First Baptist Church of Herndon

Applying your faith

Linda Soller | Jan 04, 2016

It was the Sunday after Christmas and honestly I didn’t expect too many people to be in the Drop-In Class. I figured they would be away visiting family, or home recovering from holiday celebration overload, or maybe catering to a house full of guests. My plan for class was a bit different with a touch of acting, a twist of humor, and hopefully a helping of food for thought. Much to my surprise we had a full house. My quirky class plan was all I had to offer, so I did. After class a member of our congregation who only recently started coming to the Drop-In Class approached me. I thought, “Oh no, she’s going to tell me last week’s class was fine, but this week’s was lame.” Instead she said, “You know what I like about this class? This class is real. I can relate to your stories, and the verses you select. I find myself saying, yes I agree, and hey I have felt that way, and so on.” I thanked her for her kind words and thought, what a wonderful compliment. It meant more to me than, boy you really know your stuff, or I can tell you really prepared to teach today. After all, what good is it to go to Bible study if you leave unable to apply what you learned?

Too often we sit in our pew and listen without connecting the dots. We either let our minds run so far a stream we can’t even remember what the sermon was about, or we listen so intently to the words we miss the meaning they have for our lives. Every Sunday sermon, or Bible study class, will not be life changing for everyone, it doesn’t work that way. On the other hand, if the sermons and classes are never life changing for you, do you ask yourself why?

When you enter the doors of the church are you seeking validation you are a good Christian who attends services, or are you seeking to be a better Christian who serves God? If you go to Bible study, or Sunday School, are you thinking you can zone out because you have heard the story a million times before, or are you hearing each story anew? Maybe you enter church and/or attend class with the right attitude, mindset, and dedication, only to leave thinking you have gotten through one more week. You know you attended and others saw you there, but who will know you are a Christian? Who will see your faith in action? If you don’t enter the doors of your church ready to be changed, you will most likely leave the same person. If you don’t listen with the attitude of hearing things as though they were brand new, they will certainly sound old. If you don’t leave aware of how God wants you to apply your faith to your daily life, then your faith may serve you, but it hardly serves God.

This year I encourage you to enter the doors of your church as a seeker, one who wants to learn, who wants to relate, and who wants to serve. Leave the church already thinking of applying your faith to your daily life. Be excited you will have the opportunity to do it all again, in just a matter of days.

Have a great week!  :o)  Linda