Don’t wait on your church. They may never send or release you. Go ahead and do what God is telling you to. (The Bible says to “wait on the Lord.” It never says to “wait on a church.”)

Too many people allow their church to prevent them from doing what God is telling them to do. Try not to do that. It’s rebellious to disobey God (even if your church tells you to).

Too often church is a place of isolation. You can come in feeling alone, unheard, and hurting, and leave feeling alone, unheard, and hurting. Church can be “attended” and left behind during the week. “Christ in you” can’t. Which one is your reality?

Don’t just “like” Christ and go to church. Let Christ make you Christ-like. All preaching to people and no listening to them, makes church a place that ignores the Bible’s 50+ “one another” commandments. Going to church, but not following & obeying Jesus during the week, makes Christianity a lot like April Fools’ Day.

A racist church is an oxymoron that has been far too common through out history. One reason that many Christians didn’t speak out against American slavery is because their church supported it and told then not to. However, Jesus’ view of race is so radical that He used a “hated” Samaritan as a much greater example of love than a Jewish priest.

I don’t believe in the Resurrection of Jesus because I’m a Christian. I’m a Christian because the risen Jesus is my friend. However, too often contemporary Christianity is only in the intellect but doesn’t go below the neck to connect with and perfect the heart. Christianity is about free-flowing, inner “rivers of living water.” It’s not about passively hearing sermons. (See John 7:38)

Church is long on lecturing people, but super short on listening to them (even though the same man preaching to the same people week after week often goes nowhere). “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” He didn’t continually lecture us from a pulpit. That’s because lecture and conjecture won’t effect your life nearly as much as a direct touch from God will.

Going to church without maintaining a relationship with Jesus, is like watching a documentary about someone you don’t know. Hearing talks about the Bible can’t compare with putting the Bible into action and experiencing how amazingly it works!

A relationship with Jesus isn’t a one-time encounter, but ongoing, loving interaction with Him that never gets stale. If Christ is who He said He is, it’s crazy not to be crazy about Him!

Run courageously from every desire trying to control your life and from every temptation trying to enslave you. When our eyes are focused on self, our inadequacy overwhelms us.