ruh roh. ormly is starting to be....almost.....*gulp*....coherent and correct. that whole sin thing is just too much baggage, man. what a drag. cramps my style.... not arguing for or against either side here, just pointing out hypocrisy where i see it.
And to you, however, be assured my info isn't from this forum. It this more than first hand that I know what I know.. Most importantly what I see of C3 is placed up against scripture and what the Church is to be about. C3 and others as C3 don't make the cut. People and the Lord lose out as a result. Therein is the tragedy.
note to self stay away from this thread help I can't stop reading it u go away for an hour & u have to catch up quick
Kimmie, I'm not sorry I asked. I really had no idea when I posed that question yesterday morning. It has been entertaining if nothing else. I have been reading some of the postings on here the last couple of days and have found some interesting banter (hope I spelled that correctly). Gotta run, hope everyone has a great evening !!!! :grouphug:
Since you are the authority on C3 why don't you address the original posters questions? "Would like to know if anyone can tell me a little bit about the C3 Church in the Cleveland area. What is it like, it is non-denominational? Any info would be helpful. Thanks"
Wow, more than first hand. I'm not entirely sure exactly what that means, but it sure sounds impressive. Well, one huge problem with this is that you don't quite know the Scripture as well as you seem to think you do. Take, for example, your earlier comment that divorce was a sin. A definite flat out statement such as that is definitely flat out wrong. But you know, I think I am going to make you my special little friend. Every time you think your referring to scripture, I will gently but firmly tell you just how wrong you really are. With patience, some hard work, and just a little luck, I just might drive you from the board, or at least get you to stop talking about, and putting down, something you have proven time and again that you know nothing about. Now, don't you just feel all special inside?
Well, my little poohbear, if you look at my posts you'll plainly see that I never said I was "the authority on C3" nor implied that I was "the authority on C3". As a matter of fact I pointed out that I didn't even go to C3. What I did was simply point out that if someone (i.e., you) can't get a couple simple and basic "facts" straight that are available to anyone here then anything else that you may tout as "fact" really holds little water and is simply a waste of time. Now, if you had stayed outside and played with your friends like I suggested earlier you wouldn't have come in here and looked like such a.......... well, you know what I mean. Now, please, run along. Poohbear -- above I said, "...if you look at my posts you'll plainly see...". Actually most people here will plainly see. You, on the other hand, may need to squint and look really, really hard, okay?
Indeed, I am flattered. I hope you won't mind my "compliments" in return for your generous corrections?
QUOTE=Ormly;262012]We have what we experience in the home, school and society because America has forgotten what made her great; her roots. The God of the bIble has been stripped from the classroom, where future parents are educated, its Ok for abortions to take place at anytime, divorce is rampant, crime is out of control and government is about to lose its power as we have known it; to become something our forefathers fought to prevent, which was based on the morality of set down by the God of the Bible. I totally agree with your first paragraph. However, You say that churches like C3 offer nothing to fix the problem. Nothing could be further from the truth. What have traditional churches done to fix the problem? There are far more traditional churches than those like C3. In fact, they are the ones who offer a "safe haven"; a distraction from the actualities of life that is aimless. I grew up in a traditional Baptist church and have never felt the Holly Spirit more present than I do at C3. It and churches like it are "thriving" because people are being taught about Jesus Chirst in a way they can understand it. The band plays contemporary Chirstian music. " Shout for joy to the Lord. Worship the Lord with gladness: come before him with joyful songs" Psalm 100; 1-2. I guess maybe instead of coffee, they could serve alcohol. Now that would really bring in the crowds. C3 is not "the" fix for anyone. There is only one "fix". That's by accepting Jesus as your personal savior. It's the end that matters, not the means to the end.
Don't be sorry Sherry. That's what's so great about where we live. We are free to share and express our opinions. Many in this world we live in can't do that. God bless our troops.
I can accept that and the fact that the traditional church is the root cause. Had they done their job, c3 and co. wouldn't exist. It is a problem, a problem that c3 isn't addressing to bring about anything sustaining to the individual seeking intimacy with God; the one who, in his heart feels there is more than becoming a Christian and waiting to die to go to heaven; there is more than giving time and money to social causes as the means to stay involved, to show one's spirituality. I would like to know what is received by anyone concerning intimacy with Christ when attending a connect group meeting. Could you share a little about what those meetings are about? I am assuming, of course you are seeking intimacy with the Lord.
Our current teaching series is call GPS, or Getting God's Direction For Your Life. We are studing the book of Proverbs. We are studying about God's plea for us to become more wise. He loves us and has our best interest at heart. He knows that if you become wise, your life will be more joyful and productive. But, in order to gain wisdom, you must cooperate with God by acting. "If you do what you've always done, you will get what you've always gotten". So, if you want your life to change, you must act differently. In our connect group we dig deeper into the action verbs in the verses and what they mean, what we need to do to attain them, what are practical ways to live them out, and what the results are if we do. I attend a men's small group. We meet weekly and there are no time constraints on our meetings. They typically last 2-3 hours. It is a time for fellowship, prayer, and growing closer to God. I feel much closer to God after our meetings than I ever did after a traditional Sunday school class. I have a question for you. What does the traditional church offer to the individual seeking intimacy with God outside of the worship service, Sunday School? They meet for 45 minutes then it's off to church. By 11:45, many are looking at their watches, even the pastor. At 12:00 it's time for lunch. I can assure you that anyone seeking a more intimate relationship with God has those resources available to them at C3. From daily devotions, to fastings, to the small groups, and more. I've had Pepsi and I've had Coke. I prefer Coke. I'm in my 40's and have attended traditional churches most of my life. My walk with God has never been closer than it has been in the past two years, since joining C3.
Another viewpoint Another C3 post that leads to a lot of senseless banter back and forth. I guess we should not be surprised! Golfhound - great to hear that C3 has been meaningful in your walk with Christ. It has been instrumental in mine as before I became to C3 I was not a believer at all. This does not make C3 a better church than any other church, however, it should make all of those Christians out there at least have some sort level of positive feelings towards this church as it has literally had thousands of people come to Christ. It certainly has moved some more than others and probably has turned people away as well and that is to be expected. Anything that is successful will attract more negative attention than it deserves, I won't say why, that is just the case. All over the country, growing, progressive larger churches get all of the same type of criticisms. As members of C3, we just have to look above it and overcome it. I am saddened about the so-called Christians on this board that continue to spread false, misleading and negative information about C3 to everyone else. C3's core beliefs are as follows: (1) The reason we do what we do is because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. (2) Everything we do has a purpose that has come as a result of prayer. Our desire is to give God our best and do all things with excellence. (3) As a church, we are committed to corporate prayer, personal prayer, and fasting. (4) Our desire is to send people out to be missionaries locally and worldwide. We are also committed to providing resources and prayer for all of the missionaries that God leads us to support. (5) We know that everyone matters to God. Therefore, all people are welcome and loved at our church. (6) We seek to meet peoples' needs…wherever they are. At our church, the unchanging Gospel is communicated as timely, practical, and applicable. (7) We believe that the Bible is God's inspired word and is without error. While our theology is conservative, our methods are progressive. After going there for two years - everything it does is focused around this. I know all of the leaders there and this is what drives them. They all work hard and long hours - but the beliefs have never changed. What people often disagree with is the way in which they try to accomplish the mission which should really not be the focus. There are always different ways to get to the end result and some can be better than other especially in a world that is changing. C3 does not do everything great and no one there will ever say that they got it figured out, in fact, I pray often that they will do a better job at reaching people and changing lives, because their is no culmination here. If they, or any church, is ever satisfied that they are doing everything great, than they are not in God's word and do not humble themselves. God's work is never done. C3 has been a facilitator in my life in finding Christ and having a relationship with Him. It took 30 years for me to get there, but this was His timing not mine. I am so grateful that I found a place that has connected me with Christian families that dedicate part of there free time and available resources to others. This has helped me see the power of Christianity and why it is so great. Many, many days and nights I have tears in my eyes thanking Him for what He has done for me and my family. I know what is important in life now and I was clueless before this revelation. God is Good.
