Christian Hobbies

[noizey]

What are some hobbies you enjoy that help you grow in Christ?

I like the basics, of course.. fellowship, prayer, meditation, Bible study, and I believe I'm too weak to minister much, but I try

I could do more of all of the above. I need to. I don't have many people that I know to fellowship with atm.

Also, I exercise regularly, and I write some.. mostly poetry.

I was making music, but I was using pirated software, and I felt bad about it and was advised against it by my pastor so I stopped, and I deleted all that stuff. Stealing is, of course, very wrong.

Oh, lately I also have been playing video games. I feel unproductive doing it, but surely God favors video games over the use of stolen programs. There is some blood and gore though, so I don't know. I should probably give up that game, too. It's called Team Fortress 2. I used to play it a lot, and I'm pretty good at it...

[William]

I play guitar, read a lot (in fact if you are looking to minister I heard a great quote 'leaders are readers' so might be a hobby worth considering). In fact here's a reading list I found: http://theresurgence.com/books . Charles Haddon Spurgeon is my favourite writer at the moment.
I watch some TV although I'm keeping it to Christian channels at the moment, I've found though even with Christian TV you have to be discerning, some do preach a prosperity gospel and some just want to sell you stuff all the time, God TV and Revelation TV (which you can watch online) seem quite good, (Im in the UK though not sure if you have the same channels).

Films are great, I go to the cinema with friends when I can. One film which I saw recently was Amazing Grace a film about the life of William Wilberforce, which was awesome... Recommended! :-)

Also you can load up an MP3 Player with some worship music and go for a walk, I like to walk up high into the hills and look at the views and see Gods great creation, but just a walk or a jogging is good. If you want music I found this podcast which has loads of christian music on iTunes completely free! Its a church that doesn't copyright they give it all for free. http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/m...ic/id179237748

And finally if you can find somewhere to volunteer, I recently joined my University Christian Union and help out there, and it is amazing, spend time with good godly people, in community, talking about all sorts, reading and praying together. See if you can find a church, charity or anything which could do with a spare pair of hands to help out and serve. You'll get to know all who are there and build friendships. Working with the elderly is a good one, they can be so easily forgotten by people and lonely, I volunteered at my church to go to houses in the local area delivering bags of cakes and tea as a gift from the church to these people who could no longer make it to the church but let them know they aren't forgotten.

Hope some of that helps, A few things I do.

[noizey]

Thank you! I appreciate your help.

[Indueseason]

Hey noizey

William has given you some good ideas! Volunteering is a blessing to me, and if you are able, it is a great way to meet like minded people,while also sharing the love of Christ. What are your interests? I enjoy reading your poems, so keep that up! We don't all have to be doing the same things, God made us individuals, with different interests and gifts. Some can work with their hands, painting,tapestry etc, while some like crosswords and puzzle solving.I enjoy both and I also enjoy playing my daughters wii! There are so many things you can do, and as longs as do them giving thanks to God, they will glorify Him.

blessings to you

[noizey]

Thank you very much also! You asked what my interests are, and I'm discovering them all the time. I was reborn in prison, and my interests there were Jesus, Chess, Religious fiction, sometimes Dominoes, chow time, and commissary time. Toward the end also I enjoyed exercise. Oh, and I like to sing. I did that too. I am an insomniac so I can't play Chess very well all the time. As far as my more Christian interests.. I am working on getting discipled, or rather, my pastor is working on getting me discipled, so my fellowship needs will soon be met, God willing. I still do the other necessities of the faith, and I am always improving, though I don't always feel like it. Such is life, eh?

So you have reminded me that I need to sing more, and for that I thank you again! I will do so! I do enjoy praising the Lord when He blesses me. Perhaps I should start reading again as William suggested. I really like electronic music (I'll make it again when I can afford to) so I've found some Christian electornic bands. If you type in Joy Electric on pandora.com (it's an internet radio site..the next song likely will NOT be a Christian band, so be prepared to listen to the one song and turn it off if you hear something you don't like) you'll be able to hear one. Another is The Echoing Green. According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_electronic_music , that is.

I really enjoy reading the Bible, but I don't do it nearly enough. I read a few verses in the gospel of John this morning. I love the beginning. It is my favorite part of the Bible, I believe. .. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made. Without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life and this life was the light of men. This light shines in darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

So beautiful!

Thanks again for your reply!

[Dani H]

I think that the more you grow in your love for the Lord, the more your interests change. I don't know if there is such a thing as "Christian hobbies" but it all boils down to priorities, really. If we really love God the way we say we do, then our activities will change.

I play video games too. Have all my life. It's a passion of mine, but of course never greater than my passion for God and the people I love. So ... it's all about perspective and priorities, really.

[IMINXTC]

I've come to embrace things like what we're doing here as hobbies.

I totally enjoy the world of computers and this unique opportunity we have around the clock to explore and share the faith.

Also, web-site design and maintenance is the neatest thing in the world IMO, taking more and more of my free hours, but if things pertaining to the faith are not the focus, even indirectly, I lose interest.

Also enjoy photography and film and am presently creating and editing videos for my web site and for sharing experiences and insight into the mission field. The shooting part is awfully time consuming.

So much to do, so little time

[Protective Angel]

I build plastic model cars.
A pastor I know also build models. I asked if he felt that interfered with his work and he didn't feel like it did.
I know the bible says not to idolize anything. I hope building models is not idolizing.

[david]

Here were some of the hobbies of Solomon (king of Israel) :

God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and breadth of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol, and his fame was in all the surrounding nations. He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish. And people of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom. 1 Kings 4:29-34

But Solomon also warned about the vanities of life in the book of Ecclesiastes:

So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. Ecclesiastes 11:8-10

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

[paidforinfull]

Protective Angel, I think it's good to do something creative, and building model cars or planes and stuff is just that. The ladies at our church often get together to do some art and craft projects - painting boxes, beadword etc.

God is creative, and we've been made in His image, so I can't see anything wrong with it. Doing something isn't the same as idolizing it. Something only becomes an idol if it becomes more important than God or when it replaces God. (I'm not talking about real idols here, but about activities).

[miepie]

I'm bedridden and usually too tired to do much, so I don't go to church much........ one of the elders visits us about once every month, the minister visits us every 2 months and a good friend from church visits us about every 2-3 weeks. The last one helps me with my great hobby which is making cards for people who need encouragement or have something to celebrate....... I pray for the people who are getting a card, either while making it or before sending it....... it's our little Ministry (me and Daddy's) but it reaches a lot of people.....
We also do Biblestudy, but not every day because sometimes I am too tired to do anything but watching tv and then I still fall asleep.........
On good days I embroider, especially for babies, or for special friends....... unfortunately there are not so many days like that, due to heavy meds........
When I can't sleep at night I have whole conversations with my Daddy, don't know if He likes that....... I hope He does, as I also bring up people that need prayers......
I love music too, we're fans of Bob Dylan here, and we have a lot of CD's from Christian Groups........
I think that's it.......

Love you all,
Mieke

[Youssarian]

I am a regular member of my church's youth group. In the 2+ years I've gone there, I can't think of a time I knowingly missed youth group.

My main secular hobby is computer programming. My main Christian hobby is apologetics. I spend a fair deal of time reading and musing over apologetics-related stuff.

[teddyv]

I am a regular member of my church's youth group. In the 2+ years I've gone there, I can't think of a time I knowingly missed youth group.

My main secular hobby is computer programming. My main Christian hobby is apologetics. I spend a fair deal of time reading and musing over apologetics-related stuff.

I'd have a hard time considering a hobby as being either secular or Christian.

A hobby is what it is. A diversion or interest in some way that allows us (usually) some creative expression or outlet. FWIW, I'm a model railroader and I like being able to use disparate abilities, from technical to artistic to recreate a small slice of life. Sure one can take anything to an extreme.

[Luciano Vinci]

I enjoy many hobbies. Activities such as watching television and playing video games I try to keep to a minimum (the things I find entertaining are sometimes detrimental to my soul). My favorite God activity is memorizing the Word. I try to memorize one new Bible verse a day, and I try to recite at least 400 of the 700 or so that I know by heart. This can be done anywhere at any time in your head. I am a teacher, and when my students are working on something and I am not talking, I am able to go over the Word in my mind. You can do it while exercising, driving, walking, or any down time. I don't read many Christian inspirational books (though I probably should), I stick to Bible study guides and deeper Biblical truths that would probably bore the average believer. I exercise every day, though I don't consider it a hobby. I hate it, but there are a lot of things I don't enjoy doing, but are necessary (cleaning house, getting gas, cooking, etc.). Lastly, I am never home in the evening. I am either at church, a Bible study, or some Christian activity. If you are single, the nights are the worst time to be alone, the temptation for laziness, sin (too many hours of gaming, bad tv, porn, etc.) and loneliness can be overwhelming for young believer.

[Karliah]

I play guitar and piano, and write songs. I listen to Christian music AND secular music. I play video games and watch television shows. I spent time with my friends who are wonderful people who make me happy. I go to the cinemas. I read books. I browse the internet.

Are any of these hobbies considered 'non-Christian'?