Optional Church Attendance?

I attend church worship at Christmas and Easter but my friends tell me I should participate more.  How often does a Christian need to attend church?

We need each other.  Jesus commands us to love each other as he loves us. (John 13:34-35)  You cannot love people you do not spend time with.  It helps to see your local congregation as God does.

The church is like a body.  Every part is needed.

Imagine waking up tomorrow to find one of your eyes decided to go golfing instead of working with the rest of the body.  Your day would be off to a very bad start.

The church is like a family.  Every one of God’s children belongs.

Missing loved ones who could not come is one of the bittersweet aspects of family reunions.  Every absentee creates his/her own vacuum.

The church is like a temple.  Every person fits into God’s blueprint.

Just as a door without a building might end up in a dump, a Christian without connection to a local church may end up alone in life’s hard times.

Something is wrong when a Christian tries to follow Jesus without other disciples to help.  Participation in a local church is more than an option.  You are needed and you need to connect with the believing community.  Why not attend for a few weeks starting this Easter?  Let me know how it goes in the comments.  Thank you.

How to Pray for Your Pastor

How can I pray effectively for my pastor?

Here are some suggestions to help you pray for your pastor or any church leader each day of the week.

MONDAY: Ask God to refresh his/her focus in ministry.  Trust the Holy Spirit to give him/her a compelling vision for your congregation; to purify his/her motives; to give his/her an unshakable faith in God’s will as well as guidance in setting priorities.

TUESDAY: Pray that the Lord will give him/her discerning insight.  Believe God will give your pastor wisdom in relationships, understanding of your community’s needs and culture, and solutions for all kinds of problems.

WEDNESDAY: Ask God to protect your pastor.  Pray that your pastor and his/her family physical health, good marital  and family relationships, along with deliverance from Satan’s snares and schemes.

THURSDAY: Intercede for your pastor as he/she sets up personal and congregational priorities.  Pray that the Spirit will give him/her a deep commitment to God’s will.  Ask the Lord to guide him/her in the use of  time, in his/her planning, in the management of both personal and church finances.  Pray that your pastor will make time for personal renewal and recreation.

FRIDAY: Pray for his/her determination.  Ask Jesus to fill him/her with strength to overcome discouragement and doubt.  Ask that he/she will have patience in difficulties and faithfulness in Christian living.

SATURDAY: Pray for your pastor’s productivity.  Trust the Holy Spirit to make him/her effective in sharing the love of Jesus, in preaching and in teaching.  Believe the Lord will help him/her in developing new leaders.  Ask God to guide in the management of church business.

SUNDAY: Ask that your pastor will have a growing love and desire for God.  Pray that he/she will love studying the Bible and will have a strong personal prayer life.  Trust God to fill him/her with the Holy Spirit.

What do you think your pastor would want you to add to this list?  Please leave a comment to let me know.

How should I pray for my needs?

When I pray for myself what can I ask God to do?  Can I ask him to make me rich?  Famous?  Healthy, wealthy and wise?  How should I pray for my needs?

You’ve asked a good question.  Most people, whether they claim to follow Jesus or not, are likely to pray for whatever they think will make them comfortable and secure.  However, we often are mistaken about what will give us these things.  Beyond that, being comfortable and secure may not be what is best for us.

If you are a committed follower of Jesus, your prayers about your needs will reflect a different set of values.  You will not ask God for an escape from trouble.  You will seek his help in finding the blessings hidden in trials, the wisdom of discerning God’s guidance and the wonders of  the community of other Christians.

You should pray to find the blessings in your difficulties.  Whether it’s the pain and humiliation of falling on snow-covered steps or the discouragement of a prolonged illness, trials come to make your faith in God stronger.  They provide you with an opportunity to grow in grace.

You should pray for wisdom and the ability to discern God’s guidance.  There will be times in your life when you need to make decisions and you will not know what to do.  In those times, ask God to help you find his way, to do what Jesus would do with the love Jesus would have.

You should pray that God will help you share the wonders of Christian community.  You need other believers and they need you.  Together you can weather the storms of  life and grow through them.  Together you can find God’s direction and help each other follow his leading.

What one thing in your life have you hesitated to pray about?  If you shift your values to seek the blessings in trials, God’s wisdom and the wonder of community, will it be easier for you to present this need to God?  Why or why not?

If this post has been helpful to you, you may appreciate the following:
Can I really pray for my needs?
How do I know if I am praying effectively?
How to know when Jesus gives direction

We just moved. How do we choose a new church?

In the process of moving, many urgent tasks can crowd out the choice of a church.  I’m glad you’re thinking about this vital decision.  Here are a few guidelines that may assist you in your search.

• Make prayer the launching pad for your search.  Ask God to guide you to the church he wants to use in shaping your spiritual life.  Keep on praying throughout your search.
• Develop a list of qualities you want in a church.  If you have a family, work on this list together.
• Think about the church you grew up in or that you’ve felt most at home in as an adult.  Was it a part of a denomination or association of churches?  What was the preaching like?  What size was the church?  You will probably be most comfortable in a similar church.
• Ask around in your new neighborhood or workplace.  Even if they don’t attend church, the people around you may be able to give you an idea about different churches in your new community.
• Consider a few practical things as well.  Is the location easy to find?  Are the service times convenient for you and your family?  What programs or ministries do you need or want to participate in?
• Search the Internet for a local church.  You will discover a great deal about a congregation by checking their web page.  Examine their doctrinal statements to find the ones you agree with in general.
• Make a short list of churches you and your family want to visit.  Attend each church at least twice because every church can have a bad Sunday.
• 

  The people are the church not the building.

  As you visit, consider whether or not the people in the church have similar values to yours.  Do you and your family members feel you can make friends and grow with the individuals in a given congregation?

• I’ve saved the most important question for last.  Do you and your family connect with God in the worship services?  That means more than liking the styles of music and preaching.  You can listen to the radio for music you like — even for preaching that inspires you.  However, bumping into God while worshiping with his people is a priceless experience.  Make sure your new church home makes it likely to happen regularly.

How can I know God is working in my life?

Here are a few common but inadequate answers.  Some people suggest looking for persuasive speech, but that alone leads to pride and envy. Others suggest looking for special abilities, but that alone leads to competition and comparison of achievements.  Some prefer looking for extensive Bible knowledge, but that alone leads to more pride and practical hypocrisy.  Others people suggest looking for self-sacrifice, but that alone leads to codependent relationships and conflict.  Some people suggest looking for great acts of generosity, but that alone leads to poverty and more pride.

Loving is Serving

However, the Bible tells us to look for love, because love alone is the most excellent way to know God is working in your life (1 Corinthians 13:1-13 NIV).  When someone asked him what was the greatest commandment, Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:28-34)

Allow me the privilege of suggesting two applications for the two greatest commandments.

If I love God with all my being, then I will trust and obey him.  I will not make excuses for disregarding God’s clear commands. I will do whatever the Bible says to do even if I don’t understand it all.  If I love my neighbor as myself, then I will put their needs on the same level as my  own.  At church that means, I will seek to do whatever it takes to make it easier for others know Jesus.  At home that means I’ll do the dishes and help with the cleaning . Out in public, that means I’ll hold the door for others or let them go ahead of me in the check our line.

Now what about you?  How would you apply these commandments to your life?  Take a moment to complete those two sentences. “If I love God with all my being, then I will _____________________.  If I love my neighbor as myself, then I will _____________________.”

An Open Apology for Hypocrisy in the Chruch

I tend to chuckle when someone who has never been part of a church says Christians are all hypocrites.  I find it humorous because they often have very little idea of how bad Christians really are.  I was not born in the church, but I was raised in the church.  I’ve seen more and heard about more garbage from church people than most of you can imagine.  Becoming a pastor almost 30 years ago did not insulate me from Christians behaving badly.

However, nothing hurts me more than when I hear the stories of people who grew up in the church, saw and heard some of the things I saw and heard and now they refuse to follow Jesus.  They have rejected him and his church.  Their experiences make me want to scream and weep.

The Bible declares that there is only one way to deal with this kind of garbage.  There is only one way to find healing from all the damage we church going, Bible thumping Christians have caused.  Drag it out into the sunshine.  Expose it for what it really is – sin, deadly, noxious, Jesus crucifying sin.

I will be apologizing for things I know we’ve done wrong.  I will drag our sins out into the open for all to see and hear.  I have two audiences.

One audience will not see this apology.  Many of the people who have been hurt by hypocrisy won’t read a blog by a pastor.  All the people who have never darkened the door of any church might skip this post too.  So, a lot of people to whom this apology is addressed will never see it.

You who do read this apology are my other audience.  Please, open your heart for God’s healing grace to touch you.

What apologies will I make for hypocritical Christians and hurtful church people like me? 

1. I want to apologize to those inside and outside the church for all the times we are louder and more insistent in declaring the things we are against than in announcing our love for you.
2. I want to apologize for my denomination’s focus on holding the correct doctrine about holy living rather than on correctly living holy lives.
3. I want to apologize for all the times we have fought over stupid, inconsequential matters instead of demonstrating Jesus’ love for each other.
4. I want to apologize for all the times when we Christians have been more concerned about losing power and influence in American culture than we’ve cared about helping Americans connect with Jesus.
5. I want to apologize for all the times we worked harder to project the “right” image than we worked to become more like Jesus.

I cannot change the church’s reputation with one blog post.  I cannot fix all the hearts we’ve broken over the years in one hour of worship.  I cannot confess everyone’s sins.  But I can pray, “Change my heart, oh God.”

I cannot change the entire worldwide church and guarantee there will be no more hypocrites.  I cannot change my denomination and drive out all the church people who are behaving badly.  I cannot even change myself.  Only God can make individuals and the church more like Jesus.  I cannot change anything or anyone, but I can pray, “Change my heart, oh God.”

Will you join me in that simple powerful prayer?  How would God change your heart if you allowed him to do it?

What if I don’t feel like loving someone?

When I was in school studying to become a pastor, a fellow student said, “Church work would be a lot easier if it weren’t for people.”  I laughed at my friend’s statement – church work is about people.  Pastors and lay persons work with people day in and day out.

Here are a just few of the places in the Bible that tell us how to relate to each other.

• “A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”   (John 13:34-35)
• Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  (Romans 12:10-11)
• Live in harmony with one another. (Romans 12:16)
• Stop passing judgment on one another. (Romans 14:13)
• Accept one another … just as Christ accepted you. (Romans 15:7)
• Serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13)

These verses clearly tell us that the reason we exist as a God’s family is to share Jesus’ love with each other.  On the other hand, we’ve all had days when we wished the people we’re to love were more loveable.  Sometimes we grate on each other’s nerves.  We try one another’s patience and the last feeling we have for each other is warm and fuzzy.

How can flawed individuals like you and me carry out Jesus’ command to love each other?  What do we do when we don’t feel like loving someone?

Loving each other grows out of our love for God.  On our own, we can never fulfill Jesus’ command to love each other.

Flawed individuals like you and me need an inner transformation to accomplish the feats of love I read a few moments ago.  It’s too easy to avoid difficult people.  It’s too easy to stay home or switch churches.  Something deep within our hearts needs to change.

We tend to view love as a warm fuzzy feeling reserved for a select few of our friends and family.  However, God calls us to a life of holy love – a love founded on His love for us and built with decisive actions instead of feelings.

What can we do to develop this kind of love in our lives? Let me suggest a few things to get us started.

1. Admit your need for help to love others as Jesus does.
2. Believe Jesus can touch the broken place deep in you heart so you can learn to love as he commanded us to love.
3. Commit yourself to a lifelong process of reprogramming your thoughts and actions so they become like God’s holy love.

 What can you do today to show Jesus’ love to that someone who’s hard to love?

How can I stop expecting people to meet my God shaped needs?

The original question was asked in this way. ”I know God is all I need but I still feel that I need other relationships to fulfill me.  How can I get so tapped into God that I don’t look to get from other people what only God can give?”

I want to start by pointing out that God does not claim to be all that you need and he designed you to enjoy other relationships.  Part of being created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26) is that we are social or relational beings.  That means you cannot be “so tapped into God” that you don’t want other relationships.

Looking to the master

The wording of your question points to the real issue.  People cannot meet the needs only God can meet.  Only God’s unconditional love and grace can fulfill you.  So, how can you stop expecting them to do the impossible for you?

I believe John Piper is right when he declares, “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”  In my experience, learning to be satisfied with God involves the following.

1. We become frustrated with people for not delivering the unconditional love and grace only God can provide.   As long as we think people can love us the way God loves us, we are setting ourselves up for heartache.  When we are sick and tired of the disappointment, we can focus our expectations on the Lord.
2. We realize that being satisfied with God means we may or may not experience the comforts and joys our culture teaches us to expect.  This world promises all kinds of things it can never deliver.  Use our toothpaste and the best looking man or woman you can imagine will never stop kissing you.  Drive our car and everyone will get out of your way as you race through the streets of town.  Use this exercise equipment for 5 minutes a day, eat what ever you want and become the man or woman every one wants to kiss.  It’s time to be honest with ourselves.  We may never be the richest, most famous, best looking person in our community — and that’s OK.
3. We need to take time to study the Bible and discover who God is for us.  A good way to start is to look at his names.  He is the One who sees us in our time of need (Genesis 16:13).  He is our Provider (Genesis 22:14).  He is the source of our healing and health (Exodus 15:26).  He is the one who saves us from our sins — Jesus (Matthew 1:21).
4. All along, we need to pray that God will fill our hearts with a deep love and devotion for him.  This is his promise. “Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name” (Psalm 91:14).

These four things will get you started on the way to seeking God’s gifts from God alone.  Perhaps you have an idea of your own.  What do you think might help you?

Why go to church? Part Six

I’ve been in church since shortly after my birth.  I’ve either seen or heard about all kinds of heartbreaking things in the church.  And I understand how many de-churched people feel.  I’ve quit church a million times but I keep coming back because I’ve discovered there are a few things you cannot experience outside of God’s church.

Let me list the unique experiences I’ve pointed out so far.

• ENERGIZING PRAYER (Prayers that refresh, renew and revive us)
• CONNECTING WORSHIP (Jesus only promised to show up when we are together)
• GENEROUS LOVE (Giving to hurting, needy people as we follow Jesus’ example on the Cross)
• AWE-INSPIRING POWER (Miracles in and through the church
• GOD-FEARING INTEGRITY (Particularly in our finances)

Something is missing in this list.  How did the church of Jerusalem grow and spread across the world?  There must be more to church than this list.

If each of us takes a look at our spiritual stories, then we’ll see what’s missing.  Our lives have been changed.  God’s gracious love and forgiveness transformed our lives.  Some of us changed in an instant.  Others know Jesus has forgiven their sins and made them right with God but cannot point to a time and place where it happened.  We know from our personal experiences that the church grows and spreads as lives are changed.  The church grows and spreads around the world as God’s life-changing grace works in and through the church to add new people to his family.

The addition of new believers to the church is not an automatic result of following Jesus.  People can observe the church’s acts of prayer, worship, love, power and integrity but never come to Christ.  The church must be intentional about inviting others to join us in following Jesus.  Then the Lord can add to our number regularly “those who are being saved.” (Acts 2:47)

Why go to church? Part Four

I’ve quit church a million times but I keep coming back because I’ve discovered there are a few things you cannot experience outside of God’s church.  However, I can identify with those who quit coming to church.  There are thousands of people around us who do not attend any church.  Some of them used to participate in a church.  Some of them grew up in church but something happened.  They became “de-churched.”  They simply quit church.

Many of the children who rode the bus to church events and came to Vacation Bible Schools stopped coming when they reached high school.  Even children whose parents raised them in church stopped coming.  This is a problem for many churches.

This raises a question for me.  How can we keep the kids we have now?  What can we do to keep them involved in the church and actively following Jesus?  What is missing?  Why do we lose children when they reach high school?  What can be done to win adults and keep our kids close to Jesus and his church?

The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to where it sets.

Read the following passages from the book of Acts to see if you detect a theme.

Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. (Acts 2:43)

“O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word.  Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.  Then they preached the word of God with boldness.  The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. (Acts 4:29-33)

The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.  And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade. … As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by.  Crowds came from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by evil spirits, and they were all healed. (Acts 5:12-16)

 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. (Acts 6:8)

Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time at Iconium, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. (Acts 14:3)

I’m sure you caught the theme.  God’s power works in and through the church to change lives.  His power works in bold proclamations about Jesus and in answer to prayers for hurting people.  It was true in the history of the early church and it is still true today.

Some Christians act as though awe-inspiring miracles and signs of Jesus’ power are simply stories in the Bible.  Perhaps you act like they can’t happen now and probably didn’t happen then.  But Jesus wants to use you to be someone through whom he can work miracles for people.  You need to decide that you’re going to be willing to do whatever he asks, whenever he asks – the rest is up to him.  This isn’t a time to be the person who sits back debating.  The world needs you to step up and be the hands and feet of a loving Savior extending his hope and grace and the message of salvation.

 Perhaps our children, grandchildren and friends are disconnected from Jesus and the church because they don’t realize He’s big enough to meet their needs today.  Could it be that their child sized view of Jesus cannot meet their present needs?  Who would want to stop participating in a church marked by a growing sense of God’s awe-inspiring power?   Who would want to stop participating in a church filled with a sense of awe, conviction and mystery?

Can you report a time when Jesus’ awe-inspiring power touched you or a loved one?  I’d love to hear your story.