If You Have a Bad Experience at Church, Why Try Again?

My cousin doesn’t want anything to do with God. The reason, she says, is because she had a bad experience in a church when she was growing up, and it really soured her on religion. What can I say to her?

Have a talk with her and testify your God. Church is not perfect, and when we are there, the more important thing is to know God, and worship God.

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Amen

Maybe she was hurt, but she would know church is not perfect, God is perfect. Help her to know about God and she will understand why it happened to her.

You can do the right explanation to her. Help him to establish faith in God, God’s holy Lord. There are many incomplete and sinful people. The church is also a community of sinners, but in God’s Word it can be reunited into one and requires correct understanding.
You can also pray for this, hoping that you can solve misunderstandings and avoid future occurrences.

Send this message called MY IDENTITY IS IN CHRIST to your friend.
https://app.box.com/s/ayqudjptvyn4s28038sa3satj9373mp0

SHALOM,

Lee

Sorry my box account didn’t go through with my link but you can access by going to our website shininglight7ministries.com. Storehouse section

Thank you, @Lee_Evans for sharing that. It was a nice little lesson.

I don’t comprehend just one bad experience at church. I had 6 years of horrific experiences at church. That’s why I left it.

40 years later God had mercy on me and saved me as I read my Bible all the way through the first time. The second time I could not stop weeping in repentance.

Only sharing this story because sometimes it’s God and His Son, The Word, who has to heal hurts from human and sometimes deeply flawed perhaps error-filled churches.

I feel like I have more of a chance now to be able to be discerning about which church I may go to, or which Pastor or Preacher I may listen to. All because of the Scripture. Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, etc.

Hello Sunami: I have included our Shining Light 7 Ministries Storehouse for your edification. Box

Also including our Youtube account link:

https://www.youtube.com/my_videos?o=U

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Thank you. I will listen to the specific video you mentioned “MY IDENTITY IS IN CHRIST” as well as looking into the other offerings you have. I appreciate your attempt to help @Lee_Evans, however I doubt you understand that it is not helpful.

I have a question: why is a woman preaching? That is NOT what the Word says should happen in the NEW TESTAMENT! What are you trying to show here that you think would be helpful?

In “Ways that God Speaks to You” why does she quote only part of verse 18? And where does she get all this supposed “Biblical” teaching when all she has quoted is 2 verses in Psalm 139:17-18?

These are shadows and types (if you recognize that from the Bible) of the exact sort of “teachings” I got from the blasphemous churches I left!

Two verses only from one Psalm is not enough to back up her assumptions. I’m willing to hear a defense for these things, if you wish to state them here.

@Lee_Evans I’m sure you think you’re offering something helpful. But this is not helpful. We are not to concoct from our own imaginations what God says, wants or does. That is idolatry. Do you not understand that? Just because it’s not made of clay but of a woman’s (or man’s) mind does not make it any the less idolatrous.

We are to read His Holy Word and take His Word as Gospel! I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, that you are not merely arguing with my stance on Sola Scriptura. (meaning: the sufficiency of Scripture, for others reading this comment). So please explain what “god” you are pushing here. It is not the God of the Bible and this is not in accordance with what He commands us to do.

Galatians 1:
“6 I wonder that you are so quickly turning back from the One having called you by the grace of Christ to another gospel,
7 which is not another; only there are some troubling you, even determined to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we, or an angel out of Heaven, should preach a gospel to you beside the gospel we preached to you, let him be accursed.
9 As we have said before, and now I say again, If anyone preaches a gospel beside what you received, let him be accursed.
10 For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I would not be a slave of Christ.
11 And, brothers, I make known to you the gospel preached by me, that it is not according to man.
12 For I did not receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but by a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 5
“6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for through these things the wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience.
7 Then do not become partakers with them;
8 for you then were darkness, but are now light in the Lord; walk as children of light.
9 For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth,
10 proving what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things being done by them in secret.
13 But all things being exposed by the light are clearly revealed, for everything having been revealed is light.”

She should have the right experience of the love of God toward her, when she know more and experience How dearly God loves her then that will transform her life totally

I am sorry to hear this…yes church is a place where sinners gather. But please let her know we go to church not to see man but to find God. God won’t disappoint you.

If possible, lead him to study Bible first without going to church.