Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (ESV)
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
2025 is the year to “lock in”as the motivational speaker in your TicTok reels would say. Every new year, each one of us comes up with a new resolution to get healthier, get in shape, or finally go on that big vacation we have been putting off. Whatever the case maybe, our ambitions seem to dwindle about two months into our journey. It’s like saying you’re going to read the Bible all the way through and then hit the book of Leviticus. Yeah…
I think 2025 needs to be the year we all get serious about committing to our local church. I don’t believe there has been a more critical time in our recent past than now to band together with like minded believers. I also believe the Bible commands us to belong to a church who will keep us accountable, informed, holy, faithful, and on mission (Hebrews 10:25). The task is to find that church.
When I say local church, what do I mean exactly? I mean a body of believers who gather regularly for worship, who pray, take communion, and make it a priority to spread the gospel to their town/city/providence. A group of people who hear the word of God preached, they participate, sing, and apply that preached word to their lives. Finding this local church can be tough but it’s worth it.
Here are my tips for finding a church near you if you don’t already attend a church.
Search on the internet for local churches near you.
Decide what kind of church or denomination you want to attend. If you’re Baptist look for those churches.
Search on each church’s websites or Facebook pages. Listen to at least two to three sermons.
Compile a list of churches you think might be a good fit for you and your family, and physically go attend those services.
Give each church a real good shot. Go to their regular Sunday Morning services, Sunday Evening, and mid week prayer meeting. Try to even attend a church event to get to meet folks outside of the building. You may find out each one isn’t a good fit by the first service. That’s fine but don’t rule out any without some prayer.
By this time you should have a pretty good idea if you want to give one of these churches your regular attendance.
Now, talk to the pastor of your selected church. Ask him how he preaches, his stances on some of the hot button topics of our day, see if communion is regularly administered, and discuss some core beliefs as mentioned in the website you looked over. Each site usually has an “about us” page where you can see the staff and know what the church believes. Just make sure the pastor believes that too (you’d be shocked).
Attend the church. Regularly. As much as humanly possible. Commit to it like your life depends on it. Join the church once you feel you should. That shouldn’t take three years; I suggest a few months at most. You’ve already done a lot of leg work and due diligence to get here.
You’re going to start seeing problems. Issues are going to come up. You’re not going to agree with certain things. Don’t leave. Commit to the people there, warts and all. They are sinners just like you. Sure you may get into a couple mild disagreements, you may even get hurt a little but commit and seek forgiveness from one another. If it where the perfect church, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.
Grow in your faith and spur others on to do the same. Challenge your understanding of the Bible and challenge others to do the same. Have the book master you as you try to master to book. Attend Bible studies and lead studies. Be as faithful as a member as you possible can be. Hold your family to the same standard. Be there for others in the church. These are the people you’re going to heaven with, stick with them.
Give all you can. Love all you can. Enjoy it all you can. Christ is coming soon.
If you are already attending a church then commit one hundred percent. Don’t hold anything back. Be almost an annoyance but do it gracefully. Attend all things, volunteer all things as much as it is within your power. You have already seen the warts and all. You may even have held back because of it. Let go of that issue or sin someone committed against you. You have been yourself forgiven of much worse by the Father through his son; just forgive. Commit to the church this year. Watch your faith grow and your love for these people grow. God will bless it. You’ll be so glad you did it when you look back in December. Blessings to you in this awesome journey!
Love This ! You Did it Once Again ! Thank You Pastor C. 💙