A Good Place to Start

To begin this blog, I thought I would just discuss a couple of general things I have learned in church, and not refer to any particular sermon.

I have learned alot in my life while attending a range of churches. Some things have stayed with me, while I have had to purge some others which turned out to be impediments to my spiritual growth. Here is a synopsis of what I have learned over the years while attending church:

1. You must go to church with worship on your mind, and leave the cares of the world outside the church doors. By bringing the cares of the world into the House of the Lord, you allow the devil to distract you during what is supposed to be your time to praise God along with fellow believers.

2. You need to listen to every sermon because the message will eventually pertain to something you will face in your life. When that time comes, you need to be able to lean on The Word to guide you through that particular situation. Remember, Proverbs 3:5-6.

3. It is important to be obedient to the will of God at all times. When you are led to clap, sing, dance, run, or any other expression of praise, you must allow the Holy Ghost to take hold of you. Forget about who is watching you, or what they might say about you. You were created to praise God at all times, not just when everyone else is doing the same thing. Remember, 1 Chronicles 16:25.

4. The church is made up of all types of people. I will list a few types:

-Those who simply come out of tradition.
-Those who come to watch everyone else.
-Those who come because it is a requirement to remain on one of the Boards.
-Those who come (late or every now and then), sit there seemingly unaffected, and then quickly leave after the service.
-Those who come dressed to the nines, and only do so to be seen. These people often come late, in order to "make an entrance".
-Those who come early just to sit in "their spot" every Sunday.
-Those who come to see specific people in the congregation because they may have a crush on them. These people are usually seen looking for that particular person after church, and usually time their expressions of "praise" to coincide with their particular object of affection.
-Those who are true to God, and are in church simply to praise God. These people allow the Holy Ghost to take over completely, and surrender completely to it.

These are just a few of the categories I have noticed during my church life. I have been in a couple of these categories from the Spectator to the Surrenderer. Which category do you fall into? Is this category giving God the praise He deserves? Remember, Psalms 34:1.