John Maxwell

[RickyD]

I attend a church here in south FL. It is very hard to find a bible believing church these days. My gift of discernment has never failed me but sometimes I get in the way of the Holy Spirit. In any event the church started the whole Rick Warren thing and the spirit warned me about that. I stopped attending two years ago.

The problem was I stopped attending all churches and my life suffered for it. I went back to the church out of shear agony and found that although the church does continue to grow and that is their goal, they no longer embrace the Purpose Driven dogma. They found Rick Warren's ways too controlling and inflexible.

Now to my quandry. The pastor is a wonderful old time gospel guy. He believes in forgiveness of sin,the Bible is the inspired word of God, the need for salvation and surrender to Jesus Christ. He has an alter call on a regular basis.... but. Because of the affiliation with Saddleback, John Maxwell has moved to south FL and is a "pastor". He speaks at the church infrequently but when it is announced that he will be there the church gets exstatic like it's going to be a major event. He was here last weekend for two days and I decided to attend church on Wed and skipped the weekend services. Am I being closed minded? I can do a search on John Maxwell and find all kinds of negative information but it's the www for Pete's sake. Anyone have any current, reliable information about John Maxwell?:scratch

[Lexie]

I attend a church here in south FL. It is very hard to find a bible believing church these days. My gift of discernment has never failed me but sometimes I get in the way of the Holy Spirit. In any event the church started the whole Rick Warren thing and the spirit warned me about that. I stopped attending two years ago.

The problem was I stopped attending all churches and my life suffered for it. I went back to the church out of shear agony and found that although the church does continue to grow and that is their goal, they no longer embrace the Purpose Driven dogma. They found Rick Warren's ways too controlling and inflexible.

Now to my quandry. The pastor is a wonderful old time gospel guy. He believes in forgiveness of sin,the Bible is the inspired word of God, the need for salvation and surrender to Jesus Christ. He has an alter call on a regular basis.... but. Because of the affiliation with Saddleback, John Maxwell has moved to south FL and is a "pastor". He speaks at the church infrequently but when it is announced that he will be there the church gets exstatic like it's going to be a major event. He was here last weekend for two days and I decided to attend church on Wed and skipped the weekend services. Am I being closed minded? I can do a search on John Maxwell and find all kinds of negative information but it's the www for Pete's sake. Anyone have any current, reliable information about John Maxwell?:scratch

RickyD,

It's the same human potential/contemplative thought Rick Warren and Emerging Church teaches. :nod

From the site

Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Experiencing God's Transforming Presence
by Ruth Haley Barton, R. Ruth Barton, and Dallas Willard


That's what Converge Atlanta is all about!

Converge Atlanta is for next generation leaders. Most of those who enroll are college students. They come to receive tools to help them accomplish a mission with their life. Sociologist Leonard Sweet tells us this next generation is EPIC:E - Experiential
P - Participatory
I - Image-driven
C - Connected

Converge Atlanta is all those. It's an experience that will mark you for the rest of your life. It's foundation is an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. It happens in community. It's constructed from eight building blocks that reinforce leadership in eight different ways:
Leadership Images
Adventure Learning
Leadership Interviews
Process Groups
Field Trips
Leadership Reading
Assessment Tools
Leadership Challenge So, What's the Deal?
Converge Atlanta isn't for everyone. We are looking for students who:
Are passionate about their relationship with Jesus

Are mature enough to take initiative in their life

Are hungry to become a more effective leader

Are willing to pay the price of an intensive course

Will take a leadership role somewhere afterward (At home, on campus, as an intern, or on the mission field)

http://www.growingleaders.com/index.php?converge08

[RickyD]

This is a nightmare. I can't find a church that isn't scary. They can't destroy my salvation but I need to find a church that is true. I've asked this question before. Does anyone know a church in the Jupiter, FL area that I can trust??

It was so much easier back in the 70's when I wa just a Jesus freak

[goinghome]

http://www.calvaryjupiter.org/

Have you tried Calvary Chapels? I move around often, and find most of them true to the Word. You can go to the above website to listen to teachings before you go, just to make sure they're on the right path. I didn't start learning HOW to read the Bible, and explain it to others, until I went to a Calvary Chapel. If it's a good one, as the ones I've been to are, you will be blessed.

[lbeels]

I don't know about John Maxwell today, but I used to be in the Amway/Quixtar business and he spoke to us regularly. Very seeker friendly in his talks. At the time I loved it but now I abhor it. That's why I'm out.

The calvary chapel church I go to is solid biblically in their teachings. Will pray for you that you will find a good church. Also keep in mind small groups too.

:pray

[Tenbear2808]

:yeah :yeah

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUGGESTING LOOKING FOR A CALVARY CHAPEL!!

There is on near me AND one of the home groups is actually in my little town!

Woohoo - as soon as I am able to get back home from my temp residence I will start attending!

:yeah :yeah :yeah

[Sing4Him]

:hug Tenbear-- praying for you and praising the Lord for your tenacity to God's Word. :thumb:thumb Good for you.

[SummerSailing81]

I sort of have the same problem with my AoG church. Although my pastor and the assistants preach sound biblical messages, I do have some concerns about other things being taught in the women's ministry and some of the Sunday school programs. Several times the women's ministry has had studies by Beth Moore and Joyce Meyer. Moore is questionable to me at this point, and there's no doubt in my mind that Joyce Meyer is outright Word of Faith. About a year ago, my pastor's wife was speaking to a couple of us after church services and she mentioned that years ago she and the pastor had attended a Morris Cerullo crusade. I don't believe that he's a true preacher of the gospel either. Even though my pastor doesn't preach the WOF gospel, there are those in the church who believe it and confess it to others. I've even had members tell me not to call my dd "disabled" or "special needs" because that was telling God I didn't believe she had been healed. :twitch I have to admit that I don't attend on a regular basis anymore because I do have issues with things that are being taught in the church, not in the pulpit, but then not condemned by it either (the women's ministry teaching from Meyer's book Battlefield of the Mind). Also, there's rarely an alter call for salvation. What are your thoughts? I'm seriously thinking about going back to my old Baptist church where the plan of salvation and an alter call is given every Sunday in addition to the pastor's message. I left there because we moved and it's about a 1/2 hr. drive to church there, where it's only about 15 mins. to the church I'm going to now. There's also another Baptist church that's about 5 mins. from my house that I also might check out. My MIL knows the sister or brother, can't remember, of that church's pastor.

[RickyD]

Thank you all so much for the recommendations and prayers. I will absolutely look into the Calvary Chapel in Jupiter. I know fully well that the Spirit will guide me and no matter what I cannot lose my salvation. I know I won't find a church that everyone will agree on everything. We are all people and it just isn't going to happen. Tammy hang in there. Christ is the answer and you know Him and He knows you. Joyce Meyer does do some stuff that I don't particularly like but she does an awful lot of good too. From a recovery stand point she has a wealth of knowledge that is right on the mark. At the end of the day guess what the answer is?? PRAYER !! duh. We knew that all along didn't we.Pray for the Holy Spirit to discern for us. Pray for the people that they do not get led astray. Pray for the preachers and teachers who may not even know that they are doing it. Once again I thank all of you and God bless you. Oh and go here for help www.Lighthousetrailsresearch.com

[lbeels]

I sort of have the same problem with my AoG church. Although my pastor and the assistants preach sound biblical messages, I do have some concerns about other things being taught in the women's ministry and some of the Sunday school programs. Several times the women's ministry has had studies by Beth Moore and Joyce Meyer. Moore is questionable to me at this point, and there's no doubt in my mind that Joyce Meyer is outright Word of Faith. About a year ago, my pastor's wife was speaking to a couple of us after church services and she mentioned that years ago she and the pastor had attended a Morris Cerullo crusade. I don't believe that he's a true preacher of the gospel either. Even though my pastor doesn't preach the WOF gospel, there are those in the church who believe it and confess it to others. I've even had members tell me not to call my dd "disabled" or "special needs" because that was telling God I didn't believe she had been healed. :twitch I have to admit that I don't attend on a regular basis anymore because I do have issues with things that are being taught in the church, not in the pulpit, but then not condemned by it either (the women's ministry teaching from Meyer's book Battlefield of the Mind). Also, there's rarely an alter call for salvation. What are your thoughts? I'm seriously thinking about going back to my old Baptist church where the plan of salvation and an alter call is given every Sunday in addition to the pastor's message. I left there because we moved and it's about a 1/2 hr. drive to church there, where it's only about 15 mins. to the church I'm going to now. There's also another Baptist church that's about 5 mins. from my house that I also might check out. My MIL knows the sister or brother, can't remember, of that church's pastor.

Sounds like there are some things that are questionable with your church but I would like to say that Ray Comfort says that alter calls give people a false sense that if they go forward they are then saved and they really may not be saved. Who knows why they actually went forward. He says that repentance and following Christ is really something that should come from the own person's heart and mouth and not from a pastor because it gives them the false sense that since they said the prayer, then they must be saved.

I noticed that my church rarely has an alter call and at first I couldn't understand why but now it makes sense. If you haven't heard Ray's message Hell's Best Kept Secret, you might want to. http://hellsbestkeptsecret.com

God Bless