r/Baptist

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Hi everyone! My husband and I are an Asian–Pasifika couple in our early 30s, living in East Auckland. We’ve been finding it quite difficult to find a church that is genuinely God-centred, mission-focused, and welcoming to newcomers—especially for people who are on the shyer side.

We’ve been attending the same church regularly for about three years, but unfortunately, we’ve found it hard to build friendships beyond a surface level. We also feel that the church places a strong focus on gaining biblical knowledge, but doesn’t seem to have much intention or involvement in reaching out to the wider community.

We’re hoping to find a church with a warm and welcoming culture, genuine people, and a strong desire to challenge and encourage one another to live more like Christ.

Does anyone have any churches in East Auckland or nearby that you’d recommend? We’d also really appreciate hearing about your own experiences of finding the right church.

Is it possible to defend, in a genuinely honest and intellectually coherent way, the view that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist in a pneumatic/spiritual sense, while demonstrating that this understanding can actually be found in the Church Fathers and in the Christian tradition of the first millennium?

In other words, is it possible to construct a historical case for this position without stretching the meaning of the texts, selecting only favorable quotations, or interpreting the Church Fathers through the lens of later theological categories? I ask because historians and theologians from other Christian traditions often argue that Baptists misinterpret the Church Fathers by relying on isolated passages or by overlooking the broader context of their writings.

Is there, therefore, a historically and intellectually honest way to demonstrate that the Baptist understanding of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist has genuine support in the earliest centuries of Christianity?

Note: When I refer to “Baptists,” I am specifically referring to Baptists within the Reformed tradition who are not memorialists, but who believe in the real and spiritual presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Does anyone else feel like the Persona games are kind of spiritually dangerous as a Christian?
The tarot cards, the occult imagery, the ending of P5 (iykyk), summoning demon personas, aiming the revoker at yourself in 3R, etc.

Maybe I’m just grasping, but how do others here approach the series? As someone who takes his face very seriously, I’m sensitive to the things I consume.

Are these games pretty anti Christian? Or are these things a very minor part of the experience?

Malachi 3:8  Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. 

9  Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 

10  Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 

11  And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. 

12  And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts. 

I know some say the tithe is not for today, but all I hear is blah, blah, blah. We are not under Law, but the tithe was before the Law. There is no new direction to replace it in the New Testament. The passages they use are clearly about giving to the poor, not about supporting the pastor. We still take up freewill offerings, but we do not use them wisely. Those issue are for a different sermon.

Tithing was not meant to be a burden. It was to be an act of obedience in faith that God would provide for us as the tithe provided for the priesthood. If we attained wealth with 100% of our money, we would say it was our wisdom and power that did it. Even with the tithe many think it is their financial prowess that gave them what they have.

I started tithing at a time where I did not believe I could afford it after God turned my head towards my model train collection to show me I could tithe. Since that time, I have had jobs I was not qualified for making money more than I would have made normally. I retired from an IT job without ever going to college or tech school for that career.

We have been able to support a couple of girls in Africa when it was clearly God supporting my two children while in college and through a couple of periods of unemployment.

My wife is our bird dog looking for people in need and sends money to an organization here in the US that cares for kids in need. We support a pastor in the Philippines.

Because He has blessed my income and my careers, I was able to retire early and become a volunteer in both my church and community rather than working until I am ninety or die on the job.

Then again learning to live off of 90%, thanks to a frugal wife, helped us make wise decisions. We only paid for the cars we needed, not what people said we could afford. The same with homes. Real Estate agents would say you can afford a larger house. I said I want to retire so I can live in the house not live for the house. Indeed, living below our means helped us prepare for retirement and making less than we did working. I am not Bill Gates, but we are comfortable and better off than most of my peers according to the reports I have read.

When we married my wife was one who could stretch a nickel into a $50 bill and I was able to turn a $50 bill into a nickel in no time flat. It was a bit of a challenge until I realized that unless I wanted to be hungry, naked and homeless it was best for her to manage the finances. Many could learn from her! If we were to want less we would need less and live quite nicely.

Indeed, I am sorry the minimalist thing was not around when we were younger. I would have more money because I would not have bought so much stuff that just creates clutter or became a burden when we moved around. Less is better. Indeed, clutter causes stress so if you are stressed out get rid of stuff to the point where you can even downsize your house and put some money in the bank. If you are storing stuff, it may not take very long until the rent money you spend is more than the stuff is worth.

As I look back on what God has done, I really could not afford to not tithe. It is something God said you could actually test Him or prove Him. In my experience, He has shown Himself to be true and faithful in my finances.

You might say that our decisions also helped. Yes, but we would not have made some of those decisions had we not tithed or learned other things from God. Many in the Church need to learn those lessons. They would be happier, fruitful and prepared for an economic downturn or collapse which many are predicting. Those who have learned to live on less and have less to lose will endure hard times better.

Tithe, Downsize, Thrive. Maranatha!

Dear Mills, Zs and Alphas. My wife and I made $2,760 a year. My '69 Camaro was $3,400. Rent was $85. Our treat was an ice cream cone once a month. I had a child.

I guarantee that you are making ten or more times what I did so yes, your Camaro is $35K and your rent $850 or more depending on where you live. We were married 15 years before I could get my wife a $75 engagement ring at an auction. We made it because my wife is very frugal and we did not try to have what her parents had after 40 years of marriage in the first four years of ours. We had no fancy coffees. We wore clothes from thrift stores and of course, not $1K or more phones and multiple internet subscriptions. We did not buy our first house until we were married 34 years and I got my next new car at 46 and it was basic and as cheap as I could get it. Every Realtor kept saying I could afford a bigger home, but I wanted to live in the home not live for the home. We became debt free at 58 and I retired from secular work at 63.

Her parents and mine were dirt poor when they got married. Her parents retired comfortably. My Mom was a widow and yet survived on "Widow's Pension." Yes, things were cheaper than today, but salaries were very low. If you made $10 a year, many considered you rich.

Life requires sacrifices. Live for your need, not your greed and you will find success far sooner than buying on a whim and always wanting the latest and greatest. Improvise, adapt and overcome, not sitting whining on your bum. Hooah!

I've recently looked at going back to a Baptist church and I'm having a hard time deciding between an IFB or SBC church. I was a KJV only bible reader for a while, but recently I have looked into reading other versions like CSB, ESV, or NKJV for better understanding. I'm looking for a church with a conservative focus. I've considered Methodist or Episcopal, but they seem way too open theology wise. It seems like those denominations have no clear cut doctrine and they're always shifting their belief structure.

The last time I went to church was over 10 years ago, but I'm looking at going back for a better sense of community and to make sure I'm not misinterpreting the word. I'm worried about being left out or going to a church that is highly gossipy or cliquish.

I'm in the Augusta, GA area, so it shouldn't be hard to find either type of church. My main concerns are fitting in, commute, and focus on historical theology. At other times I looked at switching denominations to Orthodoxy or Anglican for focus on liturgy and historical theology focus. However, I'm so used to following teachings of scripture in the bible, and I think it would be hard to get used to a congregational government in the church or confession. Has anyone else had experiences in IFB or SBC churches and which would you recommend?

Hello friends in Christ,

I am looking into the Baptist faith. Long story short, converted to Catholicism as an adult, and realized that it was not the Truth after a couple years. Now still seeking to be a simple Christian focused on Christ. The simplicity of the Baptist faith is what attracts me.

I have a couple questions though. Firstly, I do hold to a spiritual presence view of the Eucharist or the Lord's Supper. Is that compatible with the symbolic view in the Baptist Faith and Message?

Also, a couple other things. How do we explain when Jesus says we must be born of water and spirit to be saved? What if I have not had a distinct Born Again experience, but have gradually come to this faith through the working of the Spirit in my life? Also, would I be comfortable as an amillenialist? Personally not big on the State of Israel.

Thank you so much brethren.

God bless you!

Help! 18 Year Old Struggling with Family Relationships

I am so upset over my home life. For context, I am an 18 year old. But when I was 14 I started struggling with self harm. I told my parents about it, but in these past 4 years they have never once loved me enough to have a difficult conversation about it.

They "love" me but only when I am fun and easy to be around. But the thing is I'm only human and I get tired and sad and angry and I have off days and I have character flaws and I make mistakes and I fall short and I have a bad attitude sometimes. I feel like as soon as I fail to "have a good attitude" for one little second they react as though I have done some terrible thing.

Spending dinnertime with my family is the worst part of my day everyday. I hate feeling like I have to pretend and preform. I count down the seconds untill I can run away to be alone in my room where I can have a bad attitude all I want and no one will shame me for it.

I feel like they don't actually love me, they just love what I can give them. Their love is so conditional, when they dont get what they want they dont want me anymore.

I'm working very hard to invest in my future, but I won't be financially secure enough to move out for another year or so. I'm hating my life so much right now. I literally just went to the bathroom during dinnertime and cried out to Jesus asking him to save me from this suffering. Please pray for me and send me words and Bible verse of comfort. 🙏🩷

Hey guys ! So I just entered my second semester of clinicals for nursing school and I really want to start every day off on a positive note! With that being said, I want to dedicate time to be in my Bible every morning and was hoping to get a bunch of different people's favorite verses (2-5 verses) and have one for every day of the semester! With that being said please comment your favorites! thank you 😁

This is a sort of companion post to one I made in r/catholicism a few days ago. I have posted the body of that post below, as its content in its entirety still explores the questions I have and preconceptions about Baptist churches:

“TL;dr pretext, my wife is a confirmed Catholic, though she has not been to mass for some years now. I am interested in exploring my faith and spirituality, both for the sake of myself and our future children. I have arrived at a Baptist church as what best suits me for this journey, but my wife does not want to attend with me (which is important to me) because she is confirmed. I would like both of us to go to something, though, and go on this journey with her.

Anyway, what drew me to the Baptist church is the sense of community while also being very laid back and focused on the modern lessons that can be derived from scripture. I have a ton of healing to do personally, and for me, storytelling and study of the lessons of scripture onto my life is something I deeply yearn for, but I kind of want to attend to this journey at my own pace. My own idea of God is less literal, and moreso as a set of principles and finding strength in these stories that will help me reinforce myself. (edit from the original r/catholicism post, I am certainly quite open to accepting a more literal God, I’m sure, after continued attendance and learning).

I’m feeling like the only (or at least “best”) way to go on this journey together with my wife and future children is to simply attend a Catholic Church, as she is hesitant to even attend a service for any other denomination, and I would certainly like a unified household on the matter.

To the mis/preconceptions about Catholicism that I’d love feedback on before going further down the decision making process:

It seems to me as though Catholicism is much more rigid and ritualistic, and deeply rooted in traditional practices and ceremony rather than personal interpretation and exploration of one’s spirituality. It seems from the outside like there’s one way to do it, so to speak. Something about the pomp of it doesn’t appeal to me.

I also struggle with hierarchy and politicism within the Catholic Church. What has drawn me to the Baptist church is the self governance of individual churches to kind of come to its people where they are in their communities and be a bit more localized.

I suppose the best distillation is that Baptist churches seem to be more on the ground with its people with lessons that I can apply into my life to find strength, where Catholicism seems like a large hulking structure I need to fit myself into and find strength within its rules.

BUT, I have never personally attended a Catholic mass and know very little about real people’s experiences with it, as it goes to my priorities. So, to those here, do you see a situation where I could find the answers I’m looking for within Catholocism if it means being able to go on this journey with my wife? Or would we be better suited to perhaps attend services of each other’s denominations as support for one another?

Am I wrong about my preconceptions?”

I recently got remotivated again to go back to a Baptist church after turning away for a few years. I was fully focused on college and work. As I got older I realized that there has to more to life than just working and money. I would read the Bible on my own. I'm wanting more of a sense of community, but at the same time I'm worried of not fitting into a church or being left out.

Decisions between different Christian faiths or denominations

I grew up a Baptist. I was on the fence about leaving and switching to Orthodox Christianity because some Protestant churches have become very liberal or don't have a strong historical theological focus. However, I don't know if that would be good for me since I've always had a heavy focus on Sola Scriptura. The church structure would be different too. I have heard mixed ideas on if the Orthodox church is the true original church or not? Has anyone else had the same choice between Orthodox Christianity or Baptist, and what made you stay Baptist or convert to the Baptist faith?

I have been reading the bible by myself for years since about 2016. I was Baptized in 2002, but I have not been to a church since the 2000s. I'm also uncertain whether to go the SBC or IFB route? I'm sure both will be fine though, but which would you recommend. I have noticed that some Baptist churches don't fall under either banner, so I don't know if these churches are legit? With some churches I'm concerned of going out of fear of being left out or gossip, so I think that's what is making me stay home as well. My main worry is attending a Baptist church where they have devotional praise bands and it feeling more like a non denominational church.

Bible Choice

For Bible recommendations, I used to be a KJV onlyist. I'm trying to focus more on understanding the Bible fully. I have been looking into the CSB Study Bible, CSB Spurgeon Bible, or ESV Study Bible. I'm unsure which one better aligns with Baptist fundamentals? Which of these would you recommend? I was set on the ESV, but it seems like that one is more slated to reformed Calivinist or Presbyterian theology.

So I’m a huge reader and have heard amazing things about this series. I love video games too, so it seems like something I’d really enjoy.
However, as one who takes my faith very seriously, I’m especially sensitive to the type of content I consume. I just want to be careful because I’ve heard there is some pretty mature content and spiritually conflicting (such as Uzi Jesus) in this series.
Is it honestly something those of faith should avoid? Or is it something that can be discerningly read?
Not looking to stir the pot or receive any negative comments, genuinely just asking for prayerful wisdom. Thanks! :)

I'm a 19 year old girl coming from a family history of incest and I was never raised religious. My father is an atheist who sort of despises the idea of church, but I was pulled into the baptist church by a friend. How can I live the baptist lifestyle? How can I improve? I also struggle with self harm... I just want to feel closer to God

For me, it means to suffer many things because of Jesus, it means to give all to Jesus and leave nothing to keep, God is good, And He gave us free will

He would probably ask us if we choose not to follow Him or to follow Him

But why not?

Following God is hard but it's worth it, if You fall to sin, God will forgive You, He will pick You Up. If You feel weak and feel so sad, run and pray to God, cast all Your worries to Him because He cares about You, and most importantly have faith in Him, know that He will absolutely do it.

So uh it's good and worth it but why should we be hated in this world just because of God? Exactly, God is the creator of the world, maybe this world has gone too sinful, too normal with sin and too much in evil, but God is too much in love that He doesn't want people to suffer, that's why He sent His son Jesus for us, so after He became alive again He wanted to make it known to the whole world instead of just Israel. So believers shared the gospel, the good news, but some are hated and despised and are persecuted, maybe ever since Eve and then Adam ate that fruit sin grew in us and its bigger now. We need to Repent because our Salvation is not offered forever, i mean, Jesus will come back soon, there is time to Repent and i invite you to do it now!

To be saved is not be called "Great" in this world, but to be called "Great" in Heaven, God is more important to be honest. We will die here on earth, theres always an end, We cannot live in earth forever, but Heaven is where You live forever. It's where Jesus is. It's where we don't suffer or cry anymore. Only Joy, but to be honest, Heaven is not what we are supposed to focus at, i mean striving just to go to heaven and missing God and the whole point of God.