Do you feel that people are so caught up in being in church that they forget to develop a relationship w GOD?
86709
Yes! Many people go to see what the next family is wearing, driving, chatting with friends, you get the idea.
74107
If you do not feel a connection to your fellow church goer's,preacher or Jesus at your current place of worship,find a new church. Pray about it and let the Lord be your guide not only with this but all parts of your life.
629165
Yes, all the time.\n\nTo name a few:\n\nWhen I was baptized.\n\nEvery week at Mass when I receive the body and blood of Christ. \n\nWhen I asked God to forgive my sins and He did.\n\nWhen I married my wife.\n\nWhen I saw my children being born.\n\nI like to think of humans as not physical beings with a spiritual side but as spiritual beings with a temporary physical side.\n\nWith love in Christ.
74641
When you feel like no one loves you or that your just all alone.... look to God. When you build a relationship with God/Jesus.... it fills that emptiness... that void. He is always there, when your smiling, laughing or even crying.  I find that it's when the world has disappeared that I can truly feel his embrace. It takes time to build as in any relationship you have to make time.  But if you make time.... you'll find that it's worth it. God's love is like no other.
596759
I was baptized Catholic and attended Catechism a few times but even at the age of 7 I didn't believe in "God". I believe the "higher Power" is within each of us and that we are all connected on a subconscious level. Now I worship nature.
872116
I think your questions count as preaching, but I can tell you that I am not interested in a relationship with Jesus or the Christian God.  I do feel complete.  I do not feel vulnerable and alone - my beliefs empower me and surrounds me with the protections I need to enjoy my life.  Even with an army on your side, anyone can feel scared from time to time - but I am very safe in my understanding of the Universe.\n\nThe things is, that even in a Christian God model philosophy the point is not to life your live for god - the point is to understand your own divinity and to understand that you and god are a team.  If god is an ocean, we are each and everyone of us a glass of god, with tremendous power and divine right - no matter what we call this being.  To spend time steeped in any church dogma only brings you closer to understanding the church, not god.  \n\nI am glad that Christianity has helped you and I rejoice that you are happy on your chosen path.  I regret that you feel you need to school others or that you feel you have the only answer to the mysteries of life.  There is no way to truly know the Unknowable and there are many paths to enlightenment.  Worry about your own soul until someone asks you for help if you truly want to display the virtue of christianity.\n\nPeace!
1167127
Yes.. ^^ during my first two years in highschool I'll admit that I have forgotten God, but now since my third year in highschool(i'm in Phil. We have 4 years of secondary level here... ^^)\nI can say that i'm more close to God and I learned more about his greatness and about his sacrfices. I can say that now I have a deeper faith on him. ^^
940201
I have said this many times to people....i have felt a spiritual connection to many people who i have just met for the first time, and talk to asthough i have known them all my life.....i dont really know what this is but it is very powerful....sometimes i wonder if God is working through them, or me.
445473
Yes, and I'm so glad I did! I just started attending again recently, and I knew I missed it, but I didn't know just how much until I started going back. It felt so good to be back in God's house worshiping and fellowshiping with all my brothers and sisters.\n\nIt's no wonder that studies have shown that church going people are much more happy than those who do not attend church on a regular basis.
328804
for me, No...it's even a good example of being a committted person to the Lord, trusting Him to give that special sombody when the right time comes for him or her to go into a relationship. it just show that God needs to be first in that persons life, taking each day at a time, trusting in Jesus alone...
535691
That is a common feeling in today's driven world where everyone must feel like they have to have lived a life that they read about in People magazine or something.\n\nBut real life consists of coming to the point of knowing that you cannot put life together for yourself. With that realization, you begin the journey to know God through Jesus. You can have a relationship with God through Jesus by admitting your sins and confessing your need for him to take control of your life.\n\nNo matter how much you've messed up, he can put your life together for something good: to know him, love him and love those he puts or brings into your life.  That's really what life is all about, not acquiring things or being a success in business.
1142105
After being in such a tight family setting at a church you grow up in, it is hard to leave that just like anything else.  You know that nothing else will ever be like that place that let you grow and think and love.  So sometimes you learn to worship on your own and seclude yourself.  It is a time of growing, you get to grow the way you want, try out different things.  Besides as you can see from some of the other answers, some people are mean about you being who you want to be and in such a turbulent time sometimes we try to fit in by staying away from God.  Luckily God does not stay away from you.  It is a hard time of exploring, sometimes we stand alone in hopes of finding ourselves.
1024135
You are not there to judge the other people at church.  You are there to learn more and to sing his praises.  Keep looking for the church that fits you.  It is out there.  I think that Satan uses that to keep us out of church.  We need to worry about our relationship with God and not focus so much on others.\nThank the Lord that those"hypocrites" are in church maybe they will learn something!
604641
well, it kinda depends on what your issues with that church were.  Is it a church where you feel that you are being spiritually led and where you feel the leaders of the church including the pastor are looking for God's will in the church?  Those are the most important things...if you feel God's sincere presence there and that they are doing God's work.  Then you can overlook or work with them to solve other petty problems.  Good luck and God bless.
742325
Hi, good question...I have just recently gone through some difficult times at my "former" church, and though I did not lose my faith, I did take a break from church, "organized religion".  A very difficult time since worshipping God has alot to do with serving God and it's hard to serve Him if you aren't going somewhere.  I honestly did struggle WITH my faith, but never stopped having my faith.  Once you have that salvation through Jesus Christ, you can't lose it.  I've always heard that if you're not close to God anymore, then you're the one that moved, not Him.   what I did, I clung to Him, prayed to Him and let Him do His work in me.  When I was ready, He was waiting.  He is a patient, loving God.
341194
Since becoming a Christian my life is different in that I have a purpose in life i.e. to glorify God and that means doing what He teaches.  This means that I don't just have myself to consider when I do something but I have to consider my actions and the effects it has on others as well.  Instead of having an inward look all the time and thinking about myself (being selfish) following Jesus teaches me to look out for the interests of others and so life becomes much more broadspeck and intersting than just thinking about self all the time.  Also, God's Holy Spirit prompts me when I am going 'over the line' to hold back, etc.  When I obey Him, I have peace but when I don't then my peace disappears for a time until I put things right.  It is also exciting 'tuning into God' in Bible study and prayer which is where the Christian gets to know God.  Also seeing the Hand of God at work in our lives and that of others in answer to prayer is something else!
1074306
Two years ago I was in a church where there was a lot of bitter bickering. The pastor became a jerk and I never felt the Spirit move through.\n\nWe changed church and we feel alive! It is definitely worth the search!\n\nWhen we got there, they did not have a lot of children, so children and youth programs were limited. We now have 5 different youth/kids ministries (that I can think of off the top of my head). Our kids are great at missions and are VERY knowledgable in the Word of God.