JUST CURIOUS … How many lives have been changed by SI discussions? Any testimonies?

When I ask this question, I am not referring to lives that have been encouraged, uplifted and edified by SI discussions. I am speaking of changes in doctrinal thinking or in ideas about Biblical principles that have truly been changed or affected as a result SI discussions. Are there any testimonies of Christians who felt that they were in error, and were enlightened to the truth as a result of discussions on this forum?

The reason that I ask is that I fear that many participants have wasted (possibly to the point of sin)many hours that could have otherwise been used in a much more eternally productive manner. If we search for people near where we live who do not even know “the basics” of Christianity and form home Bible studies with them, we can teach them (from ground up) in what we “know” to be sound Biblical teaching. In the process, they may even get saved and prepared for heaven.

I don't know about the forums but the sermons have had a great impact on my life.

I perfectly agree that "at times the charity and love expressed amongst those on the forums has been a tremendous witness to many."

Although I don't get to participate in the forums as often as I'd like, I look at them often and often I find great encouragement in them. So often, my own thoughts are expressed by others very clearly on these forums because it is the same Holy Spirit working within each of us as we grow in our knowledge of the Lord.

I prefer to get my "news"information from SI because it is filtered through godly people who will post things that I would be more interested in.

The main emphasis of this thread is not necessarily the blessing that SI forums are to our lives, but I suppose that this question better fits what I'm asking:

" Are there any testimonies of Christians who felt that they were in error, and were enlightened to the truth as a result of discussions on this forum?"

So often hours and hours are poured into "proving my point" on the forums about some particular doctrinal position or view of and interpretation of scripture. I've been guilty myself. Often when one's view gets attacked or countered,volumes are written in defense of one's particular view, but to what avail???

What fruit has ever been accomplished on these forums for such intense arguing over different views of the scripture? Can ANYBODY testify that he saw the error in his thinking on a certain issue because of reading arguments on SI?

Can a witness step forth to prove that it is profitable???

As a personal testimony I can say that some of my own beliefs about issues such as church structure have been strengthened on these forums, but I don't know that I can say that I've actually been enlightened and changed a strongly held view of the scripture as a result of a debate on these forums.

We don't want to hear the words: "Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness ..." because we unprofitably squandered our time proving our points, when God had other plans for our time.

How about it? Are there any witnesses?

Dear brethren, I've always thought that prayerful participation in these forums is an excellent place to gather seeds whereby God can grow us in wisdom and grace. If the heart is right with God and man, and you come here without an agenda, God can do miraculous things in your spiritual life. It is this very principle many have understood, and the Spirit brings us back here again and again, to share, to express joy, to learn humility - and very often to rearrange our theological furniture. I truly believe that this is the warmest and most wonderful place on the internet and I am honored to be a servant here.

Naturally, a place like this will be attacked. The attacks, though, are for a season only, and God uses them to profit us all even greater. It is always a win-win situation with the Lord if you walk in His light and remember to humble yourself in every occasion. God always restores, cleans, renews. I see in this forum a microcosm of my actual walk with Christ outside this cyber-fellowship. I see the same seasons of attack, different occasions to abase myself, and times to share what God has been showing me in the midst of trials.

This place can be an absolute blessing if it is not abused with agendas or used as a soapbox to vent. And to answer the original question of the thread: yes, my life has been changed tremendously because of God using Sermon Index; I will even go as far to say it is the indirect cause of who I am today in Christ. Through SI's influence, God has given me many powerful tools of grace to build my faith and groom my understanding of His love for me in Christ Jesus.

Brother Paul

*deleted*

I've benefited greatly from the SermonIndex forum archives over the years. John Sung used to say that a believer's life was like a living Bible, and I am grateful for the many participants who have shared their journey with Jesus here.

I used to be part of a Charismatic church, during which I had concerns about certain practices. What I gleaned here was that God is more real than we could conceive Him to be, and there is indeed a baptism in the Spirit; yet there was also emphasis on the necessity for discernment. Every experience with God engages not only the emotions, but also the mind, the soul and the spirit - our whole being; and every such experience is always in perfect harmony with Scripture.

Some years back, I was acquainted with people whose denomination decided to discard the doctrine of the Trinity. Though the denomination had a global reach, the mother church was in Hong Kong and they had been officially labelled a cult. To help them out, I tried to compile various discussions on the Trinity - and SermonIndex was immensely useful in that.

Sometimes it seems to me that most of what can be asked can be found in the forum archives. I have benefited from the insights and sharing of many posters here, and I trust that I am not alone in that.

It is hard to say for me if my life has been changed. Mainly because I think the changes are small and gradually. I use this forum to challenge my own thinking and clarify in my own mind what I believe.
Almost everything that we believe has been debated and discussed for centuries by brilliant men who loved God.

Listening to others when done in humility can only help our pursuit of truth.

Frankly, when we endure persecution someday many of these things will resolve themselves I believe.

Until then, let us pursue righteousness and purity and love.

In Him,
Tim

It is hard to say for me if my life has been changed. Mainly because I think the changes are small and gradually. I use this forum to challenge my own thinking and clarify in my own mind what I believe.
Almost everything that we believe has been debated and discussed for centuries by brilliant men who loved God.

Listening to others when done in humility can only help our pursuit of truth.

Frankly, when we endure persecution someday many of these things will resolve themselves I believe.

Until then, let us pursue righteousness and purity and love.

In Him,
Tim

I know for me I am picky when it comes to sermons because I find alot of sermons bore me terribly. The one sermon that caused me to itch a bit inside was one from Paris Reidhead. When I say itch I really mean squirm.

When it comes to the discussion board I use it to bounce thoughts off of others to find what should be true, false or indifferent. This is because I frequent other forums/boards in which there are atheists and agnostics in which have grown up in the church and walked away from it for various reasons.

I cannot say whether this site has changed me or not - I would guess other people can discern this better then me. I always consider myself a work in process - never done but always pressing upward.

I can say though that this site has been a great encouragement to me. It is too easy to sit here in our small, rural town and become ingrown and believe the whole world is going to hell in a basket and we alone are left. But what this forum does is inform us that there are Believers in other places who are sincere in their walk with the LORD. This alone is very encouraging. True, there have been lots of disputes over time, but people have survived and they will survive the current one raging on this forum. Disagreements will always be with us - like it or not - it is how we handle them that demonstrates to us where our weaknesses are. We are all changing - and I could name you well-known posters here who have changed in the years since they started posting, but I will let them tell you that.

Yes, if you stay on here long enough you will be blessed.

ginnyrose

Deleted - my submit posted three times! Must have the hiccups!

Deleted - my submit posted three times! Must have the hiccups!