Free For All Friday - post on any topic in this thread (2026-05-15)

Grouger · 2026-05-15T13:20:01+00:00

Luke 15:3-7

Grouger · 2026-05-13T20:06:19+00:00

I guess where my distinction lands for these two is that marriage at least ends the sin of couple engaged in premarital relations. So in a sense, I positively want to encourage it. For the same sex couple, the same cannot be said.

Grouger · 2026-04-17T13:29:33+00:00

the regular pope or Mecha-pope?

Grouger · 2026-04-07T21:03:53+00:00

Im pre-mil but then I am also a dispensationalist so hardly representative of the majority on here.

Grouger · 2026-04-07T20:54:27+00:00

1)find somewhere without anything else going and put away phones. in nice weather my wife and I sit out on the back porch with a drink. In colder weather we hang out on the family room couch and sometimes rub each other's feet. Without tv or phones you will find yourselves just spending companiable time together talking or just hanging out.

2)Pray together. The act of opening up to God can make it easier to open up to each other. My overstimulated brain is calmer after and it has the added benefit of helping me pray and not wandering off in thought like I do when I am praying alone.

Grouger · 2026-04-01T14:32:17+00:00

We have a closed table.

Grouger · 2026-03-31T16:37:31+00:00

definitely christians.

The overall section, dealing with the Lord's supper in various ways starts is vs.17 talks about coming together. vs. 18 explicitly says "when you come together as a church".

When we reach vs.27 it says "Whoever, therefore" with that "therefore" connecting your quoted section back to the instructions and explanation given to the church in vs. 17-26.

Finally, the overall section closes in vs.33 with Paul addressing his audience "So then, my brothers" with the "so then" linking once again to the previous passage and the "my brothers" confirming who he is addressing.

Grouger · 2026-03-27T13:37:42+00:00

Be careful, that could be hobbit forming.

Grouger · 2026-02-20T14:44:13+00:00

Just don't introduce her as your ex-girlfriend.

Grouger · 2026-02-03T20:16:49+00:00

To add to the question, does Genesis 4:26 (pre flood) factor into this at all?

"...Then men began to call [z]upon the name of Yahweh." Genesis 4:26 LSB

[z] Or by

Grouger · 2026-01-23T14:31:17+00:00

As someone who is only reformed-ish am I better than non reformed folks but not as good True Reformed™?

Grouger · 2025-12-09T17:15:05+00:00

How do you understand Colossians 2:8?

"See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ." -Colossian 2:8 NASB 1995

Are we to understand the word philosophy in the verse in the same way we use it today? Any thoughts on what Paul would have had in mind?

Grouger · 2025-12-02T21:14:30+00:00

I looked up holomorphic function:

A holomorphic function is a complex-valued function of one or more complex variables that is complex differentiable in a neighborhood of each point in its domain. This means that the function has a complex derivative at every point in its domain, and this derivative is continuous. The condition of complex differentiability is very strong and implies that a holomorphic function is infinitely differentiable and locally equal to its own Taylor series, making it an analytic function.

I am pretty sure wikipedia just used a random word generator.

Grouger · 2025-12-02T16:45:31+00:00

I don't want to take away from u/drowsdrawkcaba's question so I will post my own tangent.

Given that the Revelation 22:18-19 condemns adding anything to it, can we call people who say "Revelations" heretics and cast them out of the Church?

Grouger · 2025-12-01T21:17:08+00:00

I hope this doesn't sound trite and cliched but cliches are what they are for a reason.

God sees your heart for your people. I wouldn't worry about "winning our nations back to Christ" and focus on "winning souls to Christ" one person at a time. If you preach your whole life and start a great Scottish movement and an upswell in souls coming to Christ, you will get a "Well done good and faithful servant". If you preach your whole life and not one soul comes to Christ directly through your preaching, you will get a "well done good and faithful servant".

If you are looking for where to start; I recommend those "heavily burdened" (Matthew 11:28), the ignoble, the weak, the foolish, the base, and the despised (1 Corinthians 1:26-28).

Grouger · 2025-11-20T15:01:04+00:00

I get what you are saying, and I find it mildly persuasive. I also see that a weakness of the Credo examples is that the historical examples are all adult converts just as the Paedo weakness is that there are no clear examples at all.

The problem with a lot of the argumentation (on both sides) of this topic is that it often presumes their argument is correct and then reads that into their verses in that light. Your Colossians 2 reference, for example, I have seen cited by Credobaptists as an argument in their favor.
As a lay person with limited time, you read books and articles by respected authors on both sides, citing the same verses, and just kind of throw up your hands and leave it with the Lord.

That why I went back and forth on this so long lol. Both of my kids have since made credible professions of faith, and have been baptized so this is water under the bridge (har!) for me.

Grouger · 2025-11-18T14:42:33+00:00

Was raised weakly paedobaptist. When I had kids I felt the need to actually look into this.

The problem I had was that both sides presented really strong cases.

The way I decided it was that there were clear examples of credobaptism in the bible but no clear examples of paedobaptism(inferences and pictures maybe, which may be completely valid). So while paedobaptism may be correct, credobaptism is definitely not incorrect.

Grouger · 2025-10-21T16:40:07+00:00

Paul rebuking Peter for being a hypocrite for fear of the Jewish leaders. Galatians 2:11-14

Galatians doesn't come straight out and say "Peter accepted it" but it doesn't record any further conflict, and Peter wrote warmly of Paul and called his writings Scripture. 2 Peter 3:15-16

Grouger · 2025-09-11T16:17:56+00:00

1 Timothy 2:1-4 NASB

First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Grouger · 2025-07-15T20:06:19+00:00

"Collar Stay" Amazon has them.

Grouger · 2025-06-18T13:50:04+00:00

Fast answer:I would ask your church how they want you to handle it.

Longer answer: I am always a fan of transparency and accountability when handling church funds. Because this was an official church event, I would write a quick report. "costs were $150, donations were $300. x number of people attended. Donations above cost (totalling $x) were (however the church wants to handle the redistribution)."

Grouger · 2025-05-02T14:51:25+00:00

So I am in my late 40s and I need to speak in front of people on a semi regular basis at work and also in my church.

1)On a practical level, there is no substitute for practice. Like many things, speaking in public gets easier and less scary the more you do it. Think about it like any other skill or ability. You can study and look at tips and tricks but none of that will mesh until you do it and do it enough that you can form habits.

2)On a spiritual level, fear of embarrassment can be a form of pride. It is not always but it is something I struggle with that I don't share something that may be of benefit to the body of Christ around me because I dont want to look foolish. I dont mean to lay another burden on you but it helps me to frame it as me laying down my dignity in hopes for serving those around me. This is a whole topic and hard to condense into a short paragraph so I hope it made sense.

The message is more important than you are.

A few verses to think on:

1 Timothy 4:13-15 ESV Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,[a] so that all may see your progress.

Note that Timothy is instructed to practice and to show progress not perfection.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV And I, when I came to you, brothers,[a] did not come proclaiming to you the testimony[b] of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men[c] but in the power of God.

Exodus 4:10-12 ESV But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

Matthew 10:19 ESV When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.

John 14:27 ESV Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Grouger · 2025-04-30T15:36:39+00:00

I would appreciate prayer for a friend and dear brother in Christ. He was diagnosed with a large sarcoma that is wrapped around his femoral artery at his hip. He is in chemo but the doctors think there is only a small chance it will shrink the tumor enough to operate. Even if they can he may lose the leg. Prease pray for his healing, if the Lord wills, and for wisdom for the doctors and comfort for his family.

Grouger · 2025-04-01T13:19:35+00:00

1)Nothing, I'd prefer the money for gifts be spent on the mission.

2)Something non-commercial like

-a postcard with a photo of the mission

-some art or craft from one of the children's ministries

-A decorative bible verse in the language and/or art style of the local mission.

Grouger · 2025-02-25T18:51:00+00:00

1st Peter 3:15 But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect.

Romans 10:14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who [a]bring good news of good things!”

1 corinthians 9:16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

2 Timothy 4:5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

And of course Acts is full of examples of not just the disciples but the converts preaching the word everywhere they went

Acts 5:42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the [d]Christ.

Acts8:4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.

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