What we expect

Conduct, consideration and charity.

As illustrative, picture yourself entering a home for the first time. You are a guest. You are polite. You wipe the mud off your shoes before entering. You make an introduction. You carry yourself with respect to your host.

Hopefully, you get the idea here. We have found that hosting a forum has all kinds of inherent difficulties.

Communicating in this manner with so many different cultures, upbringings, education and lack thereof. To add even more weight is the place anyone of us may be in this walk as disciples of the Lord, we all were spiritual 'babes' in Christ at the inception of a new birth, an important reminder that needs to be reflected on often.

We must keep well in mind that expression of spiritual matters is often difficult enough, sometimes even impossible. Let us bear with one another with patience and understanding.

What is not tolerated

Slander. Ill-will. Unnecessary accusations, comments.

The issue is one of order rather than control. We allow as much patience as possible for corrections and apologies. Please make your corrections with a follow up reply, rather than by use of the edit function. There has been a misuse of this in the past where whole sections have been removed from an ongoing thread, making it now disconnected, like removing pages from a book. Please use the edit function for spelling corrections and if needed within the body of a post, please add a footnote to that which has been changed and why.

What you can do to help

Be polite. Don't be rude to others.
Keep foremost in your mind the weight of responsibility you have with what the Lord stated;

Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

As well as;

Mat 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

The Lord is in our midst here and this whole resource is dependant on the Holy Spirit by those who have both brought all this forth and we hope by those who participate, first as brethren and as guests\members.

Please, pray.
Pray before you post.
Pray as you write in response.
Pray one last time and pause before you submit.

Try and think of the ramifications of your thoughts and comments. Some things need not to be said. Some things can wait. Some things just as well do need to be addressed, but the manner may add more of a problem than be a help towards correction.

You may find it best to save some things that you have spent a considerable amount of time writing to a file to be brought forth at a different time.

Use the preview button. Re-read what you have written. Reflect and ask yourself some of these questions. We have found by experience that often our particular circumstances can affect much of our thoughts in any given moment. To look at something in the morning and later in the day can reveal a completely different mindset oftentimes. We have seen more problems from reactionary impulses than from the reflective. It is welcomed to slow down and give place to each other.

There is a great deal more than could be said. These are all guidelines to make matters beneficial to all. It is a warm welcome we afford to all within these parameters. Make yourself comfortable, but keep your feet off the table.

Lastly

Ask questions and do your best to answer questions. Keep well in mind that often times a question is not necessarily pointed, but is truly a question. Just as well, it is especially frowned on to be jostling with each other by way of accusation towards each others intents and motives. Be forthright and honest.

"Play the ball and not the man."

Which translates to the issue being discussed. Keep to this and away from what we may assume someone is thinking. Again, ask a question rather than making an accusation.

Do keep in mind that the moderators will do their best to discern where and when to intervene and more so that they are your fellow pilgrims and servants, just as fallible as each of us here. "Moderate" your own self and leave the moderating beyond that to those appointed to do so. If you find something that is out of place, that is divisive amongst the brethren, bring it to their attention and they will do their best to address it.

Summary

Jesus is Lord.
'We' do hold to a high view of His Majesty.
'We' have no particular creed other than that He be exalted above all.

Col 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: Eph 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

As to fellowship here:

Tit 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Tit 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
Tit 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Tit 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Tit 3:8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
Tit 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
Tit 3:10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Tit 3:11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.


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Community Rules

1. Ensure that your new topics are in the correct forum.
-If your new topic doesn't fit with the description of the forum you're in, do not post it there.
-Posting new topics in the correct forums helps keep the Community organized and helps to keep topics easier to find.
-Topics posted in the wrong forum (as determined by the Moderator Team) will be moved to the appropriate forum.

2. Post guidelines:
-If you're replying to a post, stay on topic as much as possible.
-If you're posting a new topic, do not post something that has been discussed numerous times. Browse the forums first or use the Search function.
-Do not link images from other sites without their permission; instead, it's much more polite to give a link to them.
-Do not link to outside media including SERMONS and VIDEOS from other websites, the main reason for the inclusion of this rule is abuse of it in posting audio sermons that have false doctrine or false emphasis.
-Do not flame other users; this includes derogatory comments based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, nationality, etc. You will be banned immediately for this offense.

3. When linking to the Community, here or elsewhere, please use http://www.obeyjesus.net

4. Advertising:
-Do not advertise your own site unless it's a personal site that you wish to share or you're trying to help someone find something they're looking for.
-"Spam" (advertising) Illegal/inappropriate content and flooding will be deleted.

5. Do not overuse:
-Emoticons (i.e., :#, , or :8 )
-Line breaks or CAPITALS
-Nested quotes/code BBCode
-Giant or tiny font sizes or ugly, hard to read colors.

6. Language:
-Do not swear.
-Do your best to use proper, easy to understand English. Not everyone's primary language is English, so we must try to make it easy for those who know English as a secondary language.
-Avoid slang, including "phat," "LOL" or "BRB," "i c u," and so on. Slang shouldn't be a part of the Christian's vocabulary; the Bible's written in a very majestic language, but so many nowadays degrade themselves to "Yo, 'sup?" or "homie."

7. Do not harass users on the Community, through Private Messages, or e-mail You can be banned for this.

8. Signatures
-Signatures should be kept brief, easy to read, and unobtrusive.
-You're allowed to post images in your signature, but keep them reasonably small so as to not disrupt the natural flow of text in topics.
-If you post an animated image in your signature, make sure it's not annoying!

9. Avatars
-Avatars should not be more than 60 pixels by 60 pixels in dimension.
-If your avatar is animated, make sure it isn't annoying!
-Avatars are limited to 6kB in size.
-Offending avatars will be removed.

10. Arguing with the Moderator Team over the enforcement of these rules will get you no where.
-If you're told to change the way you're behaving here, you must comply or leave.
-Repeat offenders will be banned

11. If you have any problems, contact an Administrator or make a post in an appropriate forum asking for help. Someone surely will be glad to help you.

Administrator
Patrick Ersig


(taken from sermonidex.com - forum rules)