The Importance of Coming to Church

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness," (2 Timothy 3:16, ISV) [1]

"And let us continue to consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another even more as you see the day coming nearer." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ISV) [2]

Our small town in Northeast Tennessee is a mail stop along the Appalachian Trail. Sometimes a hiker will come to our church. One came early one Sunday so some of us got to talk with him. He had started at the beginning of the trail in Georgia and was planning on hiking the whole trail all the way to Maine. He had not studied about hiking and did not know just what he needed to know. After he was on the trail a short time he realized He had brought the wrong equipment and clothing. He found out what he needed from some of the others who were on the trail.

This is a metaphor for someone who is starting out their Christian walk. They may have read the bible or heard it read but not understood what it said. They did not realize the bible was their manual for their daily walk. Some may not realize that they need to meet with other Christians to learn how to apply some of the things they read to their lives.

We who are in this Christian walk need to read our manual, the bible. We also need to meet with other Christians in our daily walk as well as in church to learn how to live out our faith.

By Dean W. Masters