“Our Daily Bread” http://odb.org/
The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie
http://www.harvest.org/devotional/daily-devotions/home.ht
“Homily Grits Devotional” http://www.homilygrits.com/
Proverbs 22:6… Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. (NKJV)
The opening scripture was written by the wise Solomon, who wrote half of the Book of Proverbs… God gave Solomon wisdom beyond any man there ever was (1 Kings 4:29-30); and we should pay attention to everything Solomon pens in his wise teaching in the Bible…
I was listening to someone speaking on a Christian radio talk show recently; and I wish I had remembered exactly who it was, to document today’s writing… The speaker was giving statistics from a study that had been done, on the percent of children that were now going to church as an adult, based on them being taken to church as a young child… The statistics were based…on only the father taking them to church as a child…only the mother taking them to church as a child…and if both parents (this had the highest %) had taken their children to church from the time their children were young… In comparison, was the percent of adults who were now regularly attending church, if they were never taken to church as a young child…
The last category of adults now going to church, who weren’t taken to church by their parents as a young child, still resonates in my mind, at only 5%… The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree !!
I did some research on the subject myself; and came away feeling depressed about how insignificant going to church today has become… Gallup polls have shown consistently for years…that 40% of Americans say that they are attending church on a regular basis… But numbers from an actual count from Orthodox Christian churches (Catholic, mainline and evangelical) shows, that in 2004, only 17.7 % of the population attended a church on any given weekend…
These numbers have been steadily decreasing over the years… In 1990, there were 20.4% of the population attending an Orthodox Christian church on any given weekend…and in 2000, the figure was 18.7%…
Here is the link showing these statistics… http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/139575-7-startling-facts-an-up-close-look-at-church-attendance-in-america.html?p=2
Another study by the Barna Research Group, showed that roughly 7 out of 10 American adults had a period of time where they went to church regularly as a child; and now shows that 61% who said they attended church as a child, still attend church regularly today… The same study reveals that a large majority of those that never attended church as a child are still absent from churches today (78%)…
Friends…if we consider ourselves to be Christians…we are supposed to be following the teaching of the Bible…
Hebrews 10:24-25… And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 notforsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (NKJV)
Today, families are falling apart like never before… Rarely, do families sit down and eat a dinner together on a regular basis… The importance of a Christian family going to church together, is vitally important in the Christian development of the young child… And the attitude the child sees in their parents, is also important… Are the parents going to church out of duty…or is there a feeling of love and excitement seen by the children, as the family goes to church together to praise the Lord ??
First and foremost with the parents, is their own need to fall in love with the worship of God… You can’t guide your children, without possessing this love and dedication to the Lord yourself… Here is a link from John Piper’s web site, going into more detail on why families should go to church together… http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2010/02/families-worshipping-together-why-not-childrens-church.html
Are you a parent with young children at home ?? Are you a grandparent with young grandchildren ?? Are you a teen, or in your early 20’s ?? Unless we as a society don’t look to our younger generation, starting with children at an early age…to bring God back into the forefront of our lives…not only America, but the entire world, will continue down a slippery slope that won’t lead to a life that could be filled with God’s richest blessings that He promises to shower upon His obedient children…
Heavenly Father, I pray that You spark an urgency in all of us…to attend church on a regular basis… Help us Lord, if we call ourselves Christians…to live lives that reflect the love of Christ with-in us… I pray for this fullness of Christ for all of us, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…
written by bruce r mills
God's group 