Tobacco use at church/on church grounds

KyleSpringer said:

Hi Friends,

Some one please tell me what I should do. I became a member of this church about a year ago now. Since then I’ve joined small groups, discovery classes and now serve as a volunteer on Sunday mornings in the children’s ministry. I enjoy the church, and the leaders seem to manage things pretty well, or so I thought.

Maybe I’m overreacting, but I’ve seen couple of people smoking cigarettes in the parking lot after church, on multiple occasions. Maybe I would have more compassion had I not been to two Men’s Conferences where I sat next to someone chewing tobacco in one of the breakout sessions.. two years in a row.

Tobacco use is a stumbling block for me, and it lights me up (no pun intended) when I see people doing this stuff at church. I get it. It’s a struggle. But lay it down at the alter, man!

If that’s the first thing a person does before ever leaving church, it makes me wonder if I should confront the lead pastor about it, but even as I try to get close to him I feel a disconnect.

Please help. Any advice is appreciated.

God bless you all.

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The Bible is clear on your ask. Read and follow Matthew 18:17-18. Also remember those smoking after or before church have issues as well as the rest of us. Jesus taught us to let him who is without sin cast the first stone and also that we should self examine. Ask yourself this question - Why is it that when I see someone smoking in the church parking lot it riles me up? Why do you feel a disconnect with the pastor? Do you know him, have you fellowshipped with him or are you somehow attributing the smoking in the parking lot with a lack of leadership on his part? He may not even be aware of it. Why does it affect you so much? When you sit in church look to your left, look to your right, look in a mirror. You know that person you see who is not smoking? They most likely struggle with something else. Maybe not every day and not all the time but life has struggles and yes lay it at the cross but addiction is hard and remember the beginning of this chapter when your mind goes there - Matthew chapter 7. It is often misinterpreted as it does not say don't judge it reminds us that when we judge that same criteria is how we will be judged. Spend time praying for those folks as you don't even seem to know if they are Christians or people who go to church who are not christian. When we spend time straightening out our own lives as taught again in Matt 7, and fulfilling the great commission we have far less time to be upset about whatever someone does in the parking lot. This is from a person who just a few months ago saw a couple of people smoking around the corner of the building and thought, how disrespectful. Then God reminded me of my shortcomings and that they need to be ministered to not thought ill of.

KyleSpringer said:

Hi Friends, Some one please tell me what I should do. I became a member of this church about a year ago now. Since then I’ve joined small groups, discovery classes and now serve as a volunteer on Sunday mornings in the children’s ministry. I enjoy the church, and the leaders seem to manage things pretty well, or so I thought... God bless you all.

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I was a traveling evangelist and I was doing work with an evangelical outreach ministry to Mormons in Salt Lake City Utah. I was without money or a place to stay and a local pastor offered his couch in his home to people working with the outreach. His church which was a super friendly non denominational church group, interestingly though most the attendees seemed to be biker or rock and roll types, alot of black concert t-shirts.

I attended their church service one Sunday, halfway through the service, it seemed the group stopped for a break - most all of the congregation got up and went out the backdoor of the church, i sat for a moment wondering, then I got up went outback and I stood on the back step and looked - the church was in the back parking lot having a smoke break! Not everyone was smoking, but there they were all outside talking and smoking, and fellowshipping! - and this was one of the neatest bunches of people I had ever gotten to know!

Alot of this church were ex-users, and this church did a lot to help people quit drugs and seek God. If cigarettes were their only vice for now, that was a hallelujah!

While it may be a sin, not much we can do about it if someone smokes ok church property. Then again everyone at a church sins in one way or another. Not excusing such behavior of course. Just saying some sins are more visible then others.

Smoking is a sin! One pack? no! One cigarette. Pray to the Lord and ask Him! Smoking one cigarette puts Jesus on the cross. One! period.

One shot of heroin isn't a sin either technically. But bible says not to harm your temple and to take care of it.