Are You Excited to Go to Church?

Psalm 100

"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing.

Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves.

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.

Give thanks to Him and bless His name.

For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations."

I love this Psalm. It is my heart checker as I get ready for church on Sunday mornings. Let me explain. As a little exercise, how do you answer these questions about going to church:

• Do I serve with gladness? What am I glad about?

• Do I come before Him with joyful song? Or am I more worried about whether the style of music suits me?

• Am I thankful for who God has made me, or do I still take credit myself?

• Do I consider myself a sheep? Who's pasture have I been hanging around in all week?

• When I walk in the front door, am I praising or complaining? Is what I say out loud consistent with what is being said in my head?

• How can I bless the name of the Lord today?

Now, I don't always mark a perfect score. Sometimes the weight of the world hinders my joy, and I'm not proud to admit that. But that's really no excuse, unless church is all about me. If it's all about Him, then with eyes set on Him, the gathering of the body of Christ can truly be a time of praise and worship.

Best of all, despite whether or not I am in the right frame of mind, the last verse remains true: The Lord IS good, His lovingkindness IS everlasting as well as His faithfulness. That truth in and of itself is powerful enough to wipe out any cares, worries or grumpiness. That truth brings hope, joy and peace that the world cannot offer.

And that truth is exactly why I can't wait to go to church on Sunday!

"I was so glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord!"

If you weren't planning on going to church, change your plans. If you are planning on going, do the self-check before you get there. And if you don't have a place to go, come on over to Harvest Bible Chapel Spring Lake. We'd love to worship with you!

Have a great day!