The well-known Bible passage in Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us… not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Evidently, the temptation to become patchy in church attendance has always been with us. So, it is worth considering the benefits of coming every week:
- Good habits which give structure to our week are helpful in themselves.
- If you have children, the gift of a church-attending habit is one of the best gifts you can give them, which will be attended by many vivid and happy memories, and will hopefully continue throughout life.
- Considering the way we are constantly bombarded with worldly messages, regular Bible input is essential to keep us on track. The saying “You are what you eat” is said of food, but it is equally true of the messages we consume. One serve of Bible teaching per week is a bare minimum.
- As Hebrews highlights, it is encouraging to others! Your mere presence here amongst God’s people has an extremely powerful effect on others, and that’s before you’ve even spoken an encouraging word to them! Every member of the church is God’s gift to the rest of us, so let us not deprive one another of that.
- If someone is seeking God, and they come to church, they need us to be here to greet them and love them.
- Practically speaking, it is much easier to serve on a roster if you are here regularly.
- Finally, as Hebrews says, we gather in light of Jesus’ return. When He comes, He wants to find us going about his business, which includes regular Christian fellowship.
None of this is to make us feel bad if we go away for the occasional weekend! But there are great benefits in coming regularly. I hope this spurs us on!!