From the Home Place

September 21, 2025

Today is another Sunday, what will you do with it? Will you play golf, go fishing, go shopping, mow the lawn, visit family or friends, OR will you go to church? Perhaps you will join others and go to church, which church? Why go to that church? Will you go because pastor’s sermons always make you feel good about yourself? Perhaps you will go to church today because that’s what you have always done, and you feel a need to check that box as a part of your “spiritual” duty? Or perhaps, you are going to church because of the meeting after the morning service – a meeting to vote on buying or selling property, a meeting to vote on hiring or firing a pastor, or maybe a meeting to decide to continue as a church or to lock the doors and sell the building? Why will you attend “your church” and not one of the other churches near you? Why even go to church?

Well with all of those questions, I do hope that you will go to church today, and not for any of the reasons listed above, but that you will attend church today to be encouraged and challenged in your walk with God. Also, I hope you will take time to pray: to pray for your pastor before you even leave your house, asking the Holy Spirit to guide his heart and his tongue. Praying that the Holy Spirit will help you to have a humble heart, with a hunger to feed upon the living Word. Praying that the Spirit will guide your conversations as He uses you to express His love to those around you.

You see loved ones, I believe that going to church begins at home, in prayer, so that when we get to church, our spirit is ready to join the Holy Spirit in glorifying the Lord Jesus. Regardless of your reason for going to church today, may the primary reason be to express your love for Jesus, and to invite others into that love relationship.

Revelation Chapter 19, verse 7 reads, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” Yes, this passage is speaking of a future event, yet it seems to me that the “bride” should be making “herself ready” even today. If you are truly Christ-follower and not just a church attendee, then you are a part of that brideship. You and all other Christ followers of all past, present and future generations comprise the Bride of Jesus.

The reason we go to church can easily involve things like fellowship, service and even meetings after the service, as long as all elements are preparing the bride to meet her Groom. Otherwise, I fear that we are only attending another social event.

Summary: Begin with prayer for your pastor, for musicians, for teachers, for attenders, and especially for yourself, that all will be done for the glory of the Groom (Rev.19:7), and that HIs bride will continue to make herself beautiful!

In our culture, we have made weddings all about the bride, in God’s culture the wedding is more about the Groom! So I ask this last question, “Shouldn’t the bride of Christ be more interested in making herself ready for the Groom, than doing the business of Sunday morning church?” Remember, you, as a Christ-follower are that bride, and you are to get “you” ready to meet the Groom.

So today, pray, put on your Sunday-best and prepare to meet Jesus, at the local church and in heaven! Today, may we each spend some time in His presence, worshiping and preparing to live eternity with our Bridegroom!

Preparing to meet the Groom with you, Neal