Why Don't More People Attend Church?

God has called the Church to share the gospel!

God is the head of all things.

Jesus is the head of the church.

 Remember your accountability to God!

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: - 2 Timothy 4:1

We all struggle with accountability because we are not humble or disciplined.

We live for ourselves, our wants, and our sin is damming us to hell.

 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. - 2 Corinthians 5:10

Raise your children to respect authority, to be in fear of God's judgement and to know actions have consequences.

Emphasize the Word of God!

Humble yourself before the Lord.

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,

4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. - 2 Timothy 4:2-4

Speak the truth of God.

Obey the word of God and be blessed or ignore it and be cursed.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.  - Isaiah 40:8

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. - Matthew 24:35

Preacher preach the Word!

Disciple preach the Word!

Preach it like you believe it!!

Be bold in the Lord!

Preaching the Word of God is not popular with sinners.

Focus on the call of God!

5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. - 2 Timothy 4:5-8

Don't overreact!

Keep your mind in all situations. 

Don't give up!

Endure hardships!

If God is for you who can be against you.

Don't stop!

Keep on keeping on!

Find a church who shares the true gospel!!

Thanks Pastor Kevin!!

Returning to Your First Love

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent.” Revelation 2:5a

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When my wife Joyce and I were on our honeymoon, we were driving south of Daytona Beach back to West Palm Beach. I was so in love that I had two eyes on her and no eyes on the road.

A policeman hailed me over and told me I had broken the speed limit of 35 mph. I was surprised because I hadn’t seen a sign that changed the limit from 55 to 35. He said, “All right young man, here’s what I want you to do. Turn around and drive back about three blocks. Look at the sign and go on.” That was my punishment.

The officer made me go back before I could go on.

ACTION POINT:

That’s exactly what our Lord is saying to us when He tells us to return to our first love, a passionate love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Loving What Jesus Loves

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And I [Jesus] say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There are many people who say, “I believe in Jesus, but I just don’t believe in the church.” That is like saying, “I believe in football, but I just don’t believe in stadiums, the gridiron, goal posts, and shoulder pads.”

Jesus loves the church. He gave His life for the church. If you are ever going to be victorious in the spiritual battles of life, you must realize that Christianity is not a “Lone Ranger” religion. The church is here to bind together and win the battle together.

Sabine Baring-Gould wrote the famous hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers.” One stanza really stands out in this regard: “Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane, But the church of Jesus constant will remain. Gates of hell can never against that church prevail; We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.”

ACTION POINT:

Jesus loves the Church, which is His body.  If we love Jesus, we will love what He loves.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Can We Know His Ways?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters, and Thy footsteps are not known.” Psalm 77:19

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Visiting the Sea of Galilee is an unforgettable experience. The Lord Jesus walked on the water there, but you cannot see His footsteps. When a boat goes through the ocean, it doesn’t leave a trail does it? When a wagon goes across land, it does leave a trail, but a boat doesn’t.

In this passage in Psalms, what is God saying? That we will never know Him just by studying history—by simply studying what He has done. His ways are mysterious. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

But we can know His ways, for He says in Psalm 103:7, “He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.” And in Micah 4:2 we find, “And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.”

ACTION POINT:

You can try to make sense of God with all your ingenuity, creativity, and intelligence, but God says we will never know Him that way. We have to lay our intellect in the dust and say to God, “Show me Your ways.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

The Authentic Thirst-Quencher

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:13-14

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Have you ever been outside working in your garden or bicycling or playing football and become very thirsty? You go inside and perhaps grab a soda. It tastes great and seems to hit the spot. You return to your activity and you get thirsty and go for another soda. It is satisfying at first, but just doesn’t seem to keep you quenched. Finally you fill a tall glass with water and you’re satisfied.

Why? If you look at the ingredients on the soda container, it says it is artificially colored and/or flavored and/or sweetened. It doesn’t have that touch of authenticity.

ACTION POINT:

There are many who are trying to satisfy their thirst with things that are artificial when what we need is the water of life! When was the last time you quenched your spiritual thirst with the sparkling refreshment of time spent with God?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Is Anything Too Hard for the Lord?

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Genesis 18:14

A little boy was trying to roll a rock as his father watched from a distance. The boy was heaving and sighing, but he couldn’t turn the stone over.

His dad with a smile said, “Son, are you using all of your strength?” He said, “Yes, Daddy, I’m using all my strength.” And the father said, “No, you’re not, because you haven’t asked me to help you. My strength is your strength.”

Sometimes we wrestle with problems and say, “I don’t know what to do.” Our Father wants us to say, “I’ve run out of my strength,” and run to His. He is there.

There is no problem too big for Jesus to solve.

Do you believe that? I hope so.

Is there a problem too big for you to solve? Give it to Jesus. He can handle it.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Freedom and Liberty in Worship

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Formalism and worship are two separate things. When you are worshiping the Lord, there needs to be freedom and order. Worship is not real quiet music and everyone sitting still and not smiling. That’s not worship. Some people say, “Well that’s a dignified service.” Perhaps they don’t know the difference between reverence and rigor mortis.

If you study worship in the Bible, you’ll find out that worship was marked with brightness, spontaneity, and joy. The early Christians had something that fire could not burn, that swords could not kill, that water could not drown, that jails could not hold. They knew the holiness, the loveliness, and the glory of God in a life-changing way.

ACTION POINT:

Read Psalm 5:7 and 29:2 and take some time today to worship God in joy and truth.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers