“When he [the prodigal son] came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.’ So he got up and went to his father.”¹

In his One-Minute Uplift email newsletter Rick Ezell writes, “In the highlands of Scotland sheep often wander off into the rocks and get into places that they can’t get out of. The grass on these mountains tastes very sweet, and the sheep like it. They will jump down ten or twelve feet to a ledge with a patch of grass, and then they can’t jump back up again. The shepherd hears them bleating in distress. The shepherd may leave them there for days, until they have eaten all the grass and are so faint that they cannot stand. Only then will the shepherd put a rope around the sheep and pull them up out of the jaws of death.

“Why doesn’t the shepherd attempt a rescue when the sheep first get into the predicament? The sheep are so foolish and so focused on eating that they would dash away from the shepherd, go over the precipice and destroy themselves.

“Such is the case with us. Sometimes we need to experience a little bit of death before we can enjoy the abundance of life. The Lord will rescue us the moment we have given up trying, realizing that we can’t liberate ourselves, and cry to him for help.”²

For many of us, like the prodigal son, it’s only when all else fails and we hit rock bottom, that we turn to God for help but that’s a good thing because only God can rescue us from the jaws of eternal death and damnation.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that when I finally admit that I have a problem—that I am a sinner—and need help, I discover that you have been waiting patiently for me to come to you so you could rescue and save me from the tragic consequences of sin which is eternal death and separation from you. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name, amen.”

1. Luke 15:17-20 (NIV).
2. Rick Ezell, Defining Moments, © 2001. Cited on PreachingNow Ezine. www.preaching.com/preaching/preachingnow.html

NOTE: For help to know God be sure to read, “How to Be Sure You’re a real Christian Without Having to Be Religious” at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

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“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”¹

Yesterday we pointed out three more benefits of a good church: friendship and a sense of belonging; personal care; and discovering a sense of inner peace and strength.

Regarding the latter, one hard-working electrical contractor explained his feeling this way, “I was tired of the everyday grind. I really felt all along that there was something missing. I went to church as a youth just about every Sunday. I went to boot camp. And then I lost it. I couldn’t put my finger on it, even though I tried and tried again. My children started going to Sunday School, my wife started, and I said, ‘Maybe this is what I’m missing.’ So I tried it, and it was.”²

Finding God and his will for your life. There are many more benefits gained from belonging to a good church, not the least being: learning about God; experiencing meaningful worship; finding inspiration and help for daily living; and having an opportunity to use your abilities to serve others.

Perhaps the most important benefit of all is that in a good church one can find God … and his will and direction for one’s life.

The Gallup poll mentioned earlier also brought out an interesting facet of American life. At the time of this poll 61 percent of all Americans aged 18 and above want to follow God’s will.

With God, life (even with all its hurts and frustrations) becomes more meaningful and purposeful. Furthermore, with God one can find forgiveness for all his sins and wrong-doing, make his or her peace with him, and receive the hope of eternal life.

Belonging to a good church is so beneficial for both individuals and families that it is well worth finding a church where leaders and members not only love God and believe and teach his Word, but also where they are loving, accepting, and non-judgmental; where they present grace with truth; and where they are committed to ministering to each others’ needs. That’s why God designed the church.

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you above all that in a good church I can find you. Thank you, too, that a good church gives me a safe place to learn more about you, study your Word, discover your will for my life, share my struggles and failures, grow in maturity, faith, love and every grace, and find an opportunity to serve you by serving others. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name, amen.”

1. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV).
2. Why People Join the Church, p. 105-106.

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“They [the early disciples of Jesus] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”¹

Yesterday we pointed out that one of the major benefits of a good church was improved family life.

Friendship. Two more important benefits provided by the church are friendship and a sense of belonging.

In their book, Growth, a New Vision for the Sunday School, Charles Arn, Donald McGavran, and Win Arn emphasize the important part that friendship plays in a live and growing church. Surveys and personal interviews have shown that this is what attracts most people and what keeps them actively involved. In fact, the number one reason people gave for joining a new church home was “the friendliness of the people.”

Personal care. Another benefit of the church is its care for and support of its members.

I’ve belonged to churches where members band together to care for the sick, provide volunteer therapy for the handicapped, take meals to the shut-in, provide homes for the poor, give care to the aged, and provide social activities for the youth.

One church I belonged to sponsored a divorce and grief recovery program, and provided support groups for parents of teens and pre-teens, for codependents, for singles, for helping people with sexual, drug and alcohol addictions, for incest and rape victims, for those with eating disorders, and care groups for everybody in the entire church.

Inner peace and strength. It is true that some people go to church for false motives, but most, like me, are people who have blown it at times, who have fallen and made mistakes, are struggling to become the person they feel God wants them to be, and know if they are going to make it, they need a power greater than their own.

They go to church because here, in spite of their failures, they have found not only forgiveness and acceptance, but also a sense of inner peace knowing that their life is right with God, and strength to help them cope with the struggles of life.

To be concluded …

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that a good church provides wonderful friendships, a place where members truly care for one another, and a sense of inner peace and strength that comes from meaningful worship with fellow believers. Please help me not only to be a receiver of these benefits but also a giver to others so that they, too, will experience all of these benefits. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name, amen.”

1. Acts 2:42 (NIV).

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“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”¹

Leon Norsworthy, a very successful family man and business leader, was promoted to the directorship of a national organization—a promotion which involved a move to another city for him and his family.

Before buying a new home in the general vicinity of his work and moving his family, however, Leon and his wife, Sally, did an interesting thing. They first looked for a good church, and when they found the one they felt would best meet their family needs, they then bought a house close to the church.

They did this because they have experienced the benefits of belonging to a good church and realize its importance for personal, family and spiritual life.

The Norsworthys aren’t alone in their feelings about the church. In fact, 120 million or 61 percent of Americans belong to a church. What other volunteer organization can boast such a following?

True, every church has some weaknesses and some churches suit some people more than others, but for the church to survive for 2,000 years and continue to thrive as it has, there has to be many benefits to attract and hold its vast following. The following are some of the most important ones:

Improved family life. A Gallup poll showed that the number one personal need expressed by 82 percent of the American adult population was having a “good family life.”

Many people besides the Norsworthys believe the church helps make for a good family life. In a special study, Edward A. Rauff, director of the Research and Information Center of the Lutheran Church Council in the U.S.A., found that the dominant reason a high percentage of the respondents gave for establishing a relationship with a church was “to keep the family together and to strengthen family life.”²

That the church helps strengthen family life is supported by a study conducted by sociologist Steven Nock of the University of Virginia. His conclusions showed that couples who attend church regularly are 42 percent more likely to be married for the first time, and those in the church who were committed to its beliefs had a 23 percent better chance of having a “very happy” marriage than those who don’t go to church.

To be Continued…

Suggested prayer: “Dear God, thank you that you designed the church, not only for your people to worship you together, but also to help meet many needs of the body of Christ—your Church. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name, amen.”

1. Hebrews 10:25 (NIV).
2. Why People Join the Church, p. 73.

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