Raise The Roof 1994 Style

I love going to church. 

I didn't always love it. I used to take as long as possible on sunday mornings in hopes that I might actually get left at home and could watch cartoons by myself and eat three bowls of cereal. Then I went to college and didn't have the parents making me go, so I didn't, regularly anyways for two years. Church was boring and a duty. Not cool. I still loved Jesus but not going to church. It felt like I had heard everything before. This was far from the truth, but thats what it felt like, I'm just keepin' it real wich ya. 

Then I found a church of my own, to call my own and there was excitement from the people at this church [there is a reason that I say the people and not me… you'll see]. It is a growing church and I tried to get involved. I taught 3rd&4th grade boys sunday school and also went to the Men's Bible Study…most of the time. I really enjoyed sunday mornings, but that was where I left my enjoyment of learning and talking about God. 

Since moving to Georgia and literally starting anew, I have had a lot of priority shifts and revelations, in a lot of areas of my life. I'm not going to tell you about all of them. Instead I am going to tell you about one that has bugged me about me lately. Here it goes, straight forward, sorry if I get to preaching but I think it may be in my genes, right Dad.

I am tired of people [like me] who love Jesus and believe in what he did for us [died on the cross and saved us from our sins] just sitting on their hands at church as if it was a school classroom. Are you kidding me? When was the last time you went to a concert or sporting event and didn't make a peep. I'm not just talking about singing, clapping and waving your hands in the air as if you just don't care. I'm talking about "cheering on" your pastor, being excited to give back to God, and seeing lives changed. If you went to a concert or sporting event and nobody cheered, would you go back or think that the fans were really all that interested in what was going on? Would you, who are fans tell anybody about how great your team was? There is no way. Then why in the world do we do that at church. It is proven that Bands and Sports Teams perform better when the crowd is behind them, so why would you not "cheer on" your pastor when they are trying to change lives for eternity the greatest cause in the world. Your excitement will breed more excitement. When you look at churches that are growing rapidly, you will notice that the congregation is participatory in the service not sitting idly back. If people have a good time at church then they will more likely come back. If church is just another classroom… did any of us really like going to school?

The more excited you are at and about church, the more you will talk about it and people will be more compelled to check out what all the excitement is about. Think about it.

It has really changed things in my spiritual life. I read the Bible now more than ever. I listen to sermons almost everyday of the week, via podcasts, and God is changing me little by little. It is incredible how my excitement for and at church has breed excitement in my everyday life. 

Surprise your pastor and help pour into them while they are pouring into you.

Podcasts with great teaching… My favorites

CompassChurch.com – Current Church

Elevation Church – Pastor Steven Furtick [My favorite by far]

LifeChurch.tv

NewSpring Church – Perry Noble

Orchard Hill Church – Cedar Falls, Iowa

– Brandon