I grew up a preacher’s kid and was involved in church until my mid-20s. However, as I grew older and, in my mind, wiser, I started to see behind the curtain a bit. And what I saw, I didn’t like.

Over time, I stopped attending church.

I didn’t like the hypocrisy of seeing people say one thing, yet do another. I didn’t like the legalism or judgmental attitude of others. Over time, I settled into a mindset that I could have a great walk with God and a relationship with Jesus as long as I kept my quiet time and my prayer life alive.

Are you currently at this point?

Occasionally, I would venture out and visit a church here and there. But I never felt completely comfortable with one aspect or another. There was always something that kept me away. I used all kinds of excuses.

I was tired after a long week of work or I needed to spend time with my family. But I never used these excuses when it was something I wanted to do, like work out at the gym or take a vacation.

Basically, I had used one excuse or another to not get involved in any church.

Then it hit me! I finally came to realize and understand that behind my own curtain, I was a hypocrite too.

Yes, you read it right! Behind my own curtain, I was judging others for their attitudes and their behavior and I was exactly like them.

Here’s the truth: everyone is a hypocrite. Everyone is a sinner who has issues. Every church has issues. You know why? Because churches are run by humans, and humans are hypocrites (aka sinners).

However, at this point in my life there was a HUGE difference between them and me. They were at least trying to serve God and build the Kingdom.

Being out of church really started to weigh on me. I knew I had to adjust my attitude, get right with God, and get involved. Today, I’m actively involved in my church.

Sure, I still see people doing and saying things that I don’t necessarily agree with. I’m also 100 percent sure others say the exact same thing about me.

I want to encourage you to stop the excuses.

It’s time to get right with God and it’s time to get involved in a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church.

17 thoughts on “To Go or Not To Go to Church?”
  1. Church is there so we can learn to be Kinder, Loving and more forgiving people as we are all sinners because we are not perfect,but being a christian we try to become more Christlike in our daily living.

  2. Yep, I’m a hypocrite! And I’ll still be a hypocrite if I go to a church that is as corrupt as I am. I’m 66 and faithfully attended church for over 30 years. The longer I stayed the more grieved I became. I love my Savior, and my brethren in the faith. I talk about Jesus to just about everyone I meet. Yes, I’m very aware of scripture to not forsake assembling, but you need a concordance to avoid the condemnation. By the way there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. I get it, I live it, maybe this season will end for me, or maybe the rapture, I love you !

    Blake
    P.S. brave attempt… hard subject.

  3. Right we all need church. Jesus died was raised and is now growing his church , his bride. How can you say you are a follower of Christ yet neglect his body, the church. As long as you attend a Christ centered church that not only preaches the simple yet glorious gospel, careful study of scripture and does not try to add programs and gimmicks in order to bring folks in you will find that God by his Holy spirit will grow a healthy body of believers and that you are among like minded believers that are loving each other, praying for one another and eager to serve. Stop looking for a recreation club but a true place to worship our creator. expository preaching is fundamental in carful interpretations and not skipping over hard and controversial books ,verses or passages.

  4. Unfortunately, this person is of the mistaken impression, like most people, that God is out ‘there’ some where. They think, ‘We can’t know God like the preach does or we need to find us the right preacher.’
    We have not been taught to listen to the God within us. When God made us in His image, it wasn’t a physical image, it was Himself.God is everywhere, in every thing and every one. Reach out to God with your heart and inner spirit and listen.

  5. Get right with God?? Which God? The God of the Jew, or of the Christian, or perhaps the Muslim, the Mormon or the Hindu or even the Sikhs God? Which god is going to save humanity? How do you know your god is the right god to serve? They all claim to be the creator and have a messiah to turn the whole world to their religion. They all require faith without evidence. They claim theirs is the only god, the most high god. Which is the truth and which is a lie? Or are all true, or perhaps all are a lie? …
    Do you knew that the prophecies in the Bible are fashioned (ie, a rewrite) of Zoroasterism, including a messiah-redeemer god, his death and resurrection, a rapture of its adherents, a hell for the disobedient, a new heaven and earth, the old destroyed by fire?? Embraced by the Jews under Persian captivity, enhanced by so called New Testament writers. The words of Zoroaster, refabricated by Jews and Jewish & gentile Xtns, not of a deity?? So, back to the question: Which God should we get right with??
    PS: did you know there were four other versions of Noah’ flood by an angry deity thousands of years before Jews wrote there version? The same with the Tower of Babel & confusion of languages, and even the Garden of Eden scenario?? All borrowed from other religions. Likewise the virgin birth of a savior-god, his death and resurrection, the immortality of the soul after death, a promised resurrection and new world–all borrowed from other religions. And at least one of the Psalms is taken almost 100% from an ancient Egyptian song. Like it says in Ecclesiastics, “There is nothing new under the sun”.
    PPS: the word “church” dies not come from the Greek MSS. It comes from the Greek word Kirke (pronounced Kirkay), the name of a Greek goddess. We get the word “circus” or “circle” from it. The correct translation of the word “ecclesia” (wrongly translated Church) is “assembly”. The word “church” as a place of worship comes from other religions, as do many practices, dogmas and doctrines of Christianity. Even the name “Yah” or “Yahweh” was borrowed from the Canaanites at the writing of Hebrew Scriptures. Archeologists have found at least two inscriptions in Canaanite ruins saying “To Yah and his consort” (believed to be Ashtorah, the godddess of “Easter”.

  6. I am 80 years old and have attended a lot of churches over 60 years. I have seen the same mind sets in churches. But there is a scripture that says(paraphrase) Hebrews 10:25 forsake NOT the assembling of yourselves together. Meaning go to Church. Church and worship God set a example for others with love and do not judge. Forgive for scriptures says as you judge so shall you be judged. Forgive for God will not forgive you if you do not.

  7. Knowledge is power. Your article is correct and conclusions universal. Bible study is essential and Christian unity is mandatory. May I point out the Greek word for church is not a building it is the members. The church goes to worship as a group to the place of worship.

  8. It is imperative to attend the regular gatherings of the saints, otherwise, we willfully sin (ie, unpardonable sin) and then there remain no forgiveness of our sins (NOTE: I said, gathering of the saints – even by two or three, NOT church. We have to keep the Sabbath!!):

    Heb 10:23-27  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

  9. I watch & involve myself in the First Baptist church of Columbia aired every Sunday morning at 11:00 A.M. on my TV screen. I am physically disabled so this airing on TV enables me to participate with singing with the choir, reading the scriptures in my bible along with the Pastor’s sermon & I send tithes to the church through the mail.

  10. I know exactly what you mean. I was a PK, also. I left organized religion when I was 31 by studying the bible and noting there are no denominations found in scripture, and for that matter, no churches established with an organizational structure which required certain corporate rules and regulations, only scriptural doctrine attendance.
    I’ve never joined another church, though I pastored for about 36 years. Inside the churches I pastored, we were a bible learning group of people. We never had organizational meetings, we never had a budget, did not pass an offering plate, nor did we keep a membership role or attendance records.
    We also never had an argument….just sayin.
    I praise the Lord for salvation, so freely given, eternal security in Christ because of his finished work at Calvary, and am living in complete liberty in christ.
    Thank you for your article

  11. Those who go to Church can be divided into two groups, those who do so out of true belief in the Christian ideology and those who use the Church as a community center and clearly there is cross over from both groups. While I grew up in a Church going Christian family, as an academic I have long since rejected all flavors of religion none of which stand up to rigorous intellectual analysis, put more crudely most religions, while encompassing some very honorable and common sense codes for human behavior ( the ten commandments), are based on gross hyperbole originally designed to manipulate and control as Roman Emperor Constantine quickly grasped.
    Unfortunately religion has become its own worst enemy with sectarian violence between different religious groups and within closely aligned religions (Catholics and Protestants), so for me Religion has failed, however I have not ruled out the presence of a metaphysical force in our Universe, but clearly there is no Christian God per se just as there is no Islamic Allah, these are merely comfort figures for the Human race.

  12. I grew up in churches. Churches now create divisiness, hatred and fear mongering. Their interest is to attract $$$. They use mainly the Book of John to follow to achieve their goals, discarding the other books. John is the most radical, in your face, die and go to hell if you don’t do as I say mindset. People who run churches claim it was a calling but that calling contains dollar signs. I used to find peace in church but now they don’t want peace. Just confrontation. A my god is a better than your god attitude. I wonder what Moses would say? From what I can remember not once did Moses criticize an Egyptian God.

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