I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.”     Psalm 122:1 NKJV

This Psalm was written by David to be sung by the people as they traveled up to the holy city for feasts. Jerusalem was their worship center. It was the place where the Lord had revealed Himself above the mercy seat.

Matthew Henry puts it this way, “Good children are happy to go home.” Charles Spurgeon says that David was happy to go to the place of worship and happy that so many other people wanted to go there as well.

If you are not in church, then do yourself some good and find a good Bible teaching church.

Perhaps you have made the decision to go to church and you’re looking for the perfect church. I’ve heard pastors say that if you find the perfect church, don’t join it you will only mess it up. You see, churches should have Jesus at the front and center. It should be all about Him. He should run things. But, unfortunately, He has to run the church through people. People make up the church and we are not perfect. We all have our flaws. This is why it is impossible to have a perfect church. Churches are made up of sinners like you and me that are not perfect but flawed.

So now that we have established that, let’s look at what you want from a church. If you have young children a good nursery may be important. If you have teenagers you may be looking for a church with an active youth program. Many people seem to favor churches with great coffee bars that are blacked out and resemble night clubs. These churches seem to be growing by leaps and bounds. I recently saw a news program reporting on a church that had a line around the block of people waiting to go in. Many nightclubs would be envious.

Whether you are looking for a nursery, a youth program, a coffee bar or a certain type of music, please remember that the most important issue is doctrine. What do they teach? 1 Timothy 6:3-6 has some pretty strong words against false doctrines. It says, “If anyone teaches other doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness, he is conceited, understanding nothing, but has a sick interest in disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions, and constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way of material gain. But godliness with contentment is a great gain. If this sounds like a church you know, you might want to avoid that one.

Religion is not going to get us into heaven, a good solid relationship with our Lord and Savior is what saves us and gives us eternal life in glory with God the Father. Your church should be all about the relationship with Jesus Christ. The preaching and teaching should line up with God’s Holy Word. Be very careful of teaching that comes close, but has discrepancies. Pray for wisdom and discernment and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you search for your church home.

When searching for a church, we often look at how the church can serve our needs. But, we must realize that churches have needs too. So, when you are searching for a church don’t only look at what the church provides for you, but consider what you might contribute to the church. Look at areas in which you might be able to serve.

If you are unchurched and looking for a church home, this is a good first step and I applaud you for that. The Bible tells us that we are to attend church. Hebrews 10:24-25 says “And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

My friend, the day is drawing near as we get closer to Jesus’ return. We need to be taking time out of our busy schedules to gather in His house to praise and worship Him. I know that with COVID things were restricted, but they are opening up now and we can get back into the church to gather with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I am so thankful for my church, my pastor, and my church family. I can honestly say, that I am glad when they say to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.” Jesus has done so much for me. I look forward to going into His house to worship Him and thank Him for all He has done. I pray that you find a good church home and experience joy from spending time with the Lord in His house.

Have a great day!