I have a question about going to church.  My family and I want to start having church, however we were thinking of just having it ourselves.  We wanted to watch church on T.V. on Sundays and then talk about stuff in the Bible ourselves.  Is this okay to do?  Do you have to go to church, or is it okay to have it at home?  Thanks for your time!  God bless!

Sincerely,
Homeward Bound

Dear Homeward Bound,

If you are starting a congregation out of your home, there are Biblical examples of that, but if you are just staying home instead of assembling with other christians… that would be wrong.  Philemon had a congregation that met in his house (Philemon 1:2).  The church in Troas met in a large home (Acts 20:7-8).  The location of a church doesn’t matter because ‘church’ refers to people, not a building, so if you were starting a church in your home, that would be fine.  However, that would come with the responsibilities that belong to the church.  You would need to be willing to have others assemble with you in your home.  The Lord’s church should seek to increase numerically and spiritually (Eph 4:16) whenever possible, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for you to start a church in your home and restrict its membership to your family.  That would be akin to Diotrephes who kicked people out of the church (3 Jn 1:10).

If you aren’t talking about starting a full-fledged congregation, then you need to be a part of one.  It isn’t enough to watch sermons on television and talk about the Bible.  The Lord commanded us to assemble with one another (Heb 10:25).  We are supposed to get together each Sunday and partake of the Lord’s Supper together (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor 11:20).  God intended for christians to be a part of a local congregation with elders and deacons to help shepherd them (1 Pet 5:2).  God knows what is best for us, and it is in our best interest to assemble with other christians in a local church.  We are all different, and our differences help to strengthen us, protect us, and better serve Christ (Eph 4:14-16).

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Is it possible to sell your soul to God; if so, can you sell or bet it to the devil?  I know it’s not in the Bible, but I feel that maybe He left it out of the Bible because it wouldn’t help anyone by knowing, or maybe it would make peoples’ lives worse who worried they had sold it and cause them to commit suicide or turn against God (not that I would ever do any of those things).  Could you please help and be honest?  Also, provide Biblical evidence.

Sincerely,
Money Talks

Dear Money Talks,

You provided the Bible evidence all on your own.  You said, “I know it’s not in the Bible…”  The Bible contains all the information we need for salvation (Rom 1:16).  It also contains everything that pertains to “life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3).  The ability to sell your soul would definitely be classified under a “life issue”!  Therefore, if the Bible doesn’t say you can, then it must not be possible.  The Bible is the handbook to life, and it provides all the answers for how to conduct yourself in this life and prepare yourself for the next.

In fact, it would be impossible to sell something that you had already killed.  We have all sinned (Rom 3:23), and the price of sin is spiritual death (Rom 6:23).  You can’t sell a dead soul; you can only beg for God’s mercy that He would bless you with life.  The moment you’ve sinned, the devil already has your soul; he roams around devouring them all the time (1 Pet 5:8).  It is only through the grace and gift of God that we gain salvation (Rom 5:15).  You cannot sell your soul to God, but He can, and is ready to, give your soul life again through Jesus.  Read “What Must I Do To Be Saved” to understand how to take advantage of the gift Christ offered all mankind (Jhn 3:16).

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I have been struggling with the question of whether or not it is more effective to pray out loud or to pray silently.  I have heard that when you pray out loud, it goes out into the spiritual realm and that your words come back to you, etc.  I also heard that God spoke and things were done and that there is definitely power in our words.  I know that only God knows our thoughts, but are there any instructions on how to pray?

Sincerely,
Whisper Quiet

Dear Whisper Quiet,

God never emphasizes silent prayer above vocal prayer or vice-versa.  We have examples of both in the Bible.  Nehemiah prayed silently before the king, and his prayer was answered (Neh 2:4).  Hannah also prayed silently, but with fervor, and her prayer was answered (1 Sam. 1:13).  On the other hand, righteous Stephen prayed with a loud voice (Acts 7:60).  There is no specific instruction given by God in regard to volume.  What you have heard about “it goes out into the spiritual realm…” is a great example of a manmade tradition being passed down – the Bible never says that.

We are told to pray to God and not for attention (Matt 6:5).  We are also told that if we mistreat our spouse, our prayers will be hindered (1 Pet 3:7).  We are also told that God doesn’t hear the prayers of the wicked, only the righteous (Pr 15:29).  James says that a righteous man’s prayer does much good (Jas 5:16).  God teaches that it is our character that determines the effectiveness of our prayers, not the volume.