Daily Devotion (November 18, 2024)
Luke 9:23 (NKJV)23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.Are you saved just to go to Heaven, or have you given your life totally to God to be used on this side of Heaven? The Christian faith is a about a deep, personal commitment and daily sacrifice to God. The faithful Christian gives his total life to God. Many may look at the church as another social club. Numerous people attend a church more as a service organization, for social acceptance, or just a place to go for “social fellowship.” The negative attendance in a worship service is focused more on appearance, networking, guilt, habit or just plain curiosity. The positive reasons for attending a worship service is personal and spiritual. Their faith and belief are expressed in connecting to God. The worship service is a way of connecting with the true “higher power”, God. Worship involves corporate fellowship with other followers of Christ. Some attend worship services because of tradition. Some go seeking spiritual guidance. This list can be added to. Many attend worship services for positive and genuine fellowship with God. The Christian faith goes beyond attending a worship service or a bible study. It is more than just serving in the church. Jesus said if anyone Desires to come after Him then they must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him. When we are ready to do these things then we are learning what a true disciple of Christ is. Worship and church attendance should be driven by genuine spiritual desire and the goal of developing a meaningful relationship with God. It challenges believers to evaluate their motives and dedication, encouraging them to fully embrace and live out their faith.