What do people do at bible studies?
Jesus said "where two or more are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst." I have sensed the presence of Jesus in personal home Bible studies a thousand times, and I enjoy it more than even the big gatherings, because it affords an opportunity to get together and get real with one another, to ask question and to get answers and to discover you can be loved by others and love others back.
First night of college sucked, is this normal.?
I moved in last night and I hate it. I miss my parents so much, and my mom calling all the time makes me cry. Like I was crying all night in my room (my roommate hasn't moved in yet), and my mom and dad are making me feel bad for leaving but I know it was the right choice. My roommate went to a party last night and I didn't go, I felt a little nervous because I don't know anyone well in the college yet and she had went with her best friend. And apparently one of them passed out on the floor of a frat house. Plus it's like a huge difference from back home. It doesn't really matter but this school is about 80% Caucasian and 3% black (Which I am). It's just really weird, I'm from the Bay Area and it's a very diverse area. I just feel like I'm not doing it right because I'm sitting in my dorm alone here because I didn't want to go to a bible club party with two of my suite mates. But I don't want to be fake and pretend to be friends with those girls, because I'm not a follower and they were both ignoring my ideas like they wished I weren't there. Is the first few days of college horrible and did I make a good decision not going with my suitemates last night? Idk if I'm really ready to go out, I've never gone to a party before.
Can women be Youth Pastors in a Baptist church?
Technically women cannot be Pastors in the Baptist Church. Now I think it would depend on the church and the role that you would be filling. You might be able to be called the Youth Leader or Director or something like that but I don't think they would be able to call you a Pastor. We had a female college student working last summer in our church helping the youth director. She was going to go into youth ministry so apparently there are some roles that you could fill. I do know that you would not be able to stand up in front of the main church body and preach. That does not mean that you could not lead the youth, teach Sunday School and those kind of things. I think the church is getting more liberal with that kind of things. I think there would definitely be a place for you in the church working with the youth. May God bless your ministry.
Online Bible Studies?
Crosswalk.com is the most incredible resource ever! It has a great many commentaries, bible versions (including the NASB and KJV with Strongs numbers) online bible studies, sermons to listen to, references and notes. Go for it! Biblegateway.com is also excellent and has the amplified bible as a version- which crosswalk is missing.
I want more of God, how do I grow in my faith? I feel stuck.
Hey, friend. This is a beautiful question. I’m encouraged by your heart to grow in your faith. Can I assume by God you refer to Christianity? I apologize if I am wrong in this assumption!Growing in our faith is a lifelong journey, one that is immersed in God’s grace. Your question really struck a chord with me because it’s something I’ve been asking recently, too. As others have said, joining a church is a wonderful first step. Why not request to meet with the pastor and receive guidance specific to your situation?Recently, I’ve had a conviction that I need to build my prayer life. It sounds simple, but I’ve found the acronym ACTS helpful (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication). I used to almost completely avoid prayer because it felt rambly, and I couldn’t see anything ever come from it. Starting prayers with a recognition of how marvelous Christ is has been particularly helpful, as has setting a quiet time in the mornings before the day gets crazy and a time for follow-up over lunch.Personally, I’m a thinker. I want to know why I believe what I believe, and actually asking questions has deepened my faith. You might enjoy RightNow Media, which is basically the Bible teaching version of Netflix, and I’ve really found a wonderful Christian community at connect.rzim.org. Additionally, I’ve heard wonderful things about C.S. Lewis’ book Mere Christianity.I’ve thrown a lot of resources at you, and I apologize for that. Ultimately, it’s about our heart posture towards Christ. Seeking obedience each day and repentance for our failures can be one of the most profound steps we take in building our faith. James 2:14–19 discusses how we can show our love for God through our obedience. Perhaps just focusing on one small way to show your obedience to Christ could be the most profound leap in your faith.Wishing you all the best!