My weekly routine includes Sunday morning service and Sunday school and Wednesday evening worship and prayer. I love being in His house and in the presence of other believers. Only sickness and distance have kept me from a Sunday morning service, but Wednesday evenings are another story.

Don’t get me wrong! Worship and prayer are top priorities in my world, but I do get tempted – and admittedly give in – to being too tired to drag myself into service on Wednesday evening. If I were to guess a percentage for attending mid-week service, I’d say I’m somewhere in the ballpark of 70% and, to me, that’s not good enough.

God is never too tired to hear me worship Him. He is never too tired to hear my prayers. He is never too tired to meet me wherever I am. So why is it so easy for me to be so dismissive of my need to shut out the world and hear whatever message He has prepared for one of our pastors to deliver?

Today was one of those days when staying at home was incredibly tempting. Sometime this afternoon, I began to feel utterly exhausted. I started trying to make myself feel better about staying in for the night. For every reason that I had for staying home, I had a response to make it seem OK.

“If I can muster up enough energy to go to church, I will, but if not, it’ll be OK – right?”

“I deserve to relax, so I will stop stressing about missing just one night.”

“If I stay home, I’ll just do my own personal Bible study and spend time in prayer.”

“It’s just one service. What’s the harm?”

The harm is that had I given in to the enemy’s attempt to keep me from being in the presence of other believers, I wouldn’t have experienced a wonderful message of how we function better when we practice the ABC’s of growing deeper in our walk with God.

Accountability – I am not in this world alone and the choices that I make have an impact on others. An accountability group helps to keep us on track. Christ-centered accountability groups are small groups of people whose main goal is to grow deeper in a relationship with Him while holding one another accountable for each member’s actions.

Belonging – We all have the need to belong and getting into a small group satisfies that human desire.

Caring – We have a natural tendency to want to care for others who are in need. Small groups tend to give care and receive care whenever needed.

Tonight’s scriptural focus was Acts 2:42-47

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (NIV)

I have never regretted going to church and being amongst other believers; there always seem to be a message that is tailor-made for me. I have, however, regretted staying at home, running a silly errand, or spending my Wednesday evenings doing something far less fulfilling.

Praise Him for leading me out of the my house and into His !

CC

It’s that time of year. Children all over the country are enjoying the crispness of new school supplies and clothing, excited about seeing friends again, and filling the streets with laughter, giggles, and stories of summer’s adventures.

In order to keep them safe along their journey to and from school, these eight simple steps can help to keep the children in your neighborhood safe.

Adults

• Abide by speed limits along neighborhood streets and in the immediate vicinity of school buildings. If in doubt, neighborhoods typically have a limit of 25 MPH and streets within several hundred feet of schools usually have a limit of 20 MPH.
• Ensure the safety of your children by arranging for them to walk with friends, at a minimum, and with adults, when available. Safety in numbers!
• Obey traffic signs and signals . A “Stop” sign is not a suggestion, it is a command. Come to a full stop, then look both ways and allow pedestrians to safely cross intersections.
• Teach your children about stranger danger. The rule, “Don’t talk to strangers”, still holds value and can help to save a child’s life.

Children

• Cross the street at marked intersections and stop. Look left, right, then left again to ensure that it is safe before crossing. Never cross the street between cars. It is difficult for drivers to see you, not to mention, it’s impossible for them to know whether or not you will attempt to dart into the street. It takes time for drivers to bring a vehicle to a full stop.
• Don’t talk to strangers. If someone offers you a gift or ride, or asks you to help them find something, yell, “No!”, and run away immediately.
• Wear a bicycle helmet. Many head injuries sustained in biking accidents are preventable. Remember, it’s more important to be safe than it is to look cool.
• Use bicycle reflectors or reflective tape on your clothing if you begin your journey to school before the sun fully rises. It will help drivers spot you in the cover of darkness.

For tips on starting a neighborhood walking or biking group, or to join an existing group, visit walktoschool.org. Walk to School Day 2011 is October 5!

Have fun! Get fit! Be Safe!

CC