Comments on: Saying "I grew up in the church." http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/ Musings by Jon Acuff Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:38:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jaymie http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/comment-page-1/#comment-171906 Jaymie Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:46:58 +0000 http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/#comment-171906 “I grew out of the church.” - Tis true. Good point. “I grew out of the church.” – Tis true. Good point.

]]> By: Anon http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/comment-page-1/#comment-155039 Anon Fri, 10 Dec 2010 05:10:22 +0000 http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/#comment-155039 As someone else who's grown out of the church, I'm glad to hear that you were able to grow back into it. I hope someday I'll be able to do the same. (Am I the only one who prays 'God please make me believe in you'?) As someone else who’s grown out of the church, I’m glad to hear that you were able to grow back into it. I hope someday I’ll be able to do the same. (Am I the only one who prays ‘God please make me believe in you’?)

]]> By: Rebecca http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/comment-page-1/#comment-153087 Rebecca Sat, 04 Dec 2010 02:18:39 +0000 http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/#comment-153087 I did grow up in the church though. Since Dad was a preacher and Mom is a doctor, guess whose workplace was better for children? I don't even remember the apartments I grew up in (until Dad retired from the military and we settled more permanently), but I can tell you some crazy details about the church buildings he preached at. My sister and I would spend hours exploring the building or playing tag/hide-and-seek in the sanctuary (on weekdays, of course, being the only people there except staff members). I did grow up in the church though. Since Dad was a preacher and Mom is a doctor, guess whose workplace was better for children? I don’t even remember the apartments I grew up in (until Dad retired from the military and we settled more permanently), but I can tell you some crazy details about the church buildings he preached at. My sister and I would spend hours exploring the building or playing tag/hide-and-seek in the sanctuary (on weekdays, of course, being the only people there except staff members).

]]> By: Lady_Tam http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/comment-page-1/#comment-134666 Lady_Tam Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:05:32 +0000 http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/#comment-134666 Yeah...I didn't grow up in the church. Literally. Church wasn't a part of my childhood or, indeed, most of my teenage years, so that statement has always bugged the fire out of me. "So, what do you believe about Christ?" I would ask someone in college. And then, instead of answering the question on a personal level, I'd get an automatic re-telling of their specific church's doctrines, and why they are right and everyone else is wrong. Lord help 'em when I started asking questions and saying things like "But that doesn't make sense." Lol. Good times, good times... Yeah…I didn't grow up in the church. Literally. Church wasn't a part of my childhood or, indeed, most of my teenage years, so that statement has always bugged the fire out of me.

"So, what do you believe about Christ?" I would ask someone in college. And then, instead of answering the question on a personal level, I'd get an automatic re-telling of their specific church's doctrines, and why they are right and everyone else is wrong.

Lord help 'em when I started asking questions and saying things like "But that doesn't make sense."

Lol. Good times, good times…

]]> By: Curtis Honeycutt http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/comment-page-1/#comment-111720 Curtis Honeycutt Fri, 09 Jul 2010 02:04:42 +0000 http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/#comment-111720 I grew up in the church...saying I used to use to justify getting special privileges (like best donut pick on Sunday morning). I hope I've kicked that habit by now. I grew up in the church…saying I used to use to justify getting special privileges (like best donut pick on Sunday morning). I hope I've kicked that habit by now.

]]> By: thoughtriver http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/comment-page-1/#comment-90835 thoughtriver Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:06:16 +0000 http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/#comment-90835 preach it! amen. preach it! amen.

]]> By: Melanie Bettes Hite http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/comment-page-1/#comment-75763 Melanie Bettes Hite Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:32:23 +0000 http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/#comment-75763 I might out myself as a Bible Bowl and word nerd, but "Eli grew up in the church" made me snort milk through my nose! That was the greatest thing I'd seen all day. Thank you. And now that I think about it....I tend to giggle at inappropriate times at church because of the way something is phrased, and you just gave me more fodder. This does not bode well for my son and I who will surely continue to laugh inappropriately every time we hear this. :-) I might out myself as a Bible Bowl and word nerd, but "Eli grew up in the church" made me snort milk through my nose! That was the greatest thing I'd seen all day. Thank you.

And now that I think about it….I tend to giggle at inappropriate times at church because of the way something is phrased, and you just gave me more fodder. This does not bode well for my son and I who will surely continue to laugh inappropriately every time we hear this. :-)

]]> By: oldefashionedgirl http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/comment-page-1/#comment-69827 oldefashionedgirl Mon, 25 Jan 2010 05:09:00 +0000 http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/#comment-69827 I feel like "I grew up in the church" sounds apologetic, almost like "it isn't my fault I'm a Christian." I feel like "I grew up in the church" sounds apologetic, almost like "it isn't my fault I'm a Christian."

]]> By: Mark http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/comment-page-1/#comment-28348 Mark Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:08:00 +0000 http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/#comment-28348 Actually Jon, you're right, we are the church. The bible reveals this in numerous places, even in the old testament. Eph 5 is one of my favorite examples. Much like Eve came out of Adam, the Church comes out of Christ. Similarly, Adam's rib was taken and with that, God "built" Eve. Today, the Lord is building the Church into His corporate expression.<br/><br/>In practicality, as the Church, Christ's body, we strive to keep the oneness through the growth in the divine life through taking in God’s word as our spiritual food and by pursuing with other members (2 Tim 2:22) of the Body. Though we may have a specific “spiritual diet” in the form of the truth that we believe, and some others may disagree with what we believe, we believe it helps us to grow spiritually, and it doesn’t change the fact that we are still all the Lord’s, his body, the church. Actually Jon, you’re right, we are the church. The bible reveals this in numerous places, even in the old testament. Eph 5 is one of my favorite examples. Much like Eve came out of Adam, the Church comes out of Christ. Similarly, Adam’s rib was taken and with that, God “built” Eve. Today, the Lord is building the Church into His corporate expression.

In practicality, as the Church, Christ’s body, we strive to keep the oneness through the growth in the divine life through taking in God’s word as our spiritual food and by pursuing with other members (2 Tim 2:22) of the Body. Though we may have a specific “spiritual diet” in the form of the truth that we believe, and some others may disagree with what we believe, we believe it helps us to grow spiritually, and it doesn’t change the fact that we are still all the Lord’s, his body, the church.

]]> By: Kitty http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/comment-page-1/#comment-25643 Kitty Thu, 11 Dec 2008 09:48:00 +0000 http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2008/04/138-saying-i-grew-up-in-the-church/#comment-25643 For me, having "grown up in the church," is an essential part of my testimony because it really highlights God's grace in my life. Even though I had gone to church all my life, I didn't really understand what it meant to live a life dedicated to God until recently, and sharing that can sometimes help other people to re-examine their relationship with Christ. <br/><br/>It also emphasizes the overarching power of God's redeeming love, that someone who has never set foot in a church in their life until now, and now believes, is just as saved and just as forgiven as I am, even though I have been going to church my whole life. It puts me in mind of a verse, Ezekiel 18: 21-22 "But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him." For me, having “grown up in the church,” is an essential part of my testimony because it really highlights God’s grace in my life. Even though I had gone to church all my life, I didn’t really understand what it meant to live a life dedicated to God until recently, and sharing that can sometimes help other people to re-examine their relationship with Christ.

It also emphasizes the overarching power of God’s redeeming love, that someone who has never set foot in a church in their life until now, and now believes, is just as saved and just as forgiven as I am, even though I have been going to church my whole life. It puts me in mind of a verse, Ezekiel 18: 21-22 “But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him.”

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