How Do I Go About Finding A Good Church?

Unfortunately, the only exposure many of us have had to a church is seeing someone on TV (who also happened to be a little strange). Others might make a plunge and go to a church because someone invited them. However, we can still have one or more of the following reactions:

• "What they had to say had nothing to do with the real world."
• "They used weird talk, lots of words I never heard before."
• "They didn't really use the Bible, and I didn't learn anything new."
• "They seemed more interested in my money than anything else."
• "The music was pretty bad."
• "They asked the new folks to stand up and introduce themselves."
• "Frankly, the people I met there seemed a little odd. They also seemed to have their own personal opinion of everything."

The obvious result: few new people return for more.

Actually, church should be:

• Practical and relevant to today's world.
• Use normal language.
• Follow the Bible, using it as their only source of God's truth, and their final authority.
• Let the visitors know that they are not expected to give any money.
• Have good music.
• Allow people to visit the church without putting them "under a spotlight" or have them do something they would not normally do in public.
• Teach the truth, not existentialism.

How To Read The Bible For Better Understanding

The Bible is its own best teacher. The Bible however is not arranged like an encyclopedia. You cannot go to Chapter One and read everything about God and go to Chapter Two to read everything about Jesus, etc. Remember when reading the Bible the verses and chapter, breaks are placed in the scriptures by man. Some ground rules defined by Butch Walker need to be set up first:

• Pray first before opening God's Word. Ask for guidance and to be able to accept what is written and to be able to apply His will to your life.
• Never, never read the Bible trying to proof your belief on any subject. It is only human nature to take ideas out of context.
• When you are reading and come across something that does not make sense, reread the paragraph or chapter again. If you still do not understand, write down the problem area and continue onward. You may discover the answers later in your reading.
• Do not read large amounts of the Bible in one setting. Take breaks often or stay with about 4-6 chapters a day.
• Start with the New Testament, people who start with the Old Testament almost never read the Bible all the way through. The New Testament is what is binding on us today not the Old Testament. We need to follow God's will for us today not what was intended for the Jews.
• Forget everything you have ever heard about Jesus, God and the Bible before you start reading the Bible. Don't take what you want it to say with you first.

Now with those in mind, let's lay out the way to read the Bible to let it build on itself:

1. Read "Mark." (It is written in chronological order.)

2. Read "Matthew." (It goes into better detail of some events and adds more about Jesus.)
3. Read "John." (It contains a lot of the life of Jesus not before read, especially his last two weeks before the crucifixion.)
4. Read "Luke" then "Acts." (Both written by Apostle Paul's traveling companion Luke. Acts is a continuation of Luke. It describes the early church and contains the examples of New Testament conversions.)
5. Read "Galations." (It deals with the reasons why we do not follow the Old Testament Laws in a more simplified way than does Romans or Hebrews.)
6. Then read the rest of the New Testament starting at Romans and going to Revelation.
   

Your voyage through God's Word will take about five weeks. It will be the best traveling you can ever take. You will laugh and you will cry. It has everything that makes a very good book, and lots more. It can teach you the most important things for this life and the one to come.

Bible Quotes Of Comfort In Troubled Times

For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks.
~ Luke 11:10

The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need.
~ Psalms 23:1

Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.
~ Matthew 6:32-34

But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
~ Isaiah 40:31

Ask, and it shall be given you; Seek, and ye shall find; Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
~ Matthew 7:7

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
~ 1 Peter 5:7

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
~ Psalm 32:8

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present not the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God, that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
~ Romans 8:38, 39

Charitiable Teenagers

Being a teenager today is not an easy task. Being a Christian teenager is a challenge. Every day, you face constant peer pressure and it’s hard to know where to turn for advice. Just how do you know what’s cool and what is not? Questions like these are hard for any person to answer. Sometimes, what your parents say really makes no sense to you. The problem with parents is that they’ve been through the same things you have, but don’t always know how to tell you how to get through them. Most of the time, you do end up having to figure it all out by yourself.

The good news is that the Bible does provide the answers you need. It’s a matter of applying what you already know in your life and learning what you don’t already know. For providing the solutions and guideance, the youth members of All Saints’ Cathedral, Allahabad, India are working on the project where you can get the help from the expertise and people of God. Here at All Sts’ Cathedral Youth Fellowship(ASCYF), we believe that the best way to help you do this is to provide you with your own section on the site filled with resources, ideas and lots of entertaining information.

We know being a teenager is hard, but also know that you can live a good Christian life and still have fun and enjoy your teen years.