flipping through, it's really meant to get you thinking about how to find, see, and connect with God through all these different aspects of life- versus familiarizing you with scripture. There is some scripture, but it's more philosophical in nature.

I also have 52 Weeks with Jesus which features one scripture followed by analysis that is short and to the point - almost too much so.

Kida, for accountability, I read one devotional out of each of these books to get things going.

Oh cool, feel free to share some stuff that you find really neat.

I love all of those things. One thing about science is I find some ppl that aren't involved with faith think that science and God are two separate things where I believe we have science because of God.

I've heard, "God didnt make so and so better, Dr. Whatever did." Well, I think those things are God working through those ppl, giving us medical discoveries ect.

For example, when I used to struggle so hard with my anxiety and depression and was just an absolute wreck, I would cry and beg God to help me, and at times even thought I must be evil or something and can't be helped. My family would suggest meds and I would turn that idea down, rinse and repeat.

Now that I'm on meds and happy and healthy, I feel like the medicine was the answer to my prayers. God didn't just leave us in need, he made a way by using science and the smart ppl of the medical field.

I look back and picture my self crying to God and him pushing ppl to lead me to meds and me ignoring him then begging for help and him being like, "I'm trying to help you, you wont let me!"

For me, the more I know of science, the more I believe in God because things are just too amazing and perfectly planned to be coincidental.

I'm super interested in any good stuff you want to share as you go!

[starbuck]

Mar 12, 2020 12:13:48 GMT -6 Kida said:

Mar 12, 2020 11:35:14 GMT -6 starbuck said:

I'm just starting a Faith and Culture Devotional, which has daily devotionals linked to art, science, literature, and life. Flipping through, it's really meant to get you thinking about how to find, see, and connect with God through all these different aspects of life- versus familiarizing you with scripture. There is some scripture, but it's more philosophical in nature.

I also have 52 Weeks with Jesus which features one scripture followed by analysis that is short and to the point - almost too much so.

Kida , for accountability, I read one devotional out of each of these books to get things going.

Oh cool, feel free to share some stuff that you find really neat.

I love all of those things. One thing about science is I find some ppl that aren't involved with faith think that science and God are two separate things where I believe we have science because of God.

I've heard, "God didnt make so and so better, Dr. Whatever did." Well, I think those things are God working through those ppl, giving us medical discoveries ect.

For example, when I used to struggle so hard with my anxiety and depression and was just an absolute wreck, I would cry and beg God to help me, and at times even thought I must be evil or something and can't be helped. My family would suggest meds and I would turn that idea down, rinse and repeat.

Now that I'm on meds and happy and healthy, I feel like the medicine was the answer to my prayers. God didn't just leave us in need, he made a way by using science and the smart ppl of the medical field.

I look back and picture my self crying to God and him pushing ppl to lead me to meds and me ignoring him then begging for help and him being like, "I'm trying to help you, you wont let me!"

For me, the more I know of science, the more I believe in God because things are just too amazing and perfectly planned to be coincidental.

I'm super interested in any good stuff you want to share as you go!

I'm glad you got what you needed to be happy and healthy! It can be such a struggle to find the right support and the right tools to get your head into the right space.

I totally agree with all of this. I think science is one way to understand and have a deeper appreciation for the creativity that went into creation. 

[Kida]

How are you all doing with the Coronavirus? How are you handling that faith wise?

I had an initial panic, which in the interest of transparency, the outbreak began before I was reconciled with God. I am oddly calm about it even though I know how incredibly serious it is. I'm doing everything I can such as washing hands, sanitizing, disinfecting and keeping several feet back on top of all of us being fully vaccinated in everything possible. For me, I feel calm. I have faith in God that me and my immediate little family, me, H and dd, are going to be ok in Jesus' name.

God gave me a brain and I'm not being unsafe, but I have faith that what I'm doing+prayer is going to keep me and my 2 ppl safe.

How are you all dealing?


I saw this and I really like it.

[Kida]

Today I'm going to do my bible study on Psalms 91 with highlight on verse 10: There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. Anybody read anything good for their study time yesterday?

[eleephant]

Hi All! First of all, I always wished there was a religion board on here, so thanks Kida for getting one started!

I grew up in a Christian household and most of my extended family is Christian as well. My parents taught youth and then children's church. I met my husband (who grew up Catholic but wasn't religious anymore) and he began going to church with me. After we got married and had 3 kids we decided to get baptized together. It was great! Our lives were going good. In 2017 we moved from AZ to Washington state and since then we've gone through some really hard things.

We basically stopped going to church. Something happened that made my husband loose respect for the lead pastor. I know we could probably find a different church, but we are getting ready to move back to AZ in a couple of months and I don't want to find a new church just to leave it. We've been watching sermons online but it's just not the same. I miss the worship in God's house.

My relationship with God basically stopped around a year ago, I stopped praying and just tried to live life on my own. Within the past couple of months I have felt a reawakening in my soul. I've only been listening to worship music, my H and I have been reading the Bible together and praying every night (reading the whole thing chronologically) and I feel His presence again.

Thank you for making this space. It's really what I need right now. And sorry for the TL;DR.

[imapenguin]

Mar 13, 2020 8:57:46 GMT -6 Kida said:

How are you all doing with the Coronavirus? How are you handling that faith wise?

ETA, that’s in James 4:8

[poptarts]

Kida, the Coronavirus is really setting off my anxiety and a bit of hypochondria, so I’ve been praying more. It seems to calm me. My parents are in their 70s, and my MIL has health issues so I’m more concerned about them than myself and husband and kids because we’re fairly healthy.

[Kida]

Mar 13, 2020 10:23:55 GMT -6 eleephant said:

Hi All! First of all, I always wished there was a religion board on here, so thanks Kida for getting one started!

I grew up in a Christian household and most of my extended family is Christian as well. My parents taught youth and then children's church. I met my husband (who grew up Catholic but wasn't religious anymore) and he began going to church with me. After we got married and had 3 kids we decided to get baptized together. It was great! Our lives were going good. In 2017 we moved from AZ to Washington state and since then we've gone through some really hard things.

We basically stopped going to church. Something happened that made my husband loose respect for the lead pastor. I know we could probably find a different church, but we are getting ready to move back to AZ in a couple of months and I don't want to find a new church just to leave it. We've been watching sermons online but it's just not the same. I miss the worship in God's house.

My relationship with God basically stopped around a year ago, I stopped praying and just tried to live life on my own. Within the past couple of months I have felt a reawakening in my soul. I've only been listening to worship music, my H and I have been reading the Bible together and praying every night (reading the whole thing chronologically) and I feel His presence again.

Thank you for making this space. It's really what I need right now. And sorry for the TL;DR.

Love this! I'm glad for this board too. When I reconnected I noticed a serious drop in my interest in GD but still wanted the community and friendship. There is a lack of christian forums. So I thought, I wonder if there's other ladies here, and there are! Yaay!

I would love to talk with you about what you're reading. I'm on Numbers 17 after starting from the beginning. Where are ya'll at in the Book?

[unicornofthesea]

Just popping in to say I'm here.
I'm at work though so I'll catch up later tonight while I'm avoiding social media.

[eleephant]

Mar 13, 2020 11:08:12 GMT -6 Kida said:

Mar 13, 2020 10:23:55 GMT -6 eleephant said:

Hi All! First of all, I always wished there was a religion board on here, so thanks Kida for getting one started!

I grew up in a Christian household and most of my extended family is Christian as well. My parents taught youth and then children's church. I met my husband (who grew up Catholic but wasn't religious anymore) and he began going to church with me. After we got married and had 3 kids we decided to get baptized together. It was great! Our lives were going good. In 2017 we moved from AZ to Washington state and since then we've gone through some really hard things.

We basically stopped going to church. Something happened that made my husband loose respect for the lead pastor. I know we could probably find a different church, but we are getting ready to move back to AZ in a couple of months and I don't want to find a new church just to leave it. We've been watching sermons online but it's just not the same. I miss the worship in God's house.

My relationship with God basically stopped around a year ago, I stopped praying and just tried to live life on my own. Within the past couple of months I have felt a reawakening in my soul. I've only been listening to worship music, my H and I have been reading the Bible together and praying every night (reading the whole thing chronologically) and I feel His presence again.

Thank you for making this space. It's really what I need right now. And sorry for the TL;DR.

Love this! I'm glad for this board too. When I reconnected I noticed a serious drop in my interest in GD but still wanted the community and friendship. There is a lack of christian forums. So I thought, I wonder if there's other ladies here, and there are! Yaay!

I would love to talk with you about what you're reading. I'm on Numbers 17 after starting from the beginning. Where are ya'll at in the Book?

So we just started like last week. 😂 This will be my 2nd time reading through and H's first. I read it chronologically last time too because it makes more sense to me and lessens my confusion. Also I read it in the NIV translation because I cannot comprehend or pay attention to KJV. We are in Genisis, we just finished reading about Issac marrying Rebecca and the birth of Jacob and Esau. I'm assuming tonight will be about Jacob tricking Isaac for the birth right.

I lost interest in GD too and have often taken breaks (even though I'm mainly a lurker). I've looked for other boards with religion and never found anything active. And to be honest I never fully joined GD because I feared about not fitting in because of my spiritual beliefs.

[Kida]

Mar 13, 2020 11:36:03 GMT -6 eleephant said:

Mar 13, 2020 11:08:12 GMT -6 Kida said:

Love this! I'm glad for this board too. When I reconnected I noticed a serious drop in my interest in GD but still wanted the community and friendship. There is a lack of christian forums. So I thought, I wonder if there's other ladies here, and there are! Yaay!

I would love to talk with you about what you're reading. I'm on Numbers 17 after starting from the beginning. Where are ya'll at in the Book?

So we just started like last week. 😂 This will be my 2nd time reading through and H's first. I read it chronologically last time too because it makes more sense to me and lessens my confusion. Also I read it in the NIV translation because I cannot comprehend or pay attention to KJV. We are in Genisis, we just finished reading about Issac marrying Rebecca and the birth of Jacob and Esau. I'm assuming tonight will be about Jacob tricking Isaac for the birth right.

I lost interest in GD too and have often taken breaks (even though I'm mainly a lurker). I've looked for other boards with religion and never found anything active. And to be honest I never fully joined GD because I feared about not fitting in because of my spiritual beliefs.

This makes me so excited to read! All of it! My hope with this board is that we can eventually have our own little General Discussion away from Gen.Dis. lol. Like have our little randoms and what not but based and surrounding our faith, kind of like the bmb's but with our religion lol. For example, now that I'm saved , I really notice the sex and cursing which I used to be all up in, (even starting most of the convos!) but now it grates me, stops me in my tracks and I notice it. I want a safe place to be without it, 1 so I don't have to read it and 2 so I'm not tempted to join back in. No judgement to those that are comfortable in it because I was so very comfortable in it, but that has changed and I believe it to be part of the pruning God is doing for me.

[eleephant]

Mar 13, 2020 11:43:46 GMT -6 Kida said:

Mar 13, 2020 11:36:03 GMT -6 eleephant said:

So we just started like last week. 😂 This will be my 2nd time reading through and H's first. I read it chronologically last time too because it makes more sense to me and lessens my confusion. Also I read it in the NIV translation because I cannot comprehend or pay attention to KJV. We are in Genisis, we just finished reading about Issac marrying Rebecca and the birth of Jacob and Esau. I'm assuming tonight will be about Jacob tricking Isaac for the birth right.

I lost interest in GD too and have often taken breaks (even though I'm mainly a lurker). I've looked for other boards with religion and never found anything active. And to be honest I never fully joined GD because I feared about not fitting in because of my spiritual beliefs.

This makes me so excited to read! All of it! My hope with this board is that we can eventually have our own little General Discussion away from Gen.Dis. lol. Like have our little randoms and what not but based and surrounding our faith, kind of like the bmb's but with our religion lol. For example, now that I'm saved , I really notice the sex and cursing which I used to be all up in, (even starting most of the convos!) but now it grates me, stops me in my tracks and I notice it. I want a safe place to be without it, 1 so I don't have to read it and 2 so I'm not tempted to join back in. No judgement to those that are comfortable in it because I was so very comfortable in it, but that has changed and I believe it to be part of the pruning God is doing for me.

I totally get it, and that's so awesome! I've been watching TV shows that I stopped back in the day because they made me uncomfortable. I want to feel uncomfortable again!

Do you mind if I PM you?

[Kida]

Mar 13, 2020 11:45:44 GMT -6 eleephant said:

Mar 13, 2020 11:43:46 GMT -6 Kida said:

This makes me so excited to read! All of it! My hope with this board is that we can eventually have our own little General Discussion away from Gen.Dis. lol. Like have our little randoms and what not but based and surrounding our faith, kind of like the bmb's but with our religion lol. For example, now that I'm saved , I really notice the sex and cursing which I used to be all up in, (even starting most of the convos!) but now it grates me, stops me in my tracks and I notice it. I want a safe place to be without it, 1 so I don't have to read it and 2 so I'm not tempted to join back in. No judgement to those that are comfortable in it because I was so very comfortable in it, but that has changed and I believe it to be part of the pruning God is doing for me.

I totally get it, and that's so awesome! I've been watching TV shows that I stopped back in the day because they made me uncomfortable. I want to feel uncomfortable again!

Do you mind if I PM you?

Um, yeah! I would love it if you did!

[gingy]

For anyone who might be in the market for a new Bible with some reading direction, I highly recommend She Reads Truth Bibles. They also have an app with different translations of the Bible and free or cheap studies. Their desktop website has all of the studies for free. Our church is going through the gospels this semester, so I'm following along with the SRT guides.

[eleephant]

Mar 13, 2020 11:50:59 GMT -6 Kida said:

Mar 13, 2020 11:45:44 GMT -6 eleephant said:

I totally get it, and that's so awesome! I've been watching TV shows that I stopped back in the day because they made me uncomfortable. I want to feel uncomfortable again!

Do you mind if I PM you?

Um, yeah! I would love it if you did!

I think I did it, I've never pm'd anyone before and I'm on Tapatalk. 😂

[gingy]

So my story.

I grew up in a conservative Christian household. We attended a non-denominational church every Sunday. I was super into youth group all through school. I accepted Christ and was baptized when I was 14. I went away to college and just kind of forgot about it all. I didn't want to go to church on Sunday because I was hungover. I didn't have any close friends who were Christian and willing to hold me accountable. So I just stopped.

I met DH the summer after freshman year. He was Catholic. Neither of us was super into our respective church, so we didn't consider the small differences in belief to be an issue for us. We sporadically attended his church or my parents' church. SD was put into Catholic school and was largely supported spiritually by my ILs.

After we had DS, DH and I decided we needed to get back into church so he could have a foundation of some kind. We started looking with those two churches being our first choices. We met with the priests and pastors. The tl;dr version of all of it is that DH decided he no longer wanted to be a part of the Catholic church. But we also didn't like my parents' church. Our neighbor is the pastor of a small church downtown, so we decided to visit. We both fell in love. DH accepted Christ. I got back into my faith in a way I hadn't in a long time. It's been like coming home.

[Kida]

Mar 13, 2020 12:07:49 GMT -6 eleephant said:

Mar 13, 2020 11:50:59 GMT -6 Kida said:

Um, yeah! I would love it if you did!

I think I did it, I've never pm'd anyone before and I'm on Tapatalk. 😂

I just sent you one back

[pianolove]

Hi all. I saw this as I was heading to the geek board and thought I’d see what’s up. I’m kinda glad this board was started. I don’t have any religious/Christian friends anymore.

H and I both grew up in the church, I was raised Wesleyan. We’re both non denominational now. Through a series of life transitions and leaving because of issues, we are finding ourselves looking for home. I feel the past few years have been nothing but valleys for me in my spiritual walk. I actually used to work at my old church and was very active in volunteering and playing in the worship team, and I think that burned me out quite a bit more than I originally thought.

I’m trying to build a habit of praying and choosing to read the Bible instead of other books. H is better at this than I am lol. Our main goal is to find some Christian friends but we’re not having much luck finding a church. We found a possible church that we could call home but it’s 25 minutes away and the people who go there are up to an hour away. So we’re just hoping/praying for friends who are close ish to us.

[Kida]

I'm so happy at the amount of ppl here, I was afraid no one else would be interested in this!

[Kida]

Good morning everyone, how are you all? I think I've decided to stay home from church today and do my own worship time. I might look on youtube and see if I can find a good sermon.

What are y'all doing this lovely Sunday?

[gingy]

We’re going to church, but it will probably be the last gathering for the foreseeable future. I’m the children’s volunteer coordinator, so I’ve been talking to the pastors and our workers all morning to come up with a game plan.

We’re a small church with a young congregation, so we should be fine for this one last Sunday.

We do crowdcast when we’re not able to gather in the building. We’ve used it for snow days before and it’s so great.

[Kida]

How you doing starbuck? You hanging in there?