Sunday, November 7, 2010

Preaching to Believers

I had a nice conversation at the park yesterday with a Christian woman who has slightly different faith than mine.  We both really value the Bible and whole-heartedly believe Jesus’s claim: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).  The whole conversation was so positive and I felt a kinship to this woman because of our common belief in Jesus Christ.

That’s why it seemed so funny when before leaving, my new friend offered me some reading material about prayer and trusting in God.  It didn’t surprise me because I’ve visited with members of her church before and received similar pamphlets, but I did wonder why she was giving this to me as though she needed to convince me when I already believed.  She clearly believed that her church had something to offer me, that my faith was lacking something significant.

I often think this is how other Christians feel when approached by exuberant members of my church.  After all, we’re not the only ones who believe in Jesus Christ and have real spiritual experiences.  So why do we promote our faith, our church, so much?  Particularly, what do we have to offer to those who already believe in Christ?  Here are my three best answers:

  1. Pure truth
  2. Priesthood blessings and ordinances
  3. The Gift of the Holy Ghost

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