Christians: Do You Believe Without Checking Everything Your Preacher Tells You the Bible Says?

i pay ZERO attention to TV preachers; there's a line from an old Charlie Daniels song that applies to them

"he says Jesus walked on the water, I know that it's true, but sometimes I think that preacher man'd like to do a little walking, too"

our pastor begins his sermons by announcing the text from which his sermon is based, and gives the congregation time to find the passages and read along with him. during the sermon, he refers back to the text

No I don't. When I go to my Christian meeting I look up every single scripture they mention and so do all the others that are meeting at the Kingdom Hall.

Jesus condemned the religious leaders for making the word of God invalid by preaching their man made traditions

(Mark 7:6-8) . . .‘This people honor me with [their] lips, but their hearts are far removed from me. 7 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach as doctrines commands of men.’ 8 Letting go the commandment of God, YOU hold fast the tradition of men.”

In the time of Jesus and the apostles Bible knowledge was widespread among the people of Israel and so were copies of the Bible.

Otherwise the Bereans would not have been able to verify by God’s Word what Paul told them. (Acts 17:11)

So much were the early Christians a Bible-copying and a Bible-spreading community that they are given credit for the convenient codex-type of manuscript replacing the scroll manuscript.

When it comes to tv preachers, I try to avoid them. Preachers you'll find in small-town churches are much more honest and knowledgeable about the Scriptures... And they'll never say that you have to give them money for them to pray for you.

All denominations have some little niche that they tend to focus on. Many times, these things are founded Biblically, but have been taken out of context.

Personally, I don't know it well enough to tell immediately whether something being said is in context or not. I try to look it up when I can, though.

Catholicism has its followers call the pastor "father" and confess their sins to him... Kind of contradictory to Matthew 23.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthe...

Baptists believe baptism with water is necessary to be saved, but the guy on the cross next to Jesus wasn't, yet Jesus said he'd make it to paradise. This belief comes from Acts 2:38, but Acts 1:5 says "For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

That, to me, implies that it's a spiritual thing, not a physical. Water is representational of being cleansed in the spirit, in my opinion.

Same for Pentecostals and praying in tongues.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Co...

This contradicts the core teachings of most Pentecostal churches.

My point in saying this, is that denominations only pull us farther apart and pushes us away from what it means to be a Christian. At the heart of Christianity is not a bunch of religious movements, but confessing and repenting of our sins, and confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord.

No need to check it cause my pastor makes it VERY clear and he also gives references and he puts the outline of his sermon on a screen for all to see plus hands out papers to fill in on the subject. He is a teaching pastor.

I know my bible well enough. Better then anyone ive ever met.

I correct him when he misspeaks on something. He's my dad.