Ask Pastor Mike Live

Speaker 1

Go to Deb. Deb, you're on the phone with Pastor Mike Fabar. How can I help?

Speaker 2

Hi, Pastor Mike.

Speaker 1

Hi.

Speaker 2

I've called before and talked to you about finding a church and listened to you for a long time and would like to know one thing. Would you take yourself and your family to a church like you were raised?

Speaker 1

The church I was raised in? Yes.

Speaker 2

I've heard you talk about the church that you were raised in. You know, as far as for it being maybe a softer gospel or not.

Maybe that's not me. That's my word, not your word that you use, but, you know, just the idea that God loves everybody—and he does.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

Speaker 1

Well, yeah, but I just don't know how accurate your understanding of my church that I grew up in is. I mean, yeah, my church was a little softer. That's true. Would I go to a church like that? Yeah, I would go to a church like that as it was then. Right? The church I grew up in then isn't like that anymore. So I wouldn't go there now. It's gone so soft. It's just, you know, it's a marshmallow now. But from what I know, I don't know. I haven't been there for a long time, but I've heard stories.

So, yeah, but the church I grew up in, as it was then, yeah, I had a pastor that was teaching the Bible. And, yeah, but, you know, it wasn't maybe as rigorous as I now look at it and would want it to be. Yeah, I would go to a church like that. I mean, if I didn't, what are my options? Based on what I think I remember you saying last time, my options are limited. I'm going to pick the best church I've got within reasonable driving distance, and I'm going to go there and try to be the best influence I can be for good in that church.

Okay. And that's what you've got to do. I mean, Deb, you've got to get to a place where you find the best church within reasonable driving distance and be the best influence you can be there. Be on fire for the Lord. Be all about God's truth and God's word, and love them the best you can. Always be quoting scripture and be back to God's word. No telling what God can do to use you as a catalyst to have people fall in love with God deeper and to have a greater zeal for the truth. I mean, who knows what God can do in using you there?

Yeah, so get involved. Find the best church you can. Whether you have to drive 25 minutes or 5 minutes, just find the best church you can.

Speaker 2

Well, I, you know, I. I've went and I've went and I've went, and. I'm giving it a good shot.

Speaker 1

Good. Good. Wolf. Now, you know, you got to do more than put your toe in the water. At some point, you got to put your bathing suit on and just dive in. You're just going to have to dive in.

And there's four things you got to do. You got to attend. You got to connect. Right? You need to serve in some ministry post, and you got to give financially. Those are the four things you got to do. And until you're doing all four of those things, you're really not all in.

Attending, right, all the time. Learning from your pastor, connecting. You got to know people there. The chair's got to go face to face. You got to have a ministry post where you say, "Here's where I'm serving and using my gifts." And then you got to give financially. Until you're doing that, you're really not a part of the church.