"But, I don't wanna go to church"

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.

Psalm 134:2

****************************

I can remember when I was a teenager laying in my bed on Sunday mornings pretending to be asleep in hopes that my parents would go to church without me. It worked sometimes. The other times they would wake me and make me get dressed and head to church. As I got more involved in church, I found myself wanting to go more often. After high school I did what most graduates do and left my parents church and never stepped foot in another one until later in life. Around 30 years of age I started to feel like something was missing in my life. That something was church. So Rhonda and I started searching for a church home. After a long process we finally found Effort. Effort was the place that God really got a hold of me. We became members and since then, I can count on one hand the number of times I have missed church. Even when I am on vacation, I find a place to worship. Read Acts 2:42-47. These verses talk about the early church and how they met together for fellowship.

So why is church so important?

Love: As a father, I can tell you that if my children grew up and never came to see me, I would not feel loved. We go to church to be with God. Matthew 18:20 tells us that "where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. We go to church to worship God and be in his presence. This is one way to show God you love him.

Encouragement: We also need encouragement and in Hebrews 10:25 we are told to gather and encourage.

Unity: As the church, when we unite as believers we work together to bring glory to God. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 talks about how the church is one body and how each of us is a part of that body.

Reflect on these verses and ask God to put a passion in your heart to faithfully attend church and fellowship with other believers. Who knows you might even learn something while your there.