We are all very fortunate that I am at the beach, and have spent the day down by the pool getting some sun and fresh air, and visiting with people.

We are fortunate because in my absence Abby10 has given a better response to the question that I ever could have in post #117. . .

I would have written of Election, Free Will, Faith being a Gift from God, and how these concepts are inter-related. It gets quite complex. Abby10's answer cuts to the how of it rather than writing about it.

I would only add that if a person is genuinely seeking Faith, a good course of action would be to attend some services at an Evangelical church. Evangelical churches are churches that stress the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ, personal conversion experiences, Scripture as the sole basis for faith, and active evangelism (the winning of personal commitments to Christ). Most Baptist churches meet this definition. In The Villages I have found Emmanuel Baptist Church to be such a church.

I would make it a point to identify myself as a visitor, get to know some people, and at some point seek a private meeting with the pastor to let him know that I was a "Seeker." And, see where it goes from there.

Carl in Tampa


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