Fellowship is just a term for a group of people that share beliefs and the conversation that goes on within the group. Any group of people that want to learn is a good place to start, particularly if it includes folks who are well versed in scripture. Finding a group around your age is beneficial because you can focus on the areas of the bible that are most applicable to you. The most important thing you can do is learn from multiple sources. Different people will have discovered different lessons from scripture. Asking other Christians you know or searching specific passages online is something I've always found useful. The easiest to understand translations of the bible are not always the most accurate. I'd be happy to discuss anything scriptural via pm or you can post in this forum with broader questions. Discussion is one of the best ways to foster growth for everyone involved.

You don't have to be worried about a lack of understanding or context about the bible or even the church. If you find a Christian group that excludes you or judges you based on that, you're in the wrong group. Romans 2 and 14 should give you courage in that area. Paul spent his life addressing people and knew what fostered good fellowship.

Is it wrong / bad to find some parts of the bible boring?

I can't speak to whether it's bad or wrong, but certainly some areas are less interesting to some people. The genealogies stands out immediately in my mind as something that's pretty boring for most people. A lot of people find it hard to get through the OT at all. Most people do recommend you start with the NT partly for this reason I think. (The other reason is so that as you're reading the OT, you see it through the lessons learned in the NT)

As to the online study guides, no idea where to point you on those, sorry, but others here may have some good ideas. Again, your best bet is with other people in a small group setting. You should inquire at your church about any small bible study groups going on, that you might be able to join. Almost all of them have open policies on new people joining, and often allow people that aren't even members of a particular church.

its not wrong at all. I perfer not to read the parts of the bible listing everyone's heritage lol

thats just straight boring.

This post was edited by weasleface on May 10 2011 07:16am

The bible is God's words is it not? How is it not bad if we find his words boring?

Well, the words of Jesus are definitely not boring.

Read "Luke 21" for example. You will be surprised, and amazed.

Every person has their favorite part of the Bible and every person has their part that that don't really like to read.

It's just human to find certain parts you don't like boring. Who wants to read an entire chapter of the heritage of somebody? no one. It's not exciting its just a long list of people you don't know.

God understands human nature and how we find certain things boring. But thats why there is a whole book of this and not 1 chapter. So the parts that seem boring to some people and very exciting and interesting to others.

It doesn't say anywhere in the Bible that it's wrong to find things boring lol, thats just human nature.

They way that I understand it, there is more to faith than simply believing. Dwarf, you have admitted in your belief, but what I believe Torm1 was getting at is that you really have to surrender your life to Christ.

In no way do I condemn you, Dwarf, I am just trying to explain the context of this passage in relation to your life.

The way that I see it, it doesn't matter how much you encourage your religious girlfriend (or wife if it ever went that far). The fact of the matter is, you will never be able to love your girlfriend/wife completely for who she is unless you are "equally yoked" with her, meaning you believe the same as she does and you are striving for the same religious aspirations.

Now, I did not say that it was not possible for you to love such a woman at all, but you will only love an image or an idea of who she is to you, instead of really loving her because you understand and are with her in her religious convictions.

I am sorry for the pain this may have caused you, and I urge you not to give up your contention for the faith. If you have any questions ask us here.

The bible also has told us not to feel hatred, anger, frustration and etc. These are all apart of human nature also, but if God did not want us to feel these emotions, what did he create us with them??



Thank you for your sugar coated advice, it is very much appreciated. With my overwhelming thoughts about this topic, I am wondering why God creates us with emotions that he does not want us to feel. In addition, I believe he does not want us to lust, so why does he create us with overflowing hormones?

On the first part; it's not that we aren't meant to have them or feel them, it's that they should not control you. Both of those emotions can result in passion, which can be a wonderful thing! Anger and frustration are not necessarily negative things, it's what you do when you are angry or frustrated that matters. Like many things in the bible, it advises to steer clear of the things that tend to get most people in trouble. Doing/being around dangerous things is a slippery slope that not everyone can overcome. As an example, the last place you want to take an alcoholic to is a bar, because there is great potential of slipping back into drinking (eg, sin).

For the second, this partly has to do with free will. If you have no avenues for sin, then you do not have free will, nor choice. This by itself can be an entirely huge and complex topic, but in context of your question, I don't think it has to be.

When you mentioned lust, you also mentioned "overflowing hormones", which makes it seem vague as to what you really mean by lust. These same overflowing hormones can make one feel madly in love with another person, just as easily, and not necessarily in a purely sexual manner. I have seen it argued that it is okay to lust after your own wife, just of course, not others. I have also seen it argued based upon 1 Thes 4:3-7, that it should also not be in an immoral way. However, in that context, it is also referring to before you have actually gotten married, so that can also be argued.

I would say that lust falls under the same explanation as the first question. Lust is another emotion/feeling, that by itself is not necessarily good or bad, depending on whom it is towards, and in what manner you are lusting. One of the definitions of lust is not sexual at all:
3. a passionate or overmastering desire or craving (usually followed by for ): a lust for power.
In that context, this falls exactly under the very same thing I explained for your first question.

I would like to mention that in this situation you're in, you've probably felt angry, frustrated, etc, but it seems as though you are using these feelings as a passion for learning more about God. This is a most excellent example of how it can be a good thing that seems to apply directly to you.