More Lost Than Found, by Jared Herd

I just finished reading Jared Herd's book, More Lost Than Found: Finding A Way Back to Faith. At he beginning of the book I found myself thinking, "How simple, nothing that I have not read or thought of before. I am not "lost," I am "found," I just need to finish it so I can get this blog done and get another book on its way." Then about a third through the book I could not lay it down.

I have been a professing Christian for some 50 years now. I have found through reading this book that in some area of my thinking, I too was more lost than found. This is an excellent read for all believers to help us see the trap we fall into. How even though we are living in the 21 century, we are much like the "church" that Jesus came to "save." We need to set back and hear the voices of those who left the church and look at how we really are rather than how we see ourself. If someone outside the church is struggling with their faith then he challenges them to go back to where they started from and encourages them to enter into the Christian faith, to become a part of God's kingdom.

Yes, this is an easy read. No, he does not follow every truth with a scripture footnote but if you know the Bible you will find that the truths in this book are from a man whose thoughts are  founded in  Word of God.  This is one or the best books I have ever read to encourage a person in their faith. Herd is not so specific in his hurts that kept him from fellowship with the church yet is open and transparent with his issues. He is real. Through his story I have been challenged to seek more diligently the Kingdom of God.

If I had not already known Jesus, I would have been motivated to get to know Him. If you have drifted from God for whatever reason, get a copy today, and do not lay it down until you finish it. By the way, let me know what you think after you finish.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Book Sneeze book review program. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Is Approval and Practice the Same?

Do you believe that “religion” has its place but is totally disconnected to the way you live your life? Christians may not practice ungodly living but what about their approval of it?

Scripture:

Romans 1:32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them

Some of us were talking just a few days ago how TV, movies, and magazines, ads and commercials have changed through the years. It seems like there is no limit to what is said or done in public anymore. There is no shame. No distinction between good and evil. Sidney J. Harris says, “Once we assuage our conscience by calling something a "necessary evil," it begins to look more and more necessary and less and less evil.”

It is only by God’s standards that we can distinguish right from wrong? My pastor has a saying, “Right is always right, and wrong is always wrong. It is never right to do wrong and, It is never wrong to do right.”

While we may not practice wrong or evil doing, ungodly living, and worldliness, we may be guilty of its approval. Too often we silently approve when we refuse to: speak out against wrong doings, change channels when ungodly language is being used, walk out of an obscene movie, etc.

Jesus said, in the Sermon on the Mount, "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16

Christians cannot be the salt of the earth if they are not different from the world, not for the sake of being different but that other can see the hope within us. We need to look for ways to lead the nation back to Christ rather than condemning them to an eternity in hell.

Application:

1.   Are there things that once shocked you that now don’t even raise your eyebrows?

2.   What do you find most pleasure in doing? What do you watch and listen to and laugh at for entertainment: music, dvd’s, cd’s, movies that may not be right?

3.   We need to pray each day that God will keep our hearts pure and keep us still able to be shocked by sin.

4.   How are we conducting our lives so that we are the salt of the earth?

Prayer:

Dear Father, forgive me for the times that I have sat silently and approved of things that I knew were wrong in your sight. Keep my mind clear so that I am able to discern right from wrong. Help me to be a light of the world so that others will come to know you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Romans 1:8-12 HOW IS YOUR CHURCH GROWING?

Is your church growing? I have spent the last 10 years observing and analyzing church growth. I find it quite interesting that rather than growing, birthing new Christians, churches have become satisfied with just more or less swapping members.

Scripture:

Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world
9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you. 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12   that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.

Lesson:

Many books have been written concerning church growth.  Writers give many solutions to church growth but Paul give two solutions that are very crucial to church growth: prayer and fellowship that encourages each other’s faith.

First Paul mentions his praying for the church.  So many times we exhaust every avenue to solve problems and when all else fails we decide to pray.  Scripture tells us to seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added.  Many churches have given up their mid-week prayer services and replaced it with many other “good” things but nothing can take the place of prayer. I once heard the saying, “A family that prays together, stays together.” I believe with Paul, a church that prays together grows in faith together.

Secondly, Paul talks about togetherness, fellowship. As the spiritual leader, he says he will bring them spiritually what they need to help them understand the good news of Jesus. In return they were to be an encourager to him. Many take fellowship to mean church “pot-luck” dinners. While this could be a good avenue for some good fellowship, it is only that. The church should be encouraged by each other’s faith. A Church whose behavior is influenced by grudges, hurt feelings, different opinions, and unforgiveness, cannot encourage anyone.

When a church puts prayer and true fellowship up front then individuals will begin to testify to the changes that will take place within the body of believers. As a result, others will come from far and wide to see and be a part of such fellowship.

Application:

1)     What place does prayer have in your life/church? Is it a vital part or just a side-kick?

2)     How should the role of spiritual leader/learner compliment and support each other?

3)     Where do you fit in? Are you an encourager or critic?

4)     Do you take care of your spiritual leaders needs as carefully as you do the needs of other members?

5)     What would church look like if we focus more on prayer and fellowship (encouraging each other’s faith) than activities and programs?

6)     Consider ways to grow as a prayer warrior and as an encourager.

Prayer:

Dear Father, create in me a heart that desires you. Help me to so focus on you that my prayers do not cease. Teach me to pray for fellow believers, for the church, and its growth. Help me to be an encourager to all. And, father, place in my life individuals to encourage me, to keep me accountable in my Christian journey. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Romans 1:7 ARE YOU A SAINT?

Who do you consider a Saint, Mother Theresa or Saint Mary, yourself? I have heard such responses as, “ I am not a Saint but…” By true definition, you might be a “saint.”

Scripture:

ROMANS 1:7 ...To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lesson:

When asked the question, “Do you consider yourself a Saint,” individuals without any hesitation will emphatically resound, “NO.”  Wonder why? Why would a Christian not want to be characterized as a Saint?

Most individuals think of a Saint as one who has either earned the title or had it bestowed to them from something they have done. However, Paul gives different guidelines as to who qualifies for the title. According to him, a person is a saint by accepting Christ as their Savior and by exalting Him not themselves.

So… by this definition, it may be a little easier to accept the title of “saint.” For it is not through our own character, or our own doing but by and through our relationship with Jesus Christ. By this definition, I will accept the title.

Application:

1.   Does your behavior characterize you as a saint?

2.   Does God love you? Have you heard God’s call and responded in obedience? By Paul’s guidelines this designates you as a Saint.

3.   Could the reason one would not be comfortable being called a Saint is because they are not exalting God by their actions.

Prayer:

Dear Father, I want to exalt you in all that I do. Help me to be proud of any title that I might possess that would help me to glorify you. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

unCHRISTIAN

How many professing Christians do you know? How many of them really live their lives any different than non-Christians when it comes to their personal lives? Do they live their lives in such a way that they would cause you to stop and take notice of Jesus? 

SCRIPTURE:
Romans 1:1. Paul, ….. set apart for the gospel of  God—

LESSON: Over the past years I have been studying Christianity. Individuals attend church as children, are made to come to church as adolescents, then rebel and finally leave the church by the time they go away to college, or move out to their own place. They do not return until ten sometimes fifteen years later if they return then. There are many reasons that individuals give for not being interested in Christianity,  and the one I have heard most often is, "I do not see anything in their lives that is any different from mine."

My son shared a book with me, unchristian, by David Kinnaman. Kinnaman is president of The Barna Group, a research group dedicated to studying Christianity in our culture. He along with Gabe Lyons, began this research to find out how just how our culture reflects Christianity. According to the Study, Christians do all those things to give them an appearance of being Christian but in reality when it comes to making a difference in how they live their lives there is very little connection. In other words, they are seen as unchristian. 

I first thought that the writers were getting ready to "burn" the church and hang the Christians. This was far from their intention. There is one thread of truth that runs throughout the book and that is that if we are to relate to the world then we as Christians must change how we relate to others. How we perceive ourselves is not near as important to kingdom growth as how non believers see us. others see us. If others cannot see Christ in us then we are not really Christian. If you are interested in leading your church to grow Christians that are living relevant lives, If you are serious about how you may be perceived by the world, then you must read unchristian. They discuss issues that are relevant to understanding why the negative perceptions exist and ways to reverse behaviors so that Christians can positively contribute to the kingdom of God. Hope you will come back and let me know what you think.


I asked myself, "Is there anything about me that reflects Jesus enough to cause a person to stop and think about Jesus?" One of my favorite quotes sums up the relationship between Christ and a believer, " A woman's heart should be hidden in Christ that a man must seek Him first to find her....Then they would know we are not only Christian by mouth but also by our actions.


APPLICATION:

1. If you were on trial for being a “Christian,” would you be convicted?
2. Think about your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, etc. What would they say about your "Christianity?  
3. What changes do you need to make in your life so that you would make Jesus attractive to the world?

PRAYER:

Dear Father, Help me to be so hidden in you that no one can see me without seeing you first. In Jesus name I  pray, Amen.

Romans 1:1 SET APART FROM OR APART TO?

We spend most of our lives trying to be like others. We want to fit in, to be apart of the group, to be included. We do not really want to be set apart do we? If we did not care we would not spent billions of dollars a year to make sure we are looking like the "Jones."

Scripture:

Romans 1:1. Paul, ….. set apart for the gospel of  God—

Lesson:

We most often think of being separated "from" something. We separate the sick from the well, bad fruit from the good, the criminals from law abiding citizens, etc. We we think about being separated from "the" group, is not a "good" feeling is it? We want to be picked don't we. We want to be invited don't we? 


Paul says in this scripture that we are not set apart "from" but "to" or "for" something. Now that is better isn't it. We do like being chosen for something. Paul tells us that Christians are separated for the gospel of God. To be separated to something is like a husband/bride relationship. No longer do these two living their lives in singleness but as one. Everything comes to the marriage based on what is good for the marriage. A husband/bride is separated unto each other for the fulfillment of the marriage contract. 


Paul said, I am a servant, I am sent out, and everything I do is for the gospel of God. As a Christian, we will be different for we are set apart to be different and for the purpose of spreading the Gospel of God." Some individuals spend their lives wanting to be "chosen." So we go about doing a little of everything to try to find our place so that we do not look different from others. However, when we know who we belong to and that we are on God's team we can be set apart, different. God has a team that surpasses any other team that we could be a part of called the "kingdom" team, or the "church." Christ thinks we are so special he calls us his "bride." We are set apart unto Him. Let us live as one set apart for Him. 

Application:

1. Do you recognize how special you are to God and his son, Jesus? 
2. Did you realize that in accepting Jesus, not only are you accepting him as Savior but Lord of your life? You are marrying Jesus. You are His now, not the worlds and he has set you apart?
3. Are you living a life of purity for your husband, Christ, or do you slip into adultery and live like the world when you think no one knows?  
4. What changes do you need to make in your life so that you would make Jesus attractive to the world?
5. Do you live for Jesus on Sunday but for the devil through the week?

Prayer:

Dear Father, search me and know my heart. Give me your eyes that I may see myself as you and the world sees me. Help me to be true to you to stop trying to hold on to the world and to you. Help me to have an intimate relationship with you so that as the world looks on they will know that I am yours and yours alone. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.

unChristian, by David Kinnaman

How many professing Christians do you know? How many of them really live their lives any different than non-Christians when it comes to their personal lives? Do they live their lives in such a way that they would cause you to stop and take notice of Jesus? 

Over the past years I have been studying Christianity. Individuals attend church as children, are made to come to church as adolescents, then rebel and finally leave the church by the time they go away to college, or move out to their own place. They do not return until ten sometimes fifteen years later if they return then. There are many reasons that individuals give for not being interested in Christianity,  and the one I have heard most often is, "I do not see anything in their lives that is any different from mine."

My son shared a book with me, unchristian, by David Kinnaman. Kinnaman is president of The Barna Group, a research group dedicated to studying Christianity in our culture. He along with Gabe Lyons, began this research to find out how just how our culture reflects Christianity. According to the Study, Christians do all those things to give them an appearance of being Christian but in reality when it comes to making a difference in how they live their lives there is very little connection. In other words, they are seen as unchristian. 

I first thought that the writers were getting ready to "burn" the church and hang the Christians. This was far from their intention. There is one thread of truth that runs throughout the book and that is that if we are to relate to the world then we as Christians must change how we relate to others. How we perceive ourselves is not near as important to kingdom growth as how non believers see us. others see us. If others cannot see Christ in us then we are not really Christian. 

I asked myself, "Is there anything about me that reflects Jesus enough to cause a person to stop and think about Jesus?" One of my favorite quotes sums up the relationship between Christ and a believer, " A woman's heart should be hidden in Christ that a man must seek Him first to find her....Then they would know we are not only Christian by mouth but also by our actions.

1. If you were on trial for being a “Christian,” would you be convicted?
2. Think about your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, etc. What would they say about your "Christianity?  
3. What changes do you need to make in your life so that you would make Jesus attractive to the world?

If you are interested in leading your church to grow Christians that are living relevant lives, If you are serious about how you may be perceived by the world, then you must read unchristian. They discuss issues that are relevant to understanding why the negative perceptions exist and ways to reverse behaviors so that Christians can positively contribute to the kingdom of God. Hope you will come back and let me know what you think.

Romans 1:1 IF YOU WERE FREE TO GO….WOULD YOU

Did you see the Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood movie, The Bridges of Madison County, this past week? There are many times we have the opportunity to walk out the door? We do not why?

Scripture:

Romans 1:1. Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus

Lesson:

That movie elicits many emotions doesn’t it? It appeared that she was a servant in the family, and taken for granted by her husband. Why did she not leave her husband and daughter? As I thought about this scripture, this movie came to my mind.

After his conversion, Paul calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ. When we think about servant, we think about being someone’s slave, the person who is to do all the menial jobs that a master would not want to do. The Greek word for servant is bond-servant. A huge percentage of the Roman world was enslaved. A servant was one who had no control of their life; they were at the mercy of their master. They were totally dependent on their master for everything. However, there was a time that the servants were freed.

Sometimes the servant, even though freed, would choose to stay with the master. Paul is saying that he has given himself up to Jesus in this manner. God so loved us that he sent His son to die for us. As His children we have everything we need supplied for us. As Christians we are not bound to God out of a master/slave relationship but with the idea that we freely choose to be in relationship with God because of His love and care for us. I am not sure why Meryl stayed with her husband and child for it was obvious she felt bound to them but there was no love shown.

Not because of who we are, but because of who Christ was and is, we should want to give all we have to him in service. A slave submits with an attitude of responsibility to fulfilling a task and no more and cannot wait till the day when they can be set free. When our attitude is that of a bond-servant we submit out of love and we want that relationship to last for eternity.

Application:

1.   How do you react to the word servant, better yet the word submission?

2.   Do you see your relationship to God as master/servant or as a bond-servant? In other words is your relationship driven our of responsibility or out of  ove?

3.   How submissive are you to the will of God in your life?

4.   Do you ignore God at your leisure? Are you willing to be used? Paul was free to go. We are free to go. God want us in a love relationship not a have to relationship.

Prayer:

Dear Father, thank you for loving me enough to allow your son, Jesus, to die for me. You grace and mercy far outreaches anything that I might deserve. Forgive me for the times that I have been ungrateful to you. I love you and I want to submit my mind, body, and spirit to you. In Jesus name, Amen.

ARE YOU LOOKING OUT FOR THE CHURCH?

Bill O’Riley says, “I’m looking out for you.” Have you heard someone say, “I am just looking out for the best interest of the church? Just what does that mean?

SCRIPTURE:

Read Acts 7: 54-59 “When they (Sanhedrin) heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth….But he (Stephen)being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up into heaven, and saw the glory of God…and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at the young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.” 

Acts 8:1-4 “And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”

Philippians 3:6 He spoke of himself, “Concerning zeal, persecuting the church…”

Acts9: 1-2 And Saul, yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest…that if he found any…whether men or women…he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

LESSON:

I usually, jump back a few feet when someone says, “I am looking out for the best interest of the church,” because, the first thing that comes to my mind is Paul. Was it not ironic that Paul, one of the most religious men of the day, was the very one that was set on destroying the “true” church. Not only was he against Christianity, he sought will all diligence to kill all Christians, and anything to do with “kingdom growth.”  Does looking out for church mean, going to church every Sunday, creating programs and seeing they thrive, learning scripture so we can condemn our brothers and sisters, wear our crosses and other religious symbols and adorning our cars with fish and religious decals to identify our religious beliefs, etc, etc, … Upon occasion the religious take it upon themselves to “keep the church pure,” by closing the doors to those who do not look or worship as they do. Some take it upon themselves to thrash and bash the minister of God who seeks to follow Him, to preach the Truth, who are bold enough to stand up in the face of opposition. All these things are done in the name of religion. Religion is about “looking like” but Christianity is seeking to be obedient to God regardless of religious traditions.

APPLICATION:

1.     Do you find it strange that a believer in God could set out to destroy all that Jesus died for?

2.     What similarities do you see about Paul’s religion and that of the religious people of today?

3.     What are some things that are not Christ like but are done in the name of religion?

4.     Give some examples where we hold traditions as having equal authority as Scripture?

5.     How do we allow our relationship with God to be reduced to a legalistic list of rules and rituals?

PRAYER:

Dear Father, Forgive me of the times that I have been indifferent to individuals or mistreated them in the name of being religious. Create in me a zeal to be about “kingdom” growth, instead of conforming to religious traditions. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Romans 1:1 BEING RELIGIOUS ≠ BEING CHRISTIAN?

Can you believe in God, know all the scriptures, and attend church every Sunday and still not be a Christian? The best example of this is Paul’s life. 

Scripture:

Romans 1:1  “Paul…. (We know that Paul was not always Paul, he was known as Saul of Tarsus.)

Philippians 3:5-6 “…circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.”

Lesson:

As we begin the study of Romans, we must begin with Paul. Paul was Jewish and all Jews were circumcised, an outward symbol of the covenant between the Jewish people and God signifying he was a native Israelite, not a proselyte having been converted to Jewish belief. Born into the tribe of Benjamin, one of the 12 tribes of Israel. A tribe descended from Rachel, the remained faithful when all the other tribes seceded. The soil on which the Jerusalem Temple stood belonged to this tribe. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, meaning he “purebred,” both his parents were an Israelite, therefore he was not a Gentile, (non believer). He was a Pharisee, the strictest sect of religion.  He studied in the Greek schools, and the synagogue schools, learning Hebrew as well as Aramaic. He studied under the greatest Jewish scholar, Gamaliel. He assisted the High Priest and other officials in carrying out the Temple worship. Later he became a rabbi and then became a member of the Office of the High Priest who carried out the worship in the Jerusalem temple and participated in the Sanhedrin. Nothing would stop his zeal when it came to upholding the political structure of the day. He thought Jesus was threatening harmony between the Jews and Roman government. Faultless when it came to his legalistic righteousness. Practiced the traditions of the church and because Jesus did not meet the expectations of the Religious sect, Pharisees or Sadducees, he, Saul, sought to rid the world of Christians. Wow....Can any of your credits match Pauls? Mine cannot?  However, by listing his own credentials, Paul made a point that none of these things have anything to do with our salvation and unless we have a true relationship with Christ it is meaningless. Keep in mind, these things were said of Paul, before he a became a Christian. In other words, being religious is not equivalent to being Christian.

Application:

1.     Can you believe in God, know all the scriptures, and attend church every Sunday and still miss the mark? How do you know?
2.     Can it be possible that we are so bent on practicing traditions and keeping the laws that we fail to see Jesus?
3.     If Satan can keep us from doing what God wants us to do, by getting us to do many “good church things” then he can accomplish his goals. What good things do we do in the name of religion that might be hindering us from what God really want us to do?
4.     Are you more religious basing on what you are doing, or Christian, thus focusing on Christ and what he has done for you?

Prayer:

Father, help us to be more focused on you and our relationship than about doing all those things that seem to be good in themselves. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Romans Bible Study

Well, I am launching my first on-line Bible Study. Our Monday night, MY HOUSE @ 6:30, I WANNABE....LIKE JESUS, study has been going on for several weeks now. We did some back to basics the first couple of nights. Now we have started the book of Romans. I will be using my personal blog IWANNABE...LIKE JESUS solely for this study.

It is not to late to join the study. Anyone can join at any time. I hope you will consider the Bible Study.  There are three ways to participate in our Bible Study: 

1) Monday Night, MY HOUSE @ 6:30, Bible Study: If you live nearby and can participate in, MY HOUSE @ 6:30, we would love to have you. My husband and I converted our garage awhile back so we could use it for whatever it needs to Be... a place not only for our car, but for large family gatherings, choir parties, Sunday School events,  Senior Adult outings, scrapbooking, sewing, or whatever it needs to be. So now it is referred to as our women's bible study location. MY HOUSE @ 6:30  (106 Twin Lake Drive). Each meeting we cover as many verses as we can, then we pick up where we left off for the next week.  Participants are given a studysheet to use during the study.  

2) Online Bible Study, Each week I will divide the study into sections and write it as a blog post. The format will be: introductory statement followed by the scripture, lesson, application, and simple prayer.  Keep your own journal and comment or ask questions using the comment section. I will respond to you via the comment section at the end of each blog post.  We are so sorry that you are not able to be with us to dialogue and discuss the truths that we will be discussing, however the Holy Spirit will be there to assist you and speak into your life as you go through these scriptures yourself or with a friend. If you wish to comment or have questions you may comment there, or email me, and I will get back with you. 

3) Powerpoint and/or Studysheet Study If you miss a meeting or would like a copy of the Powerpoint Presentation and/or studysheet you may request it by email and I will send it to you. 

There is only one promise that I can make you, and that is, God's word does not return void. The purpose in our study is not so much that we change our behavior but that God's word will change our whole identity...that we will have the heart and mind of Christ. 

I hope that you let me know if you are following the online study and allow me to add your name to our online study group. You may view others in our group under the the Group Participants tab. I am looking forward to hearing your comments. I prefer you not be an anonymous person. Please sign your name or use a nickname. If you need to talk privately, then you may email me at pscostner@gmail.com. 

   

Have You Been Churched? by Matthew Paul Turner

Are you a "Christian?" Have you ever been "churched?" Hearing this word immediately brings to my mind stories of the process of dismissing an individual from the congregation if they are living contrary to the expectations of the church. It was told that one man was walking down the road. Realizing a dance was being held, he peered in the window. A church member saw him and reported him to the church. They dismissed him from their church because they felt dancing was a sin. This was my interpretation of churched so emphatically and without any hesitation I would have told Matthew Paul Turner, the author of, Churched, "NO! I have never been churched? Have you?

However, he had a different idea as he wrote, Churched. As I began to listen to him talk about his book, I realized that in reality, I had been, "churched." You see, I have actually attended church since I was a little girl, in fact from the time that I was conceived, so in other words all my life. During this time I was grounded in the church's "do and don'ts of life as a Baptist. I tried for years to earn my good standing with God by doing all the right things and by not doing the wrong things. What about all those things. In other words by Matthew definition I was beginning to think maybe I had been "churched."

Think back through your church experiences. Are there ideas, opinions, or actions that you have accepted throughout the years that have done in the name of "Christianity" that has nothing to do with how Christ would want us to live, or with being obedient to him? Are there ideas that you have accepted as the Truth but even though you used "Strongs" concordance you could not located the scriptural basis for the beliefs in the scriptures? I had to say Yes to both. The sad thing is that it is some of these beliefs cause us to behave in ways that cause the unchurched to fear us, to avoid us, to misunderstand us, thus keeping us from being able to form relationship that might lead them to a knowledge of Jesus.

Matthew is a follower of Christ and believes that church membership and fellowship is a part of a believers lifestyle. I encourage you to get to know Matthew Paul Turner. While he is very serious about how we live out, church, he is able to share his stories in a most remarkable way. While I do not know the characters in his stories by their names, I can relate my own experiences with those personalities in my life. I am not into comedy yet this is one of my favorite books. I had not read my copy but my parents received a copy while we were in Nashville. My mom read the book aloud as we road back home. We laughed and laughed and shared our own stories.

Check out his book by clicking on the book icon at the top. You will find an exerpt from the book. Laughter is good for the soul, or if you need a birthday gift, hospital gift, or something for that person who has everything, they are affordable. Buy several for sharing with those who need a good laugh.

If you are not sure if you've been churched let me know after you've read the book. Better yet share it with Turner himself.