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i am also unable to attend church regularly.
so i listen to semons online.

i was raised in a baptist church and then around my teen years, my parents pretty much stopped going to church.

when i was 8 yrs old i went forward at church - i only did it because my older brother had gone forward and gotten saved a couple years earlier and whatever he did, i always wanted to have the courage to do also.
in other words....
i didnt go forward to accept Christ. God was not dealing w/ me.
i only did it because my brother had done it.
i remember a lady reading from a small New testament and asking me questions, but i was hardly paying attention; i just wanted to be baptized and get it over w/ so i could say i had done what my bro. did.

so i got baptized 2 wks later.

i grew up thinking that was saved.
but i was wicked and had no real conviction over my sin - i just did what everyone else did and compared myself to other people and thought "i'm not that bad".

i got married when i was 21 yrs old and shortly after marriage, my husbands aunt died.
She was a born again Christian and knew she was dying - she had cancer.
she planned her own funeral services and planned for a Pastor to give the Gospel and an opportunity for people to accept Christ.
At the funeral i remember the pastor talking about how our lives are but a vapour...
James 4:14
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

the Pastor spoke of heaven and warned of punishment for sin in hell.
He told of Jesus and how he was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, laid his life down on the cross to pay for my sins, was buried and then rose from the dead on the third day. I knew i was sinful, and i knew i wanted a better life. I remember thinking "i'll straighten out my life and then i'll come to Jesus." then the pastor said, and it seemed like the words were meant for me, "you cannot clean up your life and then come to Christ, you come to Christ as you are and trust in Him to cleanse you from your sin." and then the pastor asked if anyone was not 100% sure they would go to heaven when they die, but wanted to be sure to please raise our hand. So i raised my hand. I know others raised their hands also. the pastor then lead us in prayer, but told us that saying a prayer can't save us, but if we believe in our hearts on the Lord Christ Jesus, that is how a person is saved.

So i got born again that day. I dont remember the exact date, but i know it was in January and i was at a funeral home in the Chicago suburbs.

I have backslid into my old ways since then and God has lovingly chastised and corrected me.

as far as how to keep away from backsliding, i would say, stay away from places that encourage sinful behavior. like bars, dance clubs, parties w/ drugs and alcohol. stay in Gods word and obey it. tell others how to be saved and pray always.

After i got saved, i became a member of a Fundamental Baptist church.
while i dont agree w/ every single thing they preach, I completely agree w/ and it's very dear to my heart how much they try to reach the lost w/ the Gospel so others can be saved. that is the whole purpose for Christ's birth, death and resurrection - so mankind could be reconciled back to God. Fundamental Baptists - the ones i'm familiar w/, not cults like Westboro Baptist - really hammer the doctrine of a lifestyle of opening our mouths & telling others of Jesus on a daily basis to every person we come into contact with.

so i listen to sermons online alot.
i really really love Curtis Hutson's sermons. I think my favorite sermon by him is "Another Gospel which is not Another" you can find it on youtube; here is the link to Part 1 of that sermon. Curtis Hutson - Another gospel which is not another

website with tons of sermons to listen to online
http://fundamentalbaptistlinks.com/sermons3.htm

hope this helps!
heart

Thank you for the links, SARL0. heart They really do help. :3

KagomeHigurashiCat234, thanks for sharing. smile I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one! hehe

P.S. SARLO is a big inspiration to me too!

The only way to get to know God and his commands is to read his word and pray for insight and put it into practice and keep trying. Every Christian has sins they struggle with, but God is always working on you. He never gives up on you once you are His.

Welcome (back) into the family, sister. smile I can relate. It took many years till I finally understood all that God has done and is still doing for me. Do you have regular internet access? Maybe you can listen to some teachings online? That is what I do at times when I can't go to church. Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship (a non-denominational Bible teaching church) once said that the Christian life is like climbing up a pole (or something like that): Either you are climbing up or you slide down a few. Trust every Christian, even the seasoned ones, are having sinful thoughts or sin in general each day. Just because you are a Christian, doesn't mean you are sinless... it is just means that you with God's help sin less and less and less. smile

Keep up your Bible reading! Way to go mrgreen