Why do we go?Is going to worship the only thing that is scripturally sound?
I want to look into the word to really look at why Bible Class (along with worship) is so important.Many people go to worship and choose to not attend Bible class.The church where we attend has even tried to take measures like switching worship and Bible class where members areencouraged to stay and attend Bible class after worship is over.
What’s the point of Bible Class?
I feel to some extent that we have lost sight of why we have Bible class in the first place.Bible class is a personalized lesson for the appropriate age to learn and grow in Christ. Whether you are 2 or 92 you want that growth to be steady and consistent.Most importantly to continue to have a hunger to learn more about Christ.Going to worship is wonderful, great, NEEDED but why do we not put the same stock on Bible Class as worship?
It’s not scriptural? 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 talks about how we have been enriched in every way (speech and knowledge), as we eagerly wait upon The Lord, be blameless. God is faithful has called you into fellowship with his Son…
Part of fellowship is being with the body of believers. Bible class is one of those fellowships that we have together.You not only grow in knowledge of God but grow closer as a church family when you have more time together and meet whenever you can.
We should be joyful that we have the opportunity to meet together and fellowship anytime the body of believers can come together. Whether it be Sunday, Wednesday, Ladies Bible class, Men’s breakfast…anytime your church family is together you should yearn to be there as well. To be able to slow down from our busy lives and soak in the love we have for each other and the main thing we all have in common, which is that we love God and want to know him more.
I will admit….
when I was younger and my parents took me to church, I would at times have an awful attitude about going to church “everytime the doors are open” but I have to say that I am forever grateful that my parents took that time to show me how important it is to be with the Church. How important it is to have a relationship with them and grow with God together.
I was encouraged by my son’s Bible class teacher recently.My son, Gunner, has struggled with many things in his short 8 years.Open heart surgery, speech delays, setbacks, I could go on and on.He continues to get better but I always tend to worry how he does in school and other areas like his Bible class.
The sweet lady that teaches his Bible class came up all smiles and said,
“Candace! I just have to tell you that Gunner is not only reading the Bible but I can tell he is getting some spunk in his reading too!”
Building on Life Eternal
It hit me like a bolt of lighting.This is one of the reasons I LOVE going to Bible class and why it is so needed… ENCOURAGEMENT, LOVE, JOY!
The reason Gunner is starting to have some “spunk” to his reading is because he sees it on his Bible class teacher.This moment is what truly spurred me on to write this post.Both of my kiddos know a lot about the Bible because they are there every time the doors are open. I knew Bible class was important but sometimes i forget that my kids continue to grow and when they are around the people that have fire for The Lord and invest in his life on a daily basis…that’s building on life ETERNAL!
Bible class is a building block that you continue to build and build til when you are called home and live your life eternally in heaven.Isn’t this our ultimate goal as a Christian?
The Blessing of Building Lasting Relationships
If you are not making an effort to be at Bible class in order to have not only a deeper relationship with Christ but a deeper relationship with the body of believers then I’ll be honest…you are missing out!
Building stronger relationships come with time and effort.When you are married, you don’t just stop loving each other. You find ways to keep that spark alive and Bible class, worship, as well as anytime your church family meets together is that spark that can keep you going.
I cannot tell you how many times that I have attended a Wednesday night Bible class after all day in my Kindergarten classroom… all I want to do is GO TO BED.Those days are even more important to make a special effort to be there because I promise you that God rejuvenates you with his word and your brothers and sisters.
It does your body good no matter how tiring of a day you have.It’s worth it!So much time, effort, prayer and lesson planning go into these Bible class lessons. That is The Lord speaking to us through his soldiers and we need to be there to hear it.
Praying for Guidance and Perseverance
Hebrews 10:25 encourages us:
“not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Not in any way do I want this post to make you feel discouraged but I will say that if it makes you feel guilty… you need to pray and search inside yourself and ask yourself, “Am I making meeting with The Church most important?”
Pray for guidance and perseverance. I understand we all have jobs and are tired but we would not tell our boss we are too tired, or our teacher that we couldn’t complete an assignment because we just don’t feel like it.We need to have the most dedication to our Lord before our jobs and even our family.
If we have our hearts and minds on God then everything else WILL fall into place cause He knows narrow the path.
Matthew 7:13 encourages us to focus:
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.”
If your heart is stirring… that is the Holy Spirit working in you.I pray that my intentions and words were an encouragement to you.I love The Lord and I love you. God has called us to a higher purpose.To spread his word and be with the Church body is where it is at for our continued growth, encouragement and unconditional love.
Romans 12:12 (NIV) “Rejoice in hope, [be] patient in affliction, [be] faithful in prayer.”
I think that as I have grown there have been different verses that “speak” to me or become my favorite verse. When I first became a Christian at twelve, I loved John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
I still enjoy this verse. There is something about it that speaks to the world and most people know this verse…which is AWESOME!
I believe there are times that you read the Bible and God speaks to you. Verses that you have read before suddenly have a whole new meaning. We know that God shows us these in times of need, or to get us prepared for something, or to show us someone we can bless with God’s love.
Romans 12:12 has been my favorite verse for about six years now. It reminds me, quite simply, what to focus on and to show Christ in ALL I say and do.
Rejoice in hope:
Hope is something wonderful to have in anything you do! I have been known as the eternal optimist, and I love that. Most importantly I have hope that stems from the life I live in Christ. I have hope, no matter what the cost, no matter how good or bad the situation is. As long as I have hope and faith in God, He will take care of whatever it may be.
Patient in affliction:
I don’t know about you, but this is something I have to pray for daily because I seem to never have enough! Kids, marriage, LIFE, there are so many stresses that require a constant need of patience. This portion of the verse is very powerful, because it shows me that I can show God’s love by being patient. By being patient, it shows others that I am different, that I am set apart. Christ is shining through me.
Faithful in Prayer:
This should bring it home for all of us. How is your prayer life? I try my best to not only pray daily but have a constant communication with God because this is how we strengthen our relationship with God. How do you strengthen any relationship you have? As a wife, mother, and friend, I make a point to be a part of their life. I have communication with them on a daily basis to show that I love and care for that person.
My husband and I encourage our kids to pray for the sick, the good and bad situations, and also to pray for things that they might be struggling with, such as talking back or throwing a fit when they don’t get their way. When we bring it before God, we are putting our full faith in him that he will help us in whatever we need.
Contributing to the Needs of the Saints
Verse thirteen concludes by adding that Christians should be “contributing to the needs of the saints, [and] practicing hospitality.” I love that this verse solidifies what we have focused on. By focusing on others’ needs and showing love and care to everyone we encounter, we are given daily opportunities to demonstrate how we rejoice in hope, have patience in trials, and are faithful in prayer.
What a wonderful world it would be if we would facilitate love, patience, and hospitality to all we know! Let’s be prayerful and focus on these words that God has gracefully given to us and simply show more of God’s love to all we see.
We want to hear from you! Do you have a favorite Bible verse?
It is a humble word, but in years past the world has twisted the meaning into something negative and something to cause disruption in relationships. Why is this? Women’s rights? Equality? It could be attributed to many different things. I asked my husband what his definition of submission would be. His answer was, “Putting someone else’s desire or will in front of your own.” I love that the man I married–the man I committed my life to–understands that when I am submissive to him that I am putting his needs before my own. And likewise, he also puts my needs before his own.
I pray that you and your husband feel the same way. Being a submissive wife is a beautiful thing. I have never thought of it as negative, but I have seen it misconstrued in many ways. As a Christian you are not only to be submissive to your husband but most importantly to God. He commands it. James 4:7 says “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Humbling yourself to our Lord–submitting to him–is putting your faith in Him and fleeing from evil.
There will be people who take advantage of this humbling act. Some people do take advantage of their role as head of the household instead of centering the marriage relationship on what God wants and demands of husbands. 1 Corinthians 7:3 says, “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.” We need to be proactive about this, but moreover we need to trust our husband and have open communication to further strengthen the marriage. When your marriage is centered on Christ, you serve your husband, and, in turn, serve God’s purpose for a strong Christian marriage.
What Does Being Submissive Mean?
Does being submissive mean you don’t get a say? That what your husband says goes? Absolutely not! Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through word and present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any blemish, but holy and blameless.”
Praise God for the Word! Scripture tells us that husbands are to take their role VERY seriously and to be able “present her as a radiant church.” Being a submissive wife is a beautiful, humbling act. As wives, let’s be mindful that our husbands can be under pressure with having this charged to them by our Lord. Encourage your husband. Always let him know that you appreciate him in all that he does for you and your family. Practice being submissive daily and look to the Bible for encouragement and understanding in this matter.
May God bless you and your marriages. Be the wives that God wants you to be according to Ephesians 5:22:
“Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.”
“It’s funny how some distance makes everything seem small. And the fears that once controlled me can’t get to me at all.”
Yes, that is a part from the well-known song “Let It Go.” If you have small children, you have heard this more times than you would like to admit. But have you ever really listened to the lyrics? These are some beautiful words of truth to live by in everyday life! I would like to focus on one topic that plagues me on a daily basis: control.
Yes, I said it, control. I feel that as parents, it is hard not to control everything. Things would be better, run more smoothly, and you would get things done a LOT faster if you did things rather than the little people. I would like to point out–I do not have all this figured out, hence the reason why I am writing this post! But I hope this may be a source of encouragement for all the parents out there who want to “help,” “guide,” etc. your kids in all they do.
Here are some points to consider:
1. Give them space.
Kids need space to do what they need to do. If you are over their shoulders they do not have the capacity to express what they would like to do. You will realize your kids are capable of SO much more than you think.
2. Let them make mistakes.
Instead of calling them “mistakes,” let’s say learning by trial and error. They will make mistakes, but this is how they will learn, grow, and understand what they could do to make it better next time. You want them to understand that there will be tough times, but they need to learn to work through it on their own.
3. Be present.
Be there, love them, lend them a hand when they need it. It is always important that you are still there with them so they know you are available when they need you. There is a fine line between hovering and hanging back to let them figure things out. Make sure your kids know that when things get tough, you will be there to assist in any way possible.
I wanted to write this post because every day I try and want to do EVERYTHING for my kids. I tend to assist, hold their hand, insist that I do it for them. But what I have learned is that when you let go, you let your kids show you just how much they can amaze you. Recently, I wanted to do a painting craft with my daughter. I knew that my instincts to not let her would creep in. So I decided to embrace what she could do. The time we spent together painting blessed me tremendously because I learned what an encourager she is!
“Mommy, you do a really good job!”
“That is beautiful!”
“You are the best Mommy ever.”
It brought tears to my eyes because just letting her paint by herself showed me one of many talents God gave her! We serve an awesome God!
Make no mistake, God works in all of us when we let him and he works in your children as well. He blesses, he cares, and when you let go…you let God take control. What a beautiful sight it would be if we let go and have full faith and trust in God!
I never thought it would be this difficult, did you? When you became a parent did you realize just how hard it was going to be? Most (if not all) would say a resounding, “No!” I know I would. Most importantly, did you know how hard it would be, not just to raise your children in God but also get them to Bible class and worship without losing your mind?
“It is just too hard.”
“My kid doesn’t even understand.”
“We will get them into Bible class when they get into the youth group.”
If we wait until they get into the youth group, we have waited too long.
God gave us these blessings to show them love, support, and how to put God as the highest priority! School is great and sports are fun too. However, when we as parents start putting those things first, we need to look inside ourselves and see if our priorities reflect the Bible’s guidance on the matter.
This scripture is powerful! Training up a child means making God the ultimate priority. If we place him in every part of our life, our kids will follow our lead! As parents, our kids want to be just like us, so we need to make sure we are showing Christ through ourselves first.
The world is already an imperfect, sinful place and it craves for us to be the light. Some in the older generation might say, “This world is going to pot,” or “These kids don’t have a chance.” These types of comments truly break my heart because my kids are growing up in this world. I refuse to believe that they have no chance but to live in a corrupt world!
If we let our kids grow up thinking there is no hope, not only will they feel discouraged but they will lose sight of what God needs them to be and that is THE LIGHT! I pray that we encourage them as much as possible to believe that they CAN make a difference! Bible class and worship reinforce hope in their lives. I witnessed my daughter sharing this hope with another child at my son’s t-ball game. It was the sweetest thing ever and I welled up in tears.
“Did you know that Jesus died on the cross for our sins?
She gets it! And it’s because she is part of the church.
Let’s encourage our entire family to be part of the church. Don’t wait to introduce them to God’s family until their formative years have passed.
A few ways to make life easier and enjoy going to Bible class and worship:
1. Take the kids to Bible class. This gives parents and children the opportunity to connect with the body of believers, and most importantly, they get to learn more about Jesus!
2. Rotate different toys and books. Each week in a small bag or backpack, bring something to worship that they haven’t had the chance to play with in a while.
3. Talk to your kids. Set expectations of how to act during worship before it begins.
“We need to whisper.”
“Stay seated on the pew.”
“We need to pray, sing and listen.”
“Worship is not about us, it is all about God. If we stay nice and quiet, more people will hear more about God”.
4. Bible class and worship are important. Make it a priority to worship and fellowship with the body of believers. It will become a routine, and worship will become second nature to our children.
This has been on my heart. I hope it is a great source of encouragement to you and plants the seed that Bible class and worship are a blessing. Most importantly, know that your church family doesn’t mind that your little one wiggles and giggles. They are glad you are there. May God bless you and your sweet families!
What are some ways you have found helpful in making Bible class & worship a priority?
