Christianity - theory and practice

Steve Swain shared again at our August Gathering - here’s my notes from the morning.

What have your learned/discovered in the past month? Some of the responses Steve got back were:

• Hold on and you’ll get through

• Stronger than you think

• Don’t have all the answers

Christianity is NOT a theory!

People say just believe, makes it sound like a theory. God doesn’t say that, he gave us a brain, like him to be able to think.

Christianity is a practice!

Christianity is not just church. Church is not the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom is infinite.

So where should be practise?

• Home

• Work

• Sport

• Leisure

• Driving

• School

• Bed

• In the community

• Thoughts

• Shopping

It all comes back to relationships.

Where do relationships start? With the Trinity - the first and everlasting family/relationship.

If there was no Trinity, then who did God love before he created man? Man was not created for God’s ego, so that God had someone to worship him. The Bible says God is love and both love and family began with the Trinity. If only one figure in the godhead, how could they know about love, caring, sacrifice…..

Can’t go back further than God, he is the only uncreated being.

Christianity becomes practice most often at home - because that is where your closest relationships are. Can be difficult working out your Christianity with people you don’t know, because you don’t have a relationship, however can also be difficult in relationships you do have because of fears, vulnerability…

Relationships are what we don’t do well in our society. Our relationship with God can be a mirror of our relationship with others - if its good with God, it can be good with others, if its bad with God…..

John 17. Jesus knew where he came from. There is a strength in knowing this. Not just having a place in history, but knowing that you are a created child of God. Knowing that, gives you a capacity to do things you wouldn’t do naturally. God worksi n your life and you work in your life because of God.

I want to be what God has called me to be. Sometimes don’t feel like that. It takes practice.

We are all magnificently made by God, regardless of how we turn out later.

We are only here one Sunday a month and this shouldn’t be the only place we practice Christianity. Our practice comes fro knowing where we come fro and from having the Holy Spirit with us each day.

People are not projects, they are individuals and its our job to love them, not judge or change them.

Relationships start with understanding ourselves.