Founded by Bryant Wright, Right from the Heart is a
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The Local Church and Neighborhood Bar Aug 20 2009
“…not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” - Hebrews10:25
Have you ever thought of the similarities of the local church and the neighborhood bar?
In both places:
1. People come looking for fellowship.
2. People want to go where others know their name.
3. People want to go where they are accepted.
4. People want to go where their spirits will be lifted.
5. People are united around one theme.
6. People go where they like the music.
Like a priest, the bartender serves by listening to people’s troubles. But the differences are profound: The bar is centered on booze and the church is centered on Jesus Christ.
The bar offers a way to escape problems. The church offers a way to face them, get through them, and overcome them.
The spirit inside the bar lowers one’s guard when it comes to temptation and sin. The spirit of the true church encourages people to turn from sin and turn to God.
In short, the neighborhood bar may be a substitute for the environment of the church, but it never comes close to providing the meaning and purpose found in a Christ-centered church.
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5 Comments
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Yes, report it NevermindThis is why I love "small group" study/worship/prayer groups. Do the rest of you have small group studies in your church?
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Yes, report it NevermindI never thought that I needed a lot of fellowship, but as I took a good look around me at all the temptation to live in a secular world, it became abundantly clear to me that fellowship draws you even closer to the living God that we desperately need.
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Yes, report it NevermindOn the T.V. show Cheers, when Norm would walk into the bar everyone shouted "NORM" well that is how it should be when we walk into the Church and see our friends, I need to hear them shout "JERRY", it gives us the assurance from them that we count and are loved. EVERYONE have a blessed day.
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Yes, report it NevermindA great contrast exists in the lighting found within a bar and within a church. One is dark and one is light.
Jesus says in John 3:19-21, "This is the judgement, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."
Grant, our church has small groups which meet for Bible Study before the worship service on Sunday mornings. Being from the south I have always called it Sunday School but I have heard from the wise that in other parts of our country Sunday School is considered to just be for children. Anyway, I do love being in that small group on Sunday mornings.
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Yes, report it NevermindI really agree that Small Groups are essential to furthering one's relationship with God. We run a small group and some of the materials we use came from preachit.org. For $10 per month, the amount of material and study topics they
contain are pretty awesome.