GOOD APPLES FRIDAY // WHY YOU SHOULD GO TO CHURCH

Welcome to Good Apples Friday

After my camp they gave me some cool books to read one called "Live Smart."

It's a really good book that I recommend you to read.

But I'm reading about You+God.

1. Fear God.

2. Know the Bible and Pray like Crazy

and 3. Love the Church.

I decided I wanted to talk about 3. Love the Church because it's a topic that I really agree on.

One reason why kids who go to camps can often stray away from Christ after the camp even though they loved God at the camp is because most of them do not have a church that they go to.

The church is one of the main reasons why I love God so much.

Because I see all the people who love God and I want to be like them.

When I go to my church I always see happy faces hugging and loving others while encouraging them.

And that makes me want to be like that.

One reason why kids can often stray away from God is because they don't have a church.

And why does that matter you ask?

Because all around you in the church is people who have the same problems as you do?

They all have struggles obeying and putting Jesus first.

A lot I can find myself discouraged to do something like fast internet or read the bible because all around the world people don't care about that.

And it's very encouraging to go to a church where people want to read the bible and want to put God first.

In the book it said that the church is not perfect but it is healthy.

It might not be perfect, but these are the things that we need to look in a church.

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

1. They Were Devoted to the Apostle's Teaching

Sometimes you can find churches that don't always use the bible as their main tool.

the apostle's teaching is actually the New Testament.

Next time you are at church or are visiting a church listen carefully and see if they use they're bible a lot. Do they base their sermon on a scripture? Do they use scriptures to make points?

2. They Were Devoted to One Another

The people in the church encourage you to deepen you love for Christ. They mourn and love you when hard times are in your life. And they care for each other by helping them. This week some of the men of my church went to build a ramp for a man in the church for his wheelchair after his surgery. They helped him by making him a ramp in this hard time for him. When you look at your church do you see people talking after the service or do they all just leave quickly? I know just even talking to someone who is going through someone can help. Even if you don't even talk about this matter together they are encouraged and know they have someone to go to.

3.  They Were Devoted to the Gospel

In Acts 2 is shows how they people were dedicated to the gospel. After the author of this book was saved on June 22, 1986 he said his life changed greatly because he trusted Christ and he became apart of a local church. Seeing people just like you loving God and wanting to deepen that relationships helps and encourages you A LOT.

"I wish I'd have been a believer younger in life, so I could have taken advantage of all the things you can. I missed out on all the camps, the church groups, the Sunday school classes, Dan Dumas the author says. But since I became a Christian, I've been a part of the church, and I haven't left. I don't want to leave either. There's too much to gain from belonging to something so big, so important, and so glorious. Jump in with both feet!"

just like he said it guys jump in if you haven't.

if you're not so interested in being apart of helping the church with events.

do it.

it will change you life.

and also read this book.

Dan gives a plead to you.

To be apart of a church.

Because he didn't when he was young.

And he regretted it.

bouncing in to say bye,

                                 bernie