I love my church!! It is truly the best hour of the week

Nope. Never. Why on earth would I?

Why would I go to church?

No. Does it make me a bad person if I feel guilty when I do go to church?

I want to go to church! I love going. I love learning more about God, the bible, etc, spending time with other believers, worshiping and praising God--and the laughter and joy. And it is so important. There are so many reasons to go to church! When you go to church, you are strengthened spiritually. You grow closer to God. You find spiritual encouragement, help, comfort and prayer by others and you are built up by them and strengthened by their spiritual gifts. You fellowship with Christ. You listen to God's word preached (which causes you to grow as a Christian and nourishes and strengthens your faith) and then apply and practice that truth in your daily life. You engage in public worship (which not only brings pleasure to God, but revives your spirit and encourages your heart). And you grow and become strong in your faith, so that you can resist temptation and become more like Jesus. Also, by attending church regularly, you are following the example of Christ. (See below for more). It is also a way to fellowship with other believers, which is so important. Stormie Omartian, in her outstanding book Finding Peace For Your Heart, talks about the importance spending time with other believers (both inside and outside the church).... "'Fellowship has to do with a mutuality in all parts of your life,' pastor Jack taught us. 'You bear one another's burdens and fulfill the law of Christ. You pray for one another, you love one another, you help one another when there is material need, you week with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. It's growing in an association with people who are moving in the same pathway you are and sharing with each other in your times of victory or need or your times of trial and triumph. It's growing in relationship.' Fellowship is instrumental in shaping us. The Bible says that we become like those we spend time with and good friends sharpen one another just as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17)."~Stormie Omartian, Finding Peace For Your Heart It is also in the body of a church that you find restoration and healing--and certain visitations of God's power happen only in the midst of such gatherings of believers. Stormie Omartian, in her outstanding book Finding Peace For Your Heart, talks about this subject: "....First and most basic of all, it is very important that you find a church home and spend time with that body of believers in church. I have not seen the kind of restoration and healing I'm talking about in this book happen without it. ...Once you accept Jesus, you have eternal life whether you ever go to church or not, but I'm talking about living in the fullness of all God has for you. I'm talking about expelling the pain from deep within and living in love, peace and joy. Certain visitations of God's power happen only in the midst of such gatherings of believers. Make it a point to be a part of that." 13 Reasons To Go To Church 1) "God wants you to have fellowship with other believers, and you will be weakened spiritually if you don't have active contact with His people." ~Billy Graham 2) You will grow closer to Christ. "Go because you know you need to grow closer to Christ, and one way this happens is through our fellowship with other believers. The Bible says, 'Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation' (1 Peter 2:2)." ~Billy Graham 3) "You need spiritual encouragement and help, and one of the most important ways you can receive these is through fellowship with God's people in a church where Christ is taught and lived." ~Billy Graham 4) In a gathering of believers, you can obey the New Testament's "one another" commands: We are to comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18), build up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11), confess our sins ot one another (James 5:16), pray for one another (James 5:16), and many more. 5) You meet with other Christians so that they can use their spiritual gifts to strengthen you. (We were all given spiritual gifts to minister to and help other people). "Paul explains that each part of the body exists to meet the needs of the other body parts. In the same way, God intends each of us to meet the needs of other believers, using our strengths to help in their areas of weakness. 1 Corinthians 12:21 expresses it this way: 'The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you.' Neither can a Christian claim to be self-sufficient today." ~Dr. John Bechtle 6) As Billy Graham says, God wants you to grow and become strong in your faith, so you can resist temptation and become more like Jesus. In church, you learn from the Bible as it is taught. And you also learn from other believers who can help and encourage you.: "...once we come to Christ, we become part of a family—the family of God. Think of it: You are no longer just an individual, but you are now part of a group—a spiritual 'family' that includes every person on earth who truly believes in Jesus Christ. Everyone who believes in Christ is now your spiritual brother or sister! This family of believers is what the Bible calls the Church, the body of Christ: 'Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it' (1 Corinthians 12:27). "Why is it important to be part of a local fellowship of believers? Let me ask you a question: What does God want to do in your life? The answer is this: He wants to make you more like Jesus. But this won't happen if you are isolated from other Christians. You need them—and they need you. The Bible says, 'Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds' (Hebrews 10:24). "It's possible to be a Christian without going to church—but you will be missing out on an important part of what God wants to do in your life. Just as we need a balanced diet to be strong physically, so we need a balanced 'diet' to be strong spiritually—and part of that 'diet' is the Church. "Let me explain. What you have done by accepting Christ into your life is very important—in fact, it's the most important decision you will ever make. But becoming a Christian is only the beginning—the beginning of a whole new life with Christ. Now God wants you to grow and become strong in your faith, so you can resist temptation and become more like Jesus. "One of the ways we grow spiritually is through our fellowship and worship with other believers—in other words, through a church where Christ is honored. Not only do we learn from the Bible as it is taught, but we also learn from other believers who can help and encourage us. The Bible says, 'Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another' (Hebrews 10:25).... 7) It is an act of obedience. Hebrews 10:25 declares: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is" or in the Message version "not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching." 8) You are engaging in public worship. Worship brings pleasure to God. And public worship revives your spirit and encourages your heart. "In worship, we are expressing our love and gratitude to God for who he is and what He has done in our lives. When we engage in public worship we are manifesting to other believers as well as the lost world at large that our Lord is worthy of our highest praise and dedication." ~Tim Ross of Landmark Independent Baptist Church 9) You are following the example of Christ. "During the earthly life of Jesus Christ, He faithfully attended the synagogue, which was the place of public worship for the Jews. They would gather to read the law, and have one of the teachers expound the truths of the Old Testament. Luke 4:16 states: 'And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as His custom was, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.'" ~Tim Ross "1 John 2:6 declares: "He that saith he abideth in him ought to himself also so to walk, even as he walked." ~Tim Ross 10) You are hearing God's word preached which causes you to grow as a Christian as well as nourishes and strengthens your faith. "There will be little or no growth in the Christian life if a person fails to recieve a steady diet of Scriptural preaching. 1 Peter 2:2-3 declares: 'As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.'" ~Tim Ross "Not only is Christian growth a result of hearing the Word, your faith will also be nourished and strengthened through hearing God's Word. Romans 10:17 states: 'So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.' The best place for any person, whether lost or saved, is to be consistently in attendance upon the preaching of God's Word." ~Tim Ross 11) You then apply and practice God's truth in your daily life. "As God's people come to hear the Word of the Lord, and be fed and nourished by it, they are to go forth applying and practicing the truth in their daily lives. If you do not faithfully attend church to hear God's message on a consistent basis it is highly unlikely that you will practice the principles of Christianity in your daily life. Hearing and doing God's Word are intricately linked together." ~Tim Ross 12) You fellowship with Christ: "Jesus Christ is the Head and Lawgiver of His churches, and as such He is in attendance every time the church assembles. He walks in the midst of His churches. He has deposited His glory in His church according to Ephesians 3:21 which states: 'Unto him be the glory in the church by Christ Jesus through all ages, world without end. Amen.' If Christ's glory and presence is found in His churches then should we not make every effort to be faithful to assemble in His name and enjoy His blessed fellowship? Matthew 18:20 declares: 'For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them." ~Tim Ross 13) By not doing so, you are more vunerable to attack from your enemy, the Devil. (more coming soon...)