Hebrews 10 (The Message)
32-39It won't be long now, he's on the way; he'll show up most any minute. But anyone who is right with me thrives on loyal trust; if he cuts and runs, I won't be very happy. But we're not quitters who lose out. Oh, no! We'll stay with it and survive, trusting all the way.
About 2.2 million kids play little league baseball. Their are only 130,000 High School Senior Baseball players. That means for some reason over 2 million kids give up on playing baseball by the time they get to High School. You wonder how many of those players, if they stuck with it, would have been All-State baseball players. The story is true for sports across the country. Even from the freshman year of High School to graduation, we see a lot of athletes who quit sports. You can't label all of these kids as "quitters". However, I have seen MANY student-athletes give up on a sport for poor reasons. Some say it's too hard. Some quit because they don't want to commit the time needed to get better. When a talented athlete quits a sport, I always have a talk with them. My conversation is always the same. In my final plea, I always tell them they will regret not following through. In my experience, these students ALWAYS live to regret quitting. I also see that once you quit for the first time, it's easy to quit the next time. It's like running a marathon. Once you convince yourself it's ok to walk, you're done. You'll be walking off and on for the rest of the race. You also have a greater chance that you will drop out altogether. When you get done with the race you feel cheated. You feel let down.
Attending Church is just like this. I find that I really NEED to attend Church. When I miss church, I have a hard time staying focused on living as I should throughout the week. Church is more than worship. Church is a time of renewal. Church is a time to top-off the tank. Church is a time to praise God for all the blessings. It is also a place to become aware of those blessings. Church is a time to look inward and to be critical of what type of Christian we are. Church is a place to learn about our own weaknesses and to find help in getting better. Church is a place to find sinners just like us who are trying to find others that are going through the same troubled times they are.
It is easy to get out of the habit of going to church. Once you take off that one week, it becomes easier to not go back. It becomes easier to skip the next time. Once you get out of the habit. You might never go back. I have heard so many people say they don't need church. They say they can worship God from home and he will love them the same. Yes, I can't find anywhere in the Bible where God makes attending Church a commandment. God will love you no matter what you do. Is that a good enough excuse to not attend? Or, I have heard people say the church is full of hypocrites and "fake" people. All churches are made up of sinful people. We are all sinners. Some of us try to hide that. Ye who have not sinned can cast the first stone. Church is specifically designed for the sinners of this world who want to live more like Christ. Some people are further along than others. Maybe the people who attend your local church need you more than you need them. If your relationship with Christ is great without attending Church. Great! I wish I were you! If you have that type of relationship with Christ, YOU need to be sharing that with others. If you're like me, you need all the help you can get in living Christian life. If you're like me you need someone holding you accountable for your thoughts, actions, or words.
Don't quit on attending church. If you have already given up on Church and you don't attend anymore, try it again. Make it a habit. Search for a church that suits your style of worship. Pray for God's guidance. Pray for motivation. Don't be a quitter. If you do, you might lose out on some fantastic blessings! Make a commitment THIS SUNDAY!
About 2.2 million kids play little league baseball. Their are only 130,000 High School Senior Baseball players. That means for some reason over 2 million kids give up on playing baseball by the time they get to High School. You wonder how many of those players, if they stuck with it, would have been All-State baseball players. The story is true for sports across the country. Even from the freshman year of High School to graduation, we see a lot of athletes who quit sports. You can't label all of these kids as "quitters". However, I have seen MANY student-athletes give up on a sport for poor reasons. Some say it's too hard. Some quit because they don't want to commit the time needed to get better. When a talented athlete quits a sport, I always have a talk with them. My conversation is always the same. In my final plea, I always tell them they will regret not following through. In my experience, these students ALWAYS live to regret quitting. I also see that once you quit for the first time, it's easy to quit the next time. It's like running a marathon. Once you convince yourself it's ok to walk, you're done. You'll be walking off and on for the rest of the race. You also have a greater chance that you will drop out altogether. When you get done with the race you feel cheated. You feel let down.
Attending Church is just like this. I find that I really NEED to attend Church. When I miss church, I have a hard time staying focused on living as I should throughout the week. Church is more than worship. Church is a time of renewal. Church is a time to top-off the tank. Church is a time to praise God for all the blessings. It is also a place to become aware of those blessings. Church is a time to look inward and to be critical of what type of Christian we are. Church is a place to learn about our own weaknesses and to find help in getting better. Church is a place to find sinners just like us who are trying to find others that are going through the same troubled times they are.
It is easy to get out of the habit of going to church. Once you take off that one week, it becomes easier to not go back. It becomes easier to skip the next time. Once you get out of the habit. You might never go back. I have heard so many people say they don't need church. They say they can worship God from home and he will love them the same. Yes, I can't find anywhere in the Bible where God makes attending Church a commandment. God will love you no matter what you do. Is that a good enough excuse to not attend? Or, I have heard people say the church is full of hypocrites and "fake" people. All churches are made up of sinful people. We are all sinners. Some of us try to hide that. Ye who have not sinned can cast the first stone. Church is specifically designed for the sinners of this world who want to live more like Christ. Some people are further along than others. Maybe the people who attend your local church need you more than you need them. If your relationship with Christ is great without attending Church. Great! I wish I were you! If you have that type of relationship with Christ, YOU need to be sharing that with others. If you're like me, you need all the help you can get in living Christian life. If you're like me you need someone holding you accountable for your thoughts, actions, or words.
Don't quit on attending church. If you have already given up on Church and you don't attend anymore, try it again. Make it a habit. Search for a church that suits your style of worship. Pray for God's guidance. Pray for motivation. Don't be a quitter. If you do, you might lose out on some fantastic blessings! Make a commitment THIS SUNDAY!
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