Sufficient Self's Bible Study Group

[MorelCabin]

Just popping in to say hello! and so glad to see this thread! Haven't been around here in a while...
As far as sharing my faith...well the Lord leads in that area...I don't always share my faith openly, but when He calls me too I sure do know it.
The hardest one I think was a few months ago with one of my old neighbors. But I went down there anyway, not knowing what to say but handed him a bunch of pages that had wonderful prayers he could say for the predicament he was in...and told him that I was praying for him too
He lovingly calls me his preacher LOL! But he also never stops me when I start.

A few weeks ago the Lord called me to make a quilt for a parapelligic native man here in my city. I didn't know the guy at all...had no idea where to start...but it poured out of my hands like no tomorrow and was complete in 8 days. It was an eagle...and on the tag behind it was the verse "and we shall fly with wings like eagles..."
That quilt was much more of a Blessing to that man than I ever anticipated...and ONLY because it was commissioned by God at the right time. It was also a great blessing to me I will post pics on my quilt thread
Anyway, you all don't be shy to preach it your way...it doesn't always have to be words...many times it is actions...many times it is just silence. The Lord leads!

Bee...you are and always have been an inspiration to me as well! I love ya!

 

[Wifezilla]

As a non-believer, actions speak much more loudly than words. Which is why the religious friends I have and I get along so well. Anyone can quote scripture at you or hand you flyers, but how you live your day to day life is the only thing that matters.

If you come at me with a prayer card, invite me to your church and don't take "no thank you" for an answer, and try to turn every discussion regardless of the topic towards your faith, we will not be friends. If your religion is just a part of who you are and what you believe and YOU ACTUALLY LIVE BY THE PRINCIPLES YOU SAY YOU EMBRACE, we can easily be friends despite our large difference of opinion. I respect people who are not hypocrites.

If you PRETEND to be my friend so you can win my trust and then "turn me". Well I can smell phony a mile away. Don't bother. LOL

 

[MorelCabin]

I completely hear you there Wifezilla...but it takes all kinds to make a world...and believe it or not some are reached that way. I am not one to ram anything down one's thoat either...and I truly hope I live by example but I am only human, and far from perfect.
I really believe that if we listen to the Lord he does lead us in a way that the person we are trying to reach will both understand and respond to.

 

[MsPony]

As a non-believer, actions speak much more loudly than words. Which is why the religious friends I have and I get along so well. Anyone can quote scripture at you or hand you flyers, but how you live your day to day life is the only thing that matters.

If you come at me with a prayer card, invite me to your church and don't take "no thank you" for an answer, and try to turn every discussion regardless of the topic towards your faith, we will not be friends. If your religion is just a part of who you are and what you believe and YOU ACTUALLY LIVE BY THE PRINCIPLES YOU SAY YOU EMBRACE, we can easily be friends despite our large difference of opinion. I respect people who are not hypocrites.

If you PRETEND to be my friend so you can win my trust and then "turn me". Well I can smell phony a mile away. Don't bother. LOL

A "friend" is "christian" and flaunts it. Then she goes and plays a vixen on the radio and acts super slutty.

Yuck. That's not christian AT ALL.

 

[MorelCabin]

As a non-believer, actions speak much more loudly than words. Which is why the religious friends I have and I get along so well. Anyone can quote scripture at you or hand you flyers, but how you live your day to day life is the only thing that matters.

If you come at me with a prayer card, invite me to your church and don't take "no thank you" for an answer, and try to turn every discussion regardless of the topic towards your faith, we will not be friends. If your religion is just a part of who you are and what you believe and YOU ACTUALLY LIVE BY THE PRINCIPLES YOU SAY YOU EMBRACE, we can easily be friends despite our large difference of opinion. I respect people who are not hypocrites.

If you PRETEND to be my friend so you can win my trust and then "turn me". Well I can smell phony a mile away. Don't bother. LOL

A "friend" is "christian" and flaunts it. Then she goes and plays a vixen on the radio and acts super slutty.

Well the Bible says you can tell a real Christian by thier fruit...and the fake ones aren't that hard to find.

Yuck. That's not christian AT ALL.

The Bible says you can tell a Christian by their fruit.

 

[Dace]

As a non-believer, actions speak much more loudly than words. Which is why the religious friends I have and I get along so well. Anyone can quote scripture at you or hand you flyers, but how you live your day to day life is the only thing that matters.

If you come at me with a prayer card, invite me to your church and don't take "no thank you" for an answer, and try to turn every discussion regardless of the topic towards your faith, we will not be friends. If your religion is just a part of who you are and what you believe and YOU ACTUALLY LIVE BY THE PRINCIPLES YOU SAY YOU EMBRACE, we can easily be friends despite our large difference of opinion. I respect people who are not hypocrites.

If you PRETEND to be my friend so you can win my trust and then "turn me". Well I can smell phony a mile away. Don't bother. LOL

That makes me laugh Wifey, but sadly, I do know what you mean.

Morel...that is a wonderful thing that you did!

Actions, yes! I tend to be better at that one

I give out bags of food to people on the street with cardboard signs. It started because my son goes to a new school this year and the drive takes me to an area where there are a lot of needy asking for help.
I always felt guilty...whether driving by and doing nothing (i always ask myself 'what if that was Jesus?') which breaks my heart, or giving them cash which I suspect is often used in the wrong way.

So I started buying a few extras at the grocery store, peanut butter, bread, granola bars and oranges. I put them in a bag along with some candy and a plastic knife, along with a card drawn by my 8 yr old that tells them that God loves them and a booklet about God and how to ask for salvation.

We pass out 2-3 a week, sometimes it is hard to find someone, but we drive around and look, eventually we always find someone who could use the little bit of help. My children hand the bags out the car window to the needy person, look them in the eye and say ' may God bless you!'. My children have several friends who have had the joy of partaking in our little ritual and I know that it makes an impact on them. Even my son who is not a believer instructs his friends that the proper delivery of the bag includes saying 'may God bless you'

We even had one man ask if there was anything he could pray for, for our family. As we drove away, my 8 yr old said ' mom, that is the nicest homeless man I have ever met!' almost made me cry.

The Lord has instructed us to not only help the less fortunate but to go out of our way to seek them out. I take that to heart and am so thankful that He gave me the resources so that I may share.

 

[MorelCabin]

Dace, that is awesome!

 

[Farmfresh]

Right you are Wifezilla!

We are supposed to live the way Christ directs us to live. When HE lived here He ate with sinners, was kind to the prostitutes, and even touched the lepers. He was full of love and kindness to all men and women.

Hypocrites come in all sizes and shapes. I live what I believe. Often that is testimony enough to make people stop and ask questions. When they ask I share what and how I believe.

God created us with free will and intelligence to make our own personal belief choices. Each person's decision is between them and Jesus. Ultimately, I believe, every one will be held responsible for their choices in one way or another. Just as in this world we make choices and those choices have personal impact on our future. Choices we make spiritually will have consequences both here and later as well.

But a bigger hammer, a sneaky way to get you to a Church, or any other hypocritical method will simply not work. It is personal choice.

Just because we do not see everything eye to eye does not mean that you are less of a person. I can still love you and make you my friend.

 

[Wifezilla]

Exactly!

I have told others in the past "You can't drag people to heaven kicking and screaming!"

 

[Denim Deb]

My friends know where I stand. I don't preach to them, never mention bring up the subject. But, I'm always willing to answer any questions that they may have. And, I try to help when I can.