Ep 29 - Which Comes First: Denomination or Discipleship?

The journey to finding your spiritual home as a new Christian can feel overwhelming. With countless denominations, traditions, and communities to choose from, where do you even begin? In this heartfelt conversation, we tackle the question: should new believers research different denominations before choosing which to join?

We share our personal experiences navigating church communities and denominations, revealing how focusing first on developing a genuine relationship with God provides the foundation for all other spiritual decisions. Drawing from our diverse backgrounds—with families spanning Catholic, Moravian, Church of England, and Seventh-day Adventist traditions—we discuss how inherited faith doesn't always align with personal convictions as your understanding of scripture deepens.

The spiritual discernment that comes from prayer and Bible study often leads believers to unexpected places. Both of us share stories of feeling uncomfortable in certain church environments despite trying to make them work, and how the Holy Spirit guided us to communities where Biblical truth resonated. We emphasize that church attendance alone doesn't constitute a meaningful faith journey—intentional prayer and scripture reading must form the cornerstone of spiritual growth.

For those struggling with church hurt or feeling unable to find a denomination that aligns with their understanding of scripture, we offer practical encouragement. Whether you're meeting in home groups, engaging with online communities, or serving through alternative ministries, remember that God looks at your heart rather than your church membership card. Your salvation and relationship with God remain deeply personal, regardless of which building you attend on weekends.

Have you struggled to find your place within Christianity? We'd love to hear your experience navigating denominations and discovering where you belong in your faith journey. Remember, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few—perhaps your calling extends beyond traditional church walls!

Transcript

Should New Christians Research Denominations?

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Hey guys, welcome to Unfiltered Christian. I'm Shay. And today is my question. So should a new Christian research different denominations before choosing which to be a part of? Or should a new believer say?

SPEAKER_02 0:30

A new believer meaning they're baptized or they've just found they're just found. God, they've just found Christ, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 0:40

And they don't know what they know they want to be a Christian, but they don't know what denomination to join. Should they research that? Should they look into that?

SPEAKER_02 0:53

My personal view is the world that we live in today. Um the most important thing for you to do is have a relationship with um Yahoo. Um first, I think that you should build your strength in having a relationship with him, meaning praying um and reading. Um and I think praying to him and asking him like if you want me to go into a church, like which church um should you go into? Um because the church in itself is a whole nother dynamic and I think you need to have a strong relationship with Yahweh.

SPEAKER_01 1:49

Okay. Yeah, I like that answer.

SPEAKER_00 2:03

Um I don't know if I've got another answer for that though, because that's a pretty good answer, to be fair.

Developing a Personal Relationship First

SPEAKER_02 2:10

Because I was brought up um Church of England, so my dad are my dad and my mum is two different denominations. My dad is Catholic, my mum's Moravian, and for those that don't know Moravian, it's similar to Adventism, but on a Sunday, so that's where I've got like wearing skirts from and dresses, and men shouldn't and women shouldn't wear men's apparel. So I've got that from the Moravian church. Um before I was um before I started attending like a seven-day Adventist um school and things like that. So my mum didn't want me to be Catholic, my dad didn't want me to be Moravian, so I was christened in Church of England, and um so when I go back home, I'm going to a Moravian church, and I was going to an SDA church as well, and then when I'm back in England, I'm going to a Church of England church that I had I was going to three different churches um learning three different styles of um worship, and that's why I was saying that you need to find out for yourself because a lot of it is dictatorship, and I think we said in a previous episode that people can push their beliefs onto you, um, but your walk and your salvation is individual, and so in the Sunday church, I knew that the Sabbath wasn't correct. I had a conversation with my dad about it because my dad's a good historian, and he also said that he knows that the Sabbath is Friday to Saturday, and I started to feel uncomfortable, and then I spoke to the priest about it. Um, and he was just like basically Sabbath days is done away with, and it that didn't settle with me, and then I started looking around at other churches thinking that I need to be attached to a church first rather than have a relationship with y'all first, and I looking back, I feel like that was my mistake because I felt like I needed to have a church rather than have a relationship with him first. So when I couldn't, when I was going to start, I think I started going to Rurak, and then I was going to all these different churches, and I was looking for quote unquote home, and I couldn't I wasn't able to find home because I wasn't reading, I wasn't praying, but I knew that okay, I didn't want to go to this church, and that's when I started reading for myself and having a relationship with him, and uh at the time I was at university, so at uni we went to something called Jaff, which was Jesus Alive Fellowship, and they had all different denominations there, and that's one thing that I loved about it. Um, and we just studied the word and we we were accountable for each other, and I think that's when I started going to the Seven Day Adventist Church in Colchester, and that was really nice, and it felt like a a community. Um and um, yeah, so I think what was missing was me having a personal relationship. So once you know that okay, I'm strong with him, I'm confident in him, then the next the next chapter is to pray about okay, which denomination or which faith shall I go to? And I also feel like you should listen to yourself because sometimes you might go to a church um and you might feel it out for a while, and then there might be certain things that's not making sense. Don't feel like oh, I have to start all over again. It's like the Holy Spirit is talking to you and leading you to where you need to be.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

Yeah, I think that's good.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

That's really good. It sounds I think that's the correct um advice um I think that can be given. I I think I did the same I did it the way that you said um that you would have liked to do it. So I chose to start my relationship with Elohim first. And if if I can remember right, I don't know. I feel like that's something you told me to do. Because I feel like I don't know if he told me all. I just felt like it's something I should do.

SPEAKER_02 6:41

I think he was battling between Sunday church and Saturday church, and I was saying that there's no right way or wrong way, like pray about it, ask him for direction.

SPEAKER_00 6:52

Yeah, because I I I yeah, I feel like I vaguely remember having that discussion, and I do remember for a while I just didn't go to church. I just tried to build my relationship with Elohim because I didn't have that even when I went to church. I did that that was non-existent. Um, I didn't have a a day, like I didn't take time in a day to pray and do all those things. It was non-existent. It was very focused, I was very focused on being in church, going to church, or am I gonna wear to church? What's happening in church, but not actually um the purpose or direction or why am I here, you know, like there was none of that there, it didn't exist. And um to be honest, what I will say is it is easier to just go and look for a church. It's harder to when I say harder, that's I don't think that's the word I'm trying to use because I'm not trying to make it sound negative. It requires more focus for you to even um dedication.

SPEAKER_02 8:09

It requires dedication.

Shea's Experience with Different Churches

SPEAKER_00 8:11

It requires dedication to focus on your relationship with Elohim, and that is deeper than even looking for a church. It's like it's more important, it's more like you have to be intentional. Um, and I feel like that is bigger than even trying to suss out a church, like you said, like through prayer, through building your relationship with him, you'll work that all out. And I'm so happy I did do that. Um, but now speaking about it, it's like confirmation what I did was correct because I was do buying devotionals and you know, bought a diary and did all these things before I actually found church. And I was battling, like I literally didn't know. I I I felt uncomfortable going to a Sunday church. Um, that was just me. And the funniest thing is that I hadn't been to church for like eight years, so it just was amazing. And if I did, I probably went for someone's wedding and um I don't know, I don't even know what else I went to church for, but uh maybe a Christian or something like that. But I I don't actually, I wasn't even active in church for so many years. So when I was trying, it was just it was just weird because in my mind, the last church I left was a Seven-day Adventist church. And I was used to like church on a Saturday, it's the Sabbath. But I didn't practice the Sabbath fully. And when I say practice, for anyone that doesn't know, I didn't, um, you know, Sabbath starts from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. Um, and I wasn't doing that type of practice. Like I was still working until the sunset on a Friday, but on a Saturday itself, I did not work. Um, I didn't really do anything. Um so for me, it was such a struggle. It was like a battle, you know, it's a spiritual stuff having a battle. Um, and I was so convinced I was not meant to, even though it was it was uncomfortable, I was just like, oh, maybe it's because you haven't been to church for a while. So I was so convinced that being in a Sunday church was the best decision for me. I was like, yeah, I don't wanna, I don't wanna go to an Adventist church. Like just, you know, I had all I had all my my own preconceptions on whatever I had in my head that I thought was happening in church. Um, and I just thought, yeah, that's not the place for me, it's not gonna work out. You know, all these different things I had in my head. And I just thought, yeah, that's not that's not the place I'm meant to be. And I really tried. Yeah, but it just didn't work. I felt so uncomfortable being in a Sunday church because I was like, hang on, because my job is a shift shift work, and so me having my Saturdays off was so that I worked on a Sunday. So I was like, so what am I gonna do now? I don't feel comfortable working on a Saturday, and Sunday would be when I have to go to church, but then I have to work on a Sunday because that's a compromise. So what am I gonna do? And it was like this battle I was going through, like, how is this gonna work? So um, in the end, I literally went back to my church um through CeCe's invitation, to be fair. There was a um crusade going on, and we had a pastor that was coming from America, and I went, and I would never forget the feeling of I remember sitting in my church, and I even remember what position I was sitting in. I remember like I wasn't even in like fully um sitting forward in church because I didn't want to, I didn't want any attention, I didn't want anyone to notice I was even there. I just wanted to sit down and just process. And I remember I sat there and I felt the most comfortable feeling that I've had since I've been trying to visit churches, and I didn't visit many churches as well, like I didn't I didn't. I tried, um I thought I thought I'd found a church because I found a Sunday church that started at four o'clock in the afternoon, and I thought, oh perfect, I can go to work, I can go to church. Great, so there's a balance, right? And I had such a traumatic experience in that church. I remember I physically just ran to the train station, it was it was horrible. Um it was absolutely horrible, and I thought, no, I I could never go there again. But, anyways, I sat in my church and I just remembered looking around, going, Oh my gosh, this is home. This is literally home, and I felt all the feelings like I'd missed it, I'd missed being there. Um everything sounded correct to me. You know, what was being preached sounded correct. Like it just I just connected with it, but that was just through me. Oh, now I know when I think about it now. This is through me um having my own relationship with Elohim. Don't remember praying that prayer, but I probably did, with him guiding me back to where I meant to go. And um because I'm sure I took that advice and did pray about it, and it just felt like that was correct. But I completely get it. I think like knowing the word, or at least having an idea of the word or connecting with the Holy Spirit will guide you even in those early stages, because I probably didn't know the word the way I do now, but the Holy Spirit guided me still. Um when I say it, and uh that's what I mean in regards to like things sounded correct. It's like other places I went to, things did not sound correct, and like I said, brain and mind, I wasn't sitting in church those eight years, I wasn't in a church, I wasn't listening to sermons, but somehow you just the Holy Spirit will speak to you, and you just know like what's been taught here is not correct, something doesn't sound right. You you don't know what it is, but you just know that it's not right, you just know it's not correct. So I think that is what I had even in those early stages. Like, this is not right, this is not connecting, this is not working, and I didn't go every single week after that. It wasn't like, oh my gosh, yeah, that's it. But um, I knew where I was meant to be. So in time, even if it was like one week a month or every other week or wherever it was, um the one thing about establishing a church life is that you have to be intentional about you have to be intentional about that journey if that's what you're if that's what you're doing. And um at that time my life wasn't adaptable around church, if that makes sense. It was still it was still new to me, I had to restart again. Um but I just knew that that's where I was meant to be. I was like, Yeah, this is where I'm meant to be. And I think I did go more than once that week when that speaker was there because I really enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_01 15:24

Um and that's how I eased myself back into church.

SPEAKER_00 15:31

So definitely remember that it comes with time. I think that's what I can say through my own experience. It comes with time. Um you're not gonna just find a d find a a church like that or find a deno denomination just like that. Um and you literally have to do what is for you because even me going back to that church, my family, because of what had happened to me in church, I went back to the same church um that I got hurt in. And it was we have to remember that we're all sinners and sometimes hurt people hurt people, and that can be in any environment. And I'm not trying to say that you should go to church to get hurt, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that I could have hurt someone in church. You know, we all do things. Um if someone hurts you at work, would you leave your job? Like would it be that simple? Would you just walk out? Because someone has said something to hurt your feelings or whatever it is. Um I don't think you'd necessarily do that. So I did already leave for so long based on that hurt, but I worked on healing from that. And even when I went back in, I wasn't still a hundred percent there, you know. It did used to pop up at times, but that the feeling of knowing that I was meant to be there outweighed uh those negatives and then that's when I had to pray. And there's something that someone said to me recently that one of our pastors preached. Um because one of our pastors said that this is your father's house, and don't let nobody come and tell you that you should not be there. So even still through trials, if you feel like that's your church or that's what you're meant to be, that's you that's your home. The individuals in there should not stop you from being there. But obviously it's it's a difficult situation. That's that's a whole different podcast about church hurt, and um I think we've been meaning to say we're gonna do one of those podcasts about church hurt. It's a whole different scenario. Um dealing with that. It really is.

SPEAKER_02 18:05

I also like to put because for me, I I right now I don't belong to a denomination, and I also feel like depending where you are in the world, um, you might not have a church local to you or whatever. Don't feel like you are not accepted because you're not going to a building where people worship. I think that's very key. Um, and I know that there's many platforms that are online, like you know, you can have a service at home, like listening to certain people online, certain sermons. There's so many like YouTubers out there that give them their top tips. Um, because I know for some people, depending on your situation, your environment, like you might not be able to leave the house, or your family restricts you from worshiping, or you just don't want to go to a church building right now. That is okay, or you don't want to be a part of a denomination, that too is okay, because I think sometimes we focus on what um like what denomination are you? Are you Catholic? Are you Church of England? Are you this? Are you that? But like Yahs not looking at all of that, he's looking at our heart, and I think you need to look at your heart and your relationship. Um, do I f do I think that a church going to a church is important? As of right now, I don't know. And as of where I am right now, I don't know because I'm doing my own research with certain stuff. However, I do attend church sometimes, um, like if there's special events going on, but I think where I am right now is like the fact that we're in end times, I want to be able to hear the Holy Spirit without other people having their input of if I say this, and that's another thing. If you feel like Yar is telling you something, and then somebody else interjects your feeling, that's fine. Where everybody's on different walks, everybody's on different levels with y'all, but don't let somebody deter how you feel. Like I get it all the time, like there's times where I haven't been at church for for so long, and the first people's thing is that, oh, where have you been? But nobody will check up on you. Sometimes going to church is lonely, you could be in the building by yourself. Um, church can feel clickish, church can feel a lot of different stuff, but there is positives like where you have a community where you have to pray, but there's a group um that the church has called Iron Sharpens Iron, and that's international. That's not actually a building, it's held on Zoom. So sometimes you could have a church-like community without the building, you could have brothers and sisters praying for you without the building. So don't feel like wherever you are, whatever your circumstances is, that you need to find a building to feel accepted.

SPEAKER_01 21:11

Yah accepts you.

SPEAKER_00 21:19

Yeah, I think that's a good bit of bit of advice to add in. Um because I feel like what we're talking about is gonna apply to each thing we say is gonna apply differently to each individual. Um so what I'm saying might apply to one person, what you're saying might apply to somebody else. Um so I completely I completely get that. Hmm. There's something you said actually that I have a question about in regards to because I I know that you don't belong to a dom denomination anymore. And you were saying that. You're not sure about church. Well, if you have to go to church, but what do you think about the early church when they had church? So they didn't have church in a church building, isn't it? They had church in their homes. So what do you think about that? Because the that's I can't really talk on it because I don't have um biblical facts.

Intentionality in Building Your Faith

SPEAKER_02 22:28

I don't want to um say certain stuff, and I know everybody's gonna have their opinion, but um whereas this is like worldwide, um because I don't it's I've been studying it because there's there's a even in the there's a verse in the Bible that says that you shouldn't even travel on the Sabbath. So I've been researching that because it seemed like, for example, if I was traveling on a Friday to your house and the sun set, I would have Sabbath with you, I would keep Sabbath with you. Um so my mind is just like where did the church building come from? If we're meant to be, and again, some people say like the law is done away with, um, and we're under we're saved by grace, but for me, I believe that we should still follow the law. Obviously, we don't sacrifice animals and stuff like that anymore. Um however, there's just I feel like where we are in the world, people pick and choose what they want to do, just like in life. So that's why I don't want to open that Pandora's box because we'll be here for a long time.

SPEAKER_01 23:52

Okay, fair enough. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 24:01

But me not having a denomination is um I just don't want to be attached to anything anymore. Cause I feel like um as Adventism, there's so much stuff that I don't agree with. Um so even though I'm baptized and I still have my membership, I just don't identify as an Adventist anymore.

SPEAKER_01 24:37

What can you say that looks like for you right now? What do you mean? Hmm. I feel like I knew what that meant from that question.

SPEAKER_00 24:50

So like because uh yeah, so what does that look like for you? You don't belong to don't denomination, so what does that look like for you? What is that what does your life look like without belonging to anything?

SPEAKER_02 25:06

It's all the same because it the most important thing is that I serve Yah and I follow his word. So a lot of people think that being a vegetarian or being vegan is Adventism, it's not, it's it says it in the Bible, um, it says it in Leviticus. So there's a lot of things that we cling on to and we say, like this, and I just don't feel like that. So for me, has my life changed? No, and I think that again, like what what you just said is like because I'm no longer Adventist, what am I? I'm still the same person, I still believe everything that I believed in. There's just a lot of things I didn't believe in in Adventism. And I thought to myself, if I don't believe in this, how can I call myself Adventist?

SPEAKER_00 25:55

Yeah, yeah. So I'm still me. No, but it wasn't I wasn't meant to say like what are you? It's more like what does it look like? What does your life look like, or what does that look like?

SPEAKER_01 26:07

It's the same, I just don't say I'm Adventist. Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 26:30

Yeah, this is like concrete, and I'm not a Hebrew Israelite, if that's what some people are thinking, but it's just until I find something that I'm like this is solid, then yeah, and that's why I was saying to people like it doesn't matter where you go if you go to a synagogue or here or there, and you're just trying to find something that suits you until Ya answers your question, it's okay. Because um there's a lot of people, for example, like Shay's Adventist, but sometimes she goes to church with her uh her her service users on a Sunday, and you know, you could still get a word from anywhere, like sometimes the Lord could be speaking to us at different times. Um, like I really want to go to like a Jewish synagogue and see how that's like, and we can all learn something because one thing that I realize is that different people will be saved from different denominations, and when they come to the truth, so this this podcast is not to cast down like other Christians who are not Adventists, like no, it's about being unfiltered and talking about how hard the walk is, trying to be a better steward for our father.

SPEAKER_01 27:52

Um completely agree.

SPEAKER_00 28:18

Everything you every decision you make or everything you do, you have to pray about and um your relationship with Elohim is individual. So only through that conversation with him and his guidance where you know like what's the right thing to do, what's the what direction you should go, what should happen.

SPEAKER_01 28:44

Um yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:56

But hopefully from if this is something that you're battling with, hopefully from this conversation someone has been able to get an answer to that question. Because I'm sure so many people are battling right now with those questions, like what should I do, where should I go? Should I go? Should I not go? Um hopefully you've through because sometimes you know you might pray and then you hear something and then the answer comes. So hopefully you've heard that answer. Um, and if not, keep praying.

SPEAKER_01 29:38

Um keep seeking out the answer and a whim will guide you up. Yeah. And do your research, research into um churches.

SPEAKER_02 29:56

Um don't just be like, oh, you know, like this is normal for me, because you know, where we we've been brought up like that, like you know, you go to this church because your parents go to this church, but what do you know about that church? Um it's like for example, when I started researching about the Church of England church, um how it even came about, it came about because Henry, I think it was Henry the Eighth, um wanted to divorce his first wife because she wouldn't give him a male hair to the front and he wanted to marry somebody else to give him a boy, but biblically the Bible says that you can only divorce if you commit adultery. So when he went to the Pope, the Pope um said no, yeah, he can't give him that, and he broke away from church and then started his own church, which was Church of England. Um, so we need to research the background and stuff because like a lot of people are a denomination, and they can't even tell you the fundamentals or what it's about or the reason of it, but they would just proudly say, I am blah blah blah. Um, but what is the meaning behind it? So I think you need to research why you are that person, why you are that denomination, how did it start, what was the fundamentals on.

SPEAKER_01 31:36

It's true. Yeah, yeah, you said it well.

SPEAKER_00 31:44

That's what we have to do.

unknown 31:45

That's true.

SPEAKER_02 31:46

If you don't find anything, it doesn't mean that you're a reject or anything like that, no.

SPEAKER_01 32:03

That's true. Yeah. Research is important.

Finding Your Spiritual Home

SPEAKER_00 32:13

I think a lot of people did anyways. Um especially like others that choose um a religion, not even just a denomination. I just wanted to aim it at that, but there's a lot of people that do their research on on what religion they want to be. That's how they make the decision about whether they even want to be one. Because I I think sometimes after a while, like some people say they did research and they they don't want to be any of them.

SPEAKER_02 32:43

It's like, oh yeah. And sometimes research is not asking other people, it's you res researching for yourself and pray it because sometimes like just with anything, people will tell you like, oh, it's be join because of this, join because of that, um and then you think okay, and we you gotta remember we go by feeling, so it'd be like, Oh, that seems nice, yeah. I'm gonna join, but do your own do your own research and study and you know, even when we talk about Sabbath and stuff like that, research it for yourself, um and look into it. Um because again, many people would say I worship on the Sabbath. If you ask them why, they can't even tell you, they just be like, Oh, because the Bible says so. But why? Where does it come from? Like, look into it. Some people even say, like, there's no there's no correct day, it's done away with, we're saved by grace. We need to read and study, and we need to like there's so and that's another thing, there's so many uh different branches of Christianity. Um even when you're about to watch something on TV, pray, pray before you watch it. There's so much things out there right now um that is just deep. Like I think even there's so many people that's relying on chat GTP, soon the world that we live in right now, soon chat GTP is gonna be giving people error, and then we're just gonna be led by it because it's like, oh like like we're becoming like, oh, let me ask Chat GP, let me just press my phone and ask Google for the answer. And there's nothing wrong with that, but soon we're gonna be so dependent on it, not even gonna have a book, and this is why I'm saying to pray and to pick up your physical Bible for those that if you can pick up a physical Bible where you are, rather than your phone, pick up the physical Bible because soon we're gonna enter where they're just gonna get rid of certain stuff, like we're in we're in the end times, so we need to be so bounded in doing things the natural way because AI is just the the movies they show so many movies where technology just takes over and just ruins mankind and they're still not learning. But we ourselves that were saying, 'Oh, I'd never use this.' I remember back in the day when contactless came out, it was like, I ain't doing that now. Every minute, people don't even have card, they're just tapping their phone, me, me included. So it's just be careful what you're doing. Great, you know. I'm even seeing things now, like with AI being able to just do sermons, and I think there's one church, I think is it in like the Catholic church where AI will be doing sermons now?

SPEAKER_00 35:55

Yeah, I've seen this. So I think it's a church in Germany that's actually done that. They're using like a um it's like a hologram or something of someone to do a sermon through AI or something like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:12

So for us and ourselves, like we're gonna be in a world where the Bible says it already, don't trust no man. Because we ourselves we're sinners, so it's important for you to have your relationship with him so you could hear the Holy Spirit and read your Bible for yourself. And I know sometimes it's hard because we're so used to, like, I could go to Shay and say, Oh, can you what do you think about this in the Bible? And she could respond. Sometimes the Lord takes longer to respond and certain things like that, but He will answer you, He will, He will lead you to the correct path. And the fact that you're having feelings of like, Oh, like which should I join, or where should I go? That that's the Holy Spirit talking to you, so just keep at it, He will guide you.

SPEAKER_01 37:04

Yeah, Amen. Amen. Um think you said that I think I've forgotten now. But yeah, I think that is the best thing you can do.

SPEAKER_00 37:30

As simple as prayer may seem, it's the best decision that you can make, it's the best thing you can do. It's just pray about stuff. Sometimes as much as I like to pray, even I forget to pray about certain things. Like something like, oh, did you pray about it? And I'm like, I didn't really think about that, you know. I don't know why, you know. I think that's something definitely like I myself personally have to work on being more intentional with because at this point, like you said, we're in end times. Like you literally have to pray about everything because there's so much happening that we just need direction and it might seem really small, but that one quote unquote small decision at that time could make a massive and long-lasting effect. Um so it is really important. I like I was I know someone that uses Chat GBT for um like devotionals and stuff like that, and it is really dangerous. I did watch a sermon about that the other day as well, talking about AI, you know, what it's doing to the world, and it's really dangerous. Like I was using it a lot, not for that, but I was using it for something, and it would um it would like because it because it's AI, it starts to like adapt and it's like, oh, would you like this prayer or whatever? And like the prayer would sound so amazing, and you're like, oh my gosh, like that's what I would have liked to say, but you didn't. It took from you, and like I had to check myself, and I was like, I use it for like other stuff, like professional stuff, because it's it's great for that. It like it helps me to articulate things that I I struggle to articulate myself, but in regards to to to do with God, I think that's that's a no-no. Because I'm thinking to myself, like the whole point of your relationship with Elohim is because he knows you for you, not you coming with this. Because that's that's the struggle I used to have when I started my journey. I used to think that my prayers needed to be these bad boy prayers, like I should be quoting this scripture, and I should and I used to feel like a failure with the way I prayed, and that affected me a lot because I just felt like my journey will never be the way it needs to be because I don't know how to do it the way other people do it, and I had to let that go. So it's gone off subject here, but um it's just important that you just bring your own self and your own words um to Elihim, and trust me, he will he will answer. Might not be exactly today, but he will answer.

SPEAKER_02 40:27

I'll just say like John 4 verses 23, it says, But the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship him, so it's all about worshipping him and going in in truth and reading his word. Um yeah, because many of us again can go to church, but like I remember I was lost in church, I was going to church, but I wasn't actually taking anything else, I was going to hang out with friends. Yeah, but I'm not saying that church don't help because it does. Um once you once you find a church, as Shay was saying, there will be ups and downs, that's just life. Yeah, but if you can't find a church, I'm just basically saying it doesn't mean that he won't accept you or he would reject you.

SPEAKER_00 41:22

Yeah. That's definitely important. Yeah, don't feel because you haven't found a church that that's it, like you're because you like you might actually have a relationship with Elohimia, but because you're not in a church, you feel like you're not complete, or you're not doing no, like that's it, like that must be the end of it for me. Um and I get that feeling because I I had that feeling.

SPEAKER_02 41:50

Because you also got those people who are like street preachers, like they don't have a church that every day, like they will just go out, or if they have after work, they will go out and they will just spread the word because when you look at John the Baptist, he was going around saying get ready for Jesus and and spreading the word. And I think that's that's where we need to be. We need to be out in in the road telling people about him in different ways. It doesn't mean have to be like being a street preacher, because I can't do that, but you know, with people who we meet with, we can spread the word and the love of him. Um because if everybody was meant to stay in church 24-7, how will people know about him? True, I was just gonna say that. Because even even like um the Yashua um Yashua, which is the name of Jesus, like even he was just going out and spreading, he wasn't in the temple all the time.

SPEAKER_01 42:57

So just take each day at a time.

Life Beyond Denominations

SPEAKER_00 43:00

Because you hear people say that, but then they don't actually do it. You're like, oh you know, how are you gonna be in church every week when you're not even spreading the word? And I'm like, but you're just saying it, you're still not doing it. Um, and it's true, and it came up in a sermon even recently for me, like he was talking about that, like um, because I'm not a street street preacher myself, I don't see myself doing that, but he was just talking about like that scripture that speaks about um uh the harvest is plenty, but the uh the labor is a few. And he was just like, you know, a lot of people say that oh, it's so hard to bring people to Jesus. And he's like, it actually really isn't that hard. Um it's really not. It was like, you know, you just have to be out there. And he didn't he didn't really say anything, but I kind of I kind of got where he was coming from. Cause he was like, you know, there's people that want to hear about about Jesus. You're just not you're just not speaking. You're not out there, you know. And I was thinking, for real? Because I'm like, I don't I don't even know if I can see myself just going sparking up that conversation.

SPEAKER_02 44:16

Um But I think it's the way of life. I think your way of life, because the Bible says that we're called to be peculiar. So your way of life, people should be like, oh, like you do this different, or like you know, like for example, Shay, like when she's on her walkabouts, if she sees somebody that is homeless, she will help them. Um witnessing is in so many different ways. And when made in his image, like you could be like helping somebody in your workplace, helping somebody on the road, helping somebody like I remember back back back in the day, um like the church that we go to, we used to help in the community. I don't know why, I don't know if it's still going on that Shay's more involved. I'm not anymore like that, but we used to do so much, so like every other Sabbath we had a rotor where we would visit people who are like home alone or don't have anybody, or visit people in the hospital, and we would spend the Sabbath with them. Um rather and then because there's a lot of people that's alone, there's a lot of people that don't have anybody, so sometimes it's okay to go and visit friends and family member and like spend time with them. As long as it's as long as you're still obeying the Sabbath, um, it's it's fine. There's so many people that you know haven't seen anybody because we we're we live in a generation now where everything is on the phone, video calls. True. Um so like there's nothing wrong like with going to like you know, bring somebody food and sit there with them, um that you haven't seen to and and make time with them.

SPEAKER_00 46:01

Yeah, it's true. I used to think I was wrong at first, like people used to make you feel like you know that's not what you should be doing, and then you're looking saying, actually, that's not actually true. Um, you know, Jesus was out here healing on the Sabbath. You know, if the work needs to be done, the work needs to be done. Um and I don't think they do as much as they used to, for sure. Like, not not so not down to the T where it's like there's a rotor and you're specifically going out to see someone, but they still do visits for shut-ins and and things like that. But the one thing we did do the other day is that when we did communion, sorry guys, still losing my voice here. When we did communion, um they did have those who went out afterwards to do uh communal service to to those at home that couldn't attend. Um you know, and yeah, I don't know why it I I'm not involved in that area, but I just have this feeling that the world's getting harder, but we're doing less for each other. Um in regards to like being around each other and stuff, I feel like the stuff you're talking about there used to be so much of it, um, and we don't do it as much anymore. And I think it's something that I myself I think I need to start praying about what more can I do with those surrounding me. Um because I I I I never used to see myself always being at church every Sabbath and being involved. Don't know where it's come from, but it's it has happened. Um but I used to think that that's what I would that's meant to happen. That's how it's supposed to be, quote unquote, supposed to be.

SPEAKER_02 47:54

Oh she said something that I want to interject that the Holy Spirit has said.

SPEAKER_00 47:59

Go on.

SPEAKER_02 48:00

If you have a role in church and Yara's now calling you to be somewhere else, don't let the church hold you back. That's another that word was for me. Um I heard that because I feel like sometimes we're put in positions and um he's calling you to do something else. Um, just as you look in the Bible, he called people all the time, like you know, in the middle of like fishing or whatever, and you're thinking, Oh, how am I gonna feed my family? But he's like, Come with me. So there's times where he might lead you into a whole different ministry, a whole different whatever it may be. Um, and you might get some people saying that, oh, who's gonna pick up the fork? But you're still doing his work, you're just doing it somewhere else. Um, yeah. I think that's a key thing. And the verse that Shay was talking about was Matthew 9, 37 to 38. It says, And then he said to his side his disciples, the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray to the Adon of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

SPEAKER_01 49:15

Amen.

SPEAKER_02 49:18

And yeah, and then like just to break it down for some people who might think, What is that? Like the harvest basically means that the souls, people who are ready to receive the truth of Yahweh's word, and then you've got the laborers, are those willing to share the gospel, pray, teach, and serve. Yeshua's saying that there's so much spiritual work to do, but there's not enough people answering to the call.

SPEAKER_01 49:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 49:47

So your call might not even be to be in church. Exactly. There's there's even like people, there's a I can't remember her name, but there was a girl that she goes around singing um around the world, and she's blessing people. You've got people who travel um and build schools and do this, and you know, there's so much that we can do, like missionaries and stuff. So just pray about.

Serving God Outside Church Walls

SPEAKER_00 50:12

Sometimes you're not meant to be in a physical denomination or a physical church, but he's called you to do your sometimes he wants you out there, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 50:23

Yeah, because he might send you to a a country that uh doesn't even know about him, um, and you're there to spread the word. So yeah, as long as your life represents him, read and pray to him and talk to him, give him everything, um, and he will take care of you and guide each and every step. It's not easy. Um, with dedication, sometimes you feel like I'm tired to read. We're we're all there, you know. We all have those moments where we we we read a chapter and it's amazing. Then you enter another book and it's it's just like nah. Um, and that's fine, but those are the times where we just pray and say, like, yeah, I'm finding this difficult, I'm not understanding, help me. We just give up and just turn on the TV or scroll through our phone or you know, do whatever, but we really need to say, and I think you know the most important thing is whenever I'm struggling to read a chapter, it's because I need it, but my mind is not processing it, so I have to sit down and pray about it, and then when I actually get it, I'm like, oh, like I needed this. So, and you also gotta be give yourself grace because we're all going through things individually as well, financially, physically, mentally, um, and just give that to him too.

Closing Prayer and Final Thoughts

SPEAKER_00 51:54

Amen. That's definitely what I say. That's also a word, it would definitely mean more to you. Um I don't think I have any more closing remarks. I think that was a great ending. Um like we said, just continue to be prayed for, continue to seek his seek his word. Um nothing wrong with um seek his word first. It's so funny. I was listening to, I'm gonna add into this, like I was listening to a commentary the other day because I struggle with sometimes with what I'm reading or what what what uh what that chapter may be not telling me, but what it's about. And so I found a commentary that I like um that goes through it and then will explain, like, oh, this was I don't know, based off of this of this or whatever it was, right? And um there's something that she said that I loved that made me think this is the right commentary I'm listening to, because you know, sometimes as well, you don't know. And she said that before you go and look, she said it's okay for you to come and listen to this commentary or listen to any other one about the chapter that you're reading. But before you do that, make sure that you have tried to understand what you're reading first and that you've gotten something from it before you seek out something else. Cause she's like, you need that for yourself, and I love that it just it was so powerful because it showed me that she's not just trying to get views and just trying to get people to watch, it's like make sure you're getting you're getting it for yourself, you know. And so that's what's important. It's important for you to be getting the word and getting everything, the food for yourself. That's my closing remarks, and I think I'm gonna say a prayer now to for us to end. All right, precious, holy, and wonderful Father, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, uh Alpha and Amiga, beginning and the end. Father, thank you so much, Lord in Heaven, for this episode. Thank you, Father Lord in Heaven, for being in the center and placing this question out there. Whoever this podcast was for, I pray that you may draw it to them, that it may be sent to that individual or they may come across it, Heavenly Father. Gracious God, whoever's listening and they're battling with what to do in regards to a church home or denomination or whatever it may be, Father God, help them on that journey and that path. Because only you can answer them, Lord. Only you can give them the answer that they need. And wherever that may answer may come through, whether it's through your word or through them sending someone to pass them that answer, may they know it's you speaking. Father Lord in heaven, may this podcast also even bless us as we walk away from it as well. And may we be able to be what you need of us to be and who you've created us to be. Thank you so much for loving us and caring for us. And thank you, Father Lord, for your time. We love you, Lord. In your blessing name as we pray. Amen.

SPEAKER_01 55:25

Amen. Amen and amen. And we'll see you guys soon.

SPEAKER_00 55:31

See you soon.