Tag: small group

Be the Church, Go to Church

Growing up, my parents made me go to church. It was a struggle. Every Sunday morning, every Sunday night, every Wednesday night, every church event, youth group, revival, Billy Graham Crusade, etc. Ugh! And you know what? Now that I am older, I am so thankful that they did. I learned who God was, I saw what it meant to be part of a church community (both the good and the bad), and I saw people who were good examples of how to serve as God would want us to serve. Of course, we all know that the “church” is the body of Christ, it is not a building, it is the people. It is a community, a family. As we discussed in the previous post, we are sons and daughters of God in Christ. We don’t just “go to church,” we are the church. Therefore, we need to gather together and be a part of the church.

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Praying Together

One thing I notice lacking in churches is togetherness and prayer.  Sure, there may be some fellowship, “meet and greet” time, potlucks and things like that, but do we get together and really get to know each other?  Do we get together and pray?  Do we pray for each other?  Do we know each other enough to know what to pray for?  Not just the superficial stuff like health and “travel mercies,” but also the intimate stuff, the spiritual needs, the struggles, the battles we go through in life.  19I’ve always been an advocate of small groups, where we can gather together in homes and get to know one another, studying God’s word and praying for one another.  It is also a time to seek and give godly advice and encouraging one another.  We as a church need to be more than just a gathering on Sundays (or Saturdays), but we need to be more like a family, with unity, really, truly caring for one another and loving one another and not just one or two days a week but throughout the week.  We as a church need to intercede for those outside of the church, that they would receive knowledge of Jesus Christ and believe the truth.  We need to pray for the leaders and people of this country, especially with all the division, hatred, name pointing, biased accusations and covering up truth and all that we see and hear.  We need to gather and pray.  Together. Continue reading “Praying Together”