Brave Faith
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Tevko
- Familiar Member
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 1:20 pm
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- Sex: Male
- Creation Position: Undecided
- Location: Long Island
Brave Faith
Hey guys, I'm launching a website in January of 2012, and I'd like for all of you to check it out and hit me back with some feedback/critiques. The concept I'd like to employ is a site which spreads the gospel to the lost and enables Christians to live a bold and faith first lifestyle. Right now I have a few promos out at http://www.BraveFaith.Org and the facebook invite (to the website launch) is at http://on.fb.me/nF0HUJ. It is an open invite so please feel free to attend as I will mostly using the invite section to update those attending on various content changing. Please check out the site now and reply with some feedback!
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jlay
- Ultimate Member
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Re: Brave Faith
I don't know that there is enough there to give a full critique at this point. But keep us posted.
One word of warning. I'm not saying this is your intent only that I sensed this in reading the intro. You may already have material planned that addresses this. But the main page opening statement seems doesn't specifically seem to be addressing
people who are already believers. It seems to be a much broader brush. I do like the way you ask these questions. They are questions all people have. Why am I here? But this came across too me as more of a seeker friendly gospel presentation, and so the rest of my response is in this light.
My issue is I felt it tends to present God as a means to contentment or satisfaction, without the least hint at the need of salvation. That is that God will satisfy us more than money, or sex, or fame. Obviously in the eternal sense this is true. Eternal life is a 100% legit benefit of trusting Christ. And I am not saying that there are not benefits of being a Christian here on this earth, and living out your God given destiny. However, I am always cautious of using this as a calling card. The reason? Well Christians are not promised contentment in this life. Not in the sense that the average person would understand it. In fact we are warned that our faith will lead to trials, temptations and even persecutions. So, if Joe Average says, "Ok, I've tried all these other methods, I'll give Christianity a try." Is He coming to Christ? No. He isn't coming as a sinner in need of a savior. (Luke 5:8) He is using the grace of God as a means of life improvement. A self-help method. When he realizes that Christianity won't solve his problems in life or his worldly desires, then he abandons the experiment, worse off than he was at first. Another bitter backslider. Perhaps deceived that he gave Christianity a genuine try. Never coming to terms with his own sin condition and his desperate need for a savior.
I admire your ambition and hope it works out. I only say these things because all too often today I see God presented in seeker friendly ways that are sincerely motivated, but simply fail to address to true problem of man and his sin.
One word of warning. I'm not saying this is your intent only that I sensed this in reading the intro. You may already have material planned that addresses this. But the main page opening statement seems doesn't specifically seem to be addressing
people who are already believers. It seems to be a much broader brush. I do like the way you ask these questions. They are questions all people have. Why am I here? But this came across too me as more of a seeker friendly gospel presentation, and so the rest of my response is in this light.
My issue is I felt it tends to present God as a means to contentment or satisfaction, without the least hint at the need of salvation. That is that God will satisfy us more than money, or sex, or fame. Obviously in the eternal sense this is true. Eternal life is a 100% legit benefit of trusting Christ. And I am not saying that there are not benefits of being a Christian here on this earth, and living out your God given destiny. However, I am always cautious of using this as a calling card. The reason? Well Christians are not promised contentment in this life. Not in the sense that the average person would understand it. In fact we are warned that our faith will lead to trials, temptations and even persecutions. So, if Joe Average says, "Ok, I've tried all these other methods, I'll give Christianity a try." Is He coming to Christ? No. He isn't coming as a sinner in need of a savior. (Luke 5:8) He is using the grace of God as a means of life improvement. A self-help method. When he realizes that Christianity won't solve his problems in life or his worldly desires, then he abandons the experiment, worse off than he was at first. Another bitter backslider. Perhaps deceived that he gave Christianity a genuine try. Never coming to terms with his own sin condition and his desperate need for a savior.
I admire your ambition and hope it works out. I only say these things because all too often today I see God presented in seeker friendly ways that are sincerely motivated, but simply fail to address to true problem of man and his sin.
-“The Bible treated allegorically becomes putty in the hands of the exegete.” John Walvoord
"I'm not saying scientists don't overstate their results. They do. And it's understandable, too...If you spend years working toward a certain goal and make no progress, of course you are going to spin your results in a positive light." Ivellious
"I'm not saying scientists don't overstate their results. They do. And it's understandable, too...If you spend years working toward a certain goal and make no progress, of course you are going to spin your results in a positive light." Ivellious
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Tevko
- Familiar Member
- Posts: 39
- Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 1:20 pm
- Christian: Yes
- Sex: Male
- Creation Position: Undecided
- Location: Long Island
Re: Brave Faith
jlay, Thanks for checking out the site and posting your thoughts. I reread your post a number of times and I just wanted to further explain the stance I am taking with satisfaction and contentment in God.
Yes, the type of satisfaction and contentment i am referring to on the site is a different type of satisfaction and contentment all together. It is a type which, upon honestly seeking God, is delivered in the form of understanding. Understanding which gives way to satisfaction when one repents from sin, realizing that instead of true satisfaction, all sin offers is brokenness and addiction. Understanding which gives way to contentment when one understands that despite the difficulties and trials which may fall upon them in this lifetime, an eternity in heaven with God is waiting.
So, in essence, what I am working towards so far is to slowly show someone like Joe Average the source of the common desires which we all share, how sin is not what truly satisfies those desires ( the desires being, in reality, a search for God) and what that person can then do to correct a misunderstood lifestyle.
I presented the gospel as an invitation to contentment and satisfaction because from how I see it, we all sin because we are motivated to satisfy our desires. Since sin only leads to addiction, brokenness, and a larger appetite for self serving, turning from sin and following Jesus, should and does break such a cycle, finally allowing for true contentment and true satisfaction.
Yes, that does not take away from the fact that we are first and foremost sinners in need of salvation, however, repentance (changing ones mind about sin) comes first.
Yes, the type of satisfaction and contentment i am referring to on the site is a different type of satisfaction and contentment all together. It is a type which, upon honestly seeking God, is delivered in the form of understanding. Understanding which gives way to satisfaction when one repents from sin, realizing that instead of true satisfaction, all sin offers is brokenness and addiction. Understanding which gives way to contentment when one understands that despite the difficulties and trials which may fall upon them in this lifetime, an eternity in heaven with God is waiting.
So, in essence, what I am working towards so far is to slowly show someone like Joe Average the source of the common desires which we all share, how sin is not what truly satisfies those desires ( the desires being, in reality, a search for God) and what that person can then do to correct a misunderstood lifestyle.
I presented the gospel as an invitation to contentment and satisfaction because from how I see it, we all sin because we are motivated to satisfy our desires. Since sin only leads to addiction, brokenness, and a larger appetite for self serving, turning from sin and following Jesus, should and does break such a cycle, finally allowing for true contentment and true satisfaction.
Yes, that does not take away from the fact that we are first and foremost sinners in need of salvation, however, repentance (changing ones mind about sin) comes first.