Questions on the Church

[ChisaiMix]

So lately what's been on my mind. (Courtesy of my boyfriend)

Should a church be focusing on topical sermons, or focusing preaching straight from the bible. What are the pros and cons of each.

I've grown up in churches full of topical sermons and they pick a few verses that fit their sermon. But being brought up in this I really don't know anything about the bible. I didn't grow up going to church all my life, I started when I was 14, my parents aren't Christians, so I didn't learn anything from them. So with topical sermons there is a huge downside for new Christians as I feel these sermons are sugar coated... To this day I don't even know where to start when it comes to studying the bible. I feel embarrassed that I don't know stories that I should know.

What are your thoughts:

 

[Rednal]

...Start at the beginning?

Topical sermons that give good advice for living aren't bad, but it's true that an excessive focus on those can lead to a lot of ideas on how people should behave with absolutely no idea on what the main basis is (other than a few verses, usually taken completely out of context and from all over the Bible).

Many churches offer bible study groups and the like that are much more focused in what they're doing. You can also find materials online, or simply do independent research on your own - don't feel too bound to only listen to what others think is the right interpretation of the Bible, because humans, being fallible, can and often will be wrong. ^^  

[Spirit Reborn]

Mixy-Chan

I started out by repenting and praying : ) and asking for His Holy Spirit to dwell in me and to help me understand His Word the way He wanted it to be interpreted for us to understand it.

I felt hungry for knowing Him- just like you, and so I started reading the Bible. Not just reading but applying what I've read to my life. And gradually..I started to notice changes- positive ones. I started reading the later ones and not from Genesis- which I recommend would be best. But I personally started reading towards the end of the Bible- Ephesians Chapter 4 and onwards [my favorite book, I think]. I'm just starting to read the Bible from Genesis so I've yet to see and learn : )

Videos and sermons about Jesus Christ have helped me as well. So has Christian music. Not all videos, sermons, music, and websites are true to the Bible. Some can distort the truth whether intentional or not. So do take what you read online with a grain of salt. The Bible is truth and if you feel that some verses contradict others..then it isn't being interpreted in the context in which it was written. I recommend checking out Christian Bible studies online and offline. It's great when you have fellowship with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. : )

If you'd like, perhaps you may find my profile page helpful in some way. I recommend checking out both the video and the text as I feel it is a great starting point for everyone.

My prayers are with you. Keep persevering and don't let anyone change your faith in Jesus Christ.

And no need to feel embarrassed. I don't know all the stories either. And even so, everyone's learning. We all start somewhere in our lives and I believe in God's perfect timing. Trust Him and His Word. emotion_hug

EDIT: I also recommend this video. It's an animation but it's pretty awesome : )
YouTube.
All of ActionJones animation videos on YouTube are great. I highly recommend them. emotion_bigheart

And this video that I just watched..is absolutely..beautifully shown.
YouTube  

[apiyo]

Both topical and studies have their merit. Topical sermons are good because we learn what the Bible says about something. For example, my pastor in college spent a few sermons explaining exactly what the Bible says about salvation so he wouldn't have a church full of people not knowing what "getting saved" means. You can substitute whatever Biblical topic, it's good to know what it says so we aren't just regurgitating Christian buzz words. Hopefully the topical sermons are grounded in the Bible so we learn what GOD thinks and not what a pastor thinks. Bible studies are good too because we need to know the Word so we can know God better, pray better, and not get tricked by lies. Most churches do have a Bible study service and sometimes more than one a week if it's big enough. So there is a place for both, and one can spill into the other. Look at all the topical questions in this guild turn into Bible studies.

You don't have to wait for a pastor or minister to go over the Bible stories. You can read and study on your own. If you want to read the Bible through, then pick a point and start. If you're curious about what the Bible says about certain concepts, you can start by looking up reference verses for the topic and go.  

[Meili Kyumee Youichi]

Agree with apiyo

Both topical and studies have their merit.

For topical, not in the sense of taking verses out of context, but finding the real same topic and meaning behind many different verses in its context.

Bible studies help us understand deeper each Bible stories.
Topical assist us to help see the link of different Bible stories, that Bible is one as a whole.