Posts Tagged ‘church service’
Attend a Local Holy Spirit Filled Apostolic Pentecostal Church San Antonio Texas Physically
Should online preaching take the place of going to a local community Church physically? With the growing capabilities of technology and live-streaming service in today’s Church, this question has come up lately with increasing frequency. It’s no secret that it is often easier to view sermons and Church sermon via the screen of your phone, the comfort of your living room, or the speed of your laptop. But does this ease of access come with the same benefits of attending Church in person? Online sermons have been a blessing to someone bedridden or the shut in, but to the most part the bedridden shut in percentage is low indeed. Please allow me to present the case of why attending Church Physically is so important and then decide for yourself.
Easier access does not always indicate a better solution. There is much more to be lost in electronic Church attendance than there is to be gained. To support this claim, let’s look at a mission statement for the Church straight from the pages of Acts.
Acts 2:42
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
One of these devotions taken upon by the Church can be achieved through online attendance, but two of them cannot. The apostle’s or pastor’s teaching can be transmitted through online platforms nearly the same way that it can be transmitted in person. The pastor delivers a message and people listen to it, take notes, circle scriptures, and take the messages to heart. While the ability to interact with the Pastor and ask questions is diminished if done only online. Some claim that the principal and execution of the sermon remain relatively unchanged online without taking into account the spirit and atmosphere within the physical setting. What many people fail to understand is there are needful teachings & sermons that are not usually aired online for the fear it would be taken out of context or misunderstood. However, there are folks that are apart of an audience where it is clear everything is being done for the benefit of those that are not willing or can’t come to Church in person. Not everyone feels comfortable being open in worship while being live streamed. On the other side of the coin there are those that really ham it up in order to give a good show with the viewers in mind. It needs to be pointed out though, some things would be misunderstood unless delivered in the proper setting. For this reason many pastors keep the real meat for those that show up locally for midweek service and give the cotton candy and spiritual Slim Jims to the online viewers. Christian Show business is dumbed down for the broader viewers by and large. Still others seem to resemble Clowns for Christ in order to wow the viewers. (When I say, “Clowns for Christ”, I’m not referring to Children’s ministry which has made a positive impact on many children). Prayerfully consider being connected to a full Gospel Bible believing Spirit filled Apostolic Pentecostal Church near you instead of being a Christian show business junky. Being connected to a local Church body verses online only is like comparing a 16 once steak at a local steak house to a Slim Jim meat stick from the gas station. One takes longer to get, cost more, and requires a higher level of commitment. Speaking of commitment is that the real issue?
Group prayer can prove more difficult when Church is attended solely online instead of in person. There is a lack of personal connection, and many members may not even know what face to put to the name. This doesn’t diminish the power of their prayer, but it can prove more difficult for them in knowing what to pray. How can you thoroughly pray for someone if you don’t have even a general idea of who they are and what they are going through. When an individual attends Church physically each Sunday, they are allowing themselves to get to know others and to get to be known. People recognize them, they learn their personalities, and they begin to be able to tell when something is weighing on the individual. This sparks conversation, and when it comes to prayer, those praying are better equipped to deal with the situation. When attempting to submit a prayer request online, it may be difficult to get the need or situation across to the other parties. It may be difficult to let the individual seeking prayer know that they are being prayed for and just how they are being prayed for at that. There is a divide created by the lack of relationship between an online viewer and a Church member. When I received the Holy Spirit it was in a Church setting where other Holy Spirit Filled believers where physically present and were praying with me and for me at the time the Holy Ghost filled me. To this day I am grateful to the believers that cared enough to come to a gathering physically and pray with me. The Spirit filled believers didn’t know there would be a young person at a crossroads in the service that needed their prayers ahead of time; they simply showed up physically and God used them. There was a powerful presence of the Lord that gripped my heart that day that no video recording could capture.
The another challenge facing individuals that might seek online participation instead of personal attendance is the lack of fellowship. Think of the disciples and their individual relationships with Jesus and with each other. While many of them started as strangers and mere acquaintances, they performed great outreach and work because of their unity in fellowship. Once Jesus rose again and rose to Heaven, the fellowship that He fostered between the disciples allowed them to move into the world and work together for the singular cause of pointing others to salvation through Jesus Christ. When a modern day individual chooses to watch sermons from the comfort of their home instead of in the presence of a Church body, they are forsaking the principal of fellowship.
Again, the scriptures highlight the folly of forsaking the body as a whole.
1 Corinthians 12: 15-20
15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
If one part of the body refuses to join in purpose and fellowship with the other part of the body, then it loses purpose itself. God calls each of His followers to serve with a distinct purpose as a member of His body. This applies within the individual bodies of different Churches, and to the kingdom as a whole. If someone chooses to learn, but not to grow in fellowship and support other believers, then they act as a stumbling block for the body as a whole.
Sermons are where the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord is learned, but relationships are where that knowledge and wisdom is put into practice. When you foster relationships with fellow believers, you are allowing them to speak into your life and they are allowing you to speak into theirs. So, when either of you face struggles, challenges, or obstacles along your journey as church believers together you both can impart further spiritual wisdom and hold each other accountable for it. The relationships between believers are what keeps the body moving in a positive direction. By encouraging each other, the body keeps moving forwards. By listening to each other, the body can heal any wounds between its members or between itself and the world. By working together in the name of Jesus Christ, His message and His salvation are spread further than any one individual could spread them alone.
So, there is importance to attending Church in person. There is a duty to your fellow believers and to yourself to foster the relationships and strengthen the body. Without the fellowship between believers, the body grows weak, and His message can be hindered instead of helped.
Prayerfully consider being apart of a local full Gospel Apostolic Holy Spirit filled Pentecostal Church San Antonio TX. We at Pentecostal Life Church would like to invite you to be apart of our Church Family. Pentecostal Life Church meets in a suburb of San Antonio Texas, called Schertz. Schertz is claimed by three Texas counties. They are Bexar County Texas, Comal County Texas, Guadalupe County Texas. The town/ suburb of Schertz, TX borders New Braunfels Texas, Cibolo Texas, Garden Ridge Texas, Universal City Texas, Selma Texas, Converse Texas, and San Antonio Texas. People from Live Oak Texas have been coming to Pentecostal Life Church as well. Pentecostal Life Church is a United Pentecostal Church serving San Antonio and surrounding areas. We at Pentecostal Life Church understand we are not the only Spirit Filled Church serving the Greater San Antonio Texas area. If you are already connected to a Bible believing Pentecostal Church in San Antonio Texas stay where you are and be a blessing to the local Church body where Jesus has planted you. If you are not connected to a local Full Gospel Holy Spirit Filled Apostolic Pentecostal Church San Antonio Texas area come join Pentecostal Life Church.
Pentecostal Life Church meets at 102 FM-78, Schertz, Texas, 78154.
Service times Sunday 10:30 am & Thursday 7 pm.
Benefits of adding an evening church service to your life.
No feeling can ever replace the pure joy I feel when I step inside our local community church on Sunday morning. I know of a man who had been considering adding an extra evening service to his schedule for a long time, but thought it would be impossible to find enough time in his day. However, he was motivated to take his spiritual life to the next level.
When that man adopted a second church service into his week, he said that the added benefits far outweighed any trouble it took to make that additional service possible. For this man, one Sunday service just wasn’t enough. That’s why he took the initiative and added a second service and wow, the benefits were truly overwhelming.
Here are some notable benefits of adding an evening church service into your life:
- Connecting closer with God
There is something satisfying and reverent about being inside of a Bible believing community church. The physical space connects us closer to God and helps us to realize and understand that there is something out there so much bigger than ourselves.
Once you enter a house of worship, you are instantly elevated to a new state and can more easily open yourself up to God, trying to better understand his message and take in his words. Just stepping a foot inside during an evening church service near you will make you feel more connected. Attending an extra evening church service strengthens your connection with God and reinforced the fact that he is with you throughout every part of your life.
By taking the time to attend a second church service, you are making more time for God and allowing him to physically get involved in your daily life.
- Reflecting on gratitude
Step into your midweek church service and take the chance to practice gratitude, here you can take any negative or frustrating situation and turn it into an opportunity for learning and growth. Even when things seem like they couldn’t get any worse, an evening church service will help you change your outlook on life and allow you to stop dwelling on the past and things you cannot change. Once you achieve this you will start to see the blessings of life more clearly than ever before.
Church will help you realize and appreciate all the great things you have in your life, even at times when you might be feeling lost or down. It may be hard to see your countless blessings now, but when you attend an evening church service you are better set to open up your heart and eyes to notice all the beautiful things you have in your life. That is one of the keys to living a more fulfilling life, being able to understand that there are countless blessing in your life and appreciating those blessings in a more spiritual setting.
- Be more Social
An added benefit of a community church is the social connection and Christian fellowship we get with others when we attend. This is true especially for people who just moved to a new town or new neighborhood. The ones that attend church are generally pretty friendly people, easy to talk to and connect with. If you are struggling to meet new people and make quality friends, attending an evening church service can be one of the best ways to get yourself out there.
Never has there been a more open environment to meet new people and from relationships that could last a lifetime. At your local evening church service, you will be surrounded by people who share similar values, beliefs, and Christian fellowship making it that much easier to connect and be social at a local Christian church.
- Better Connect with loved ones
Not all families are on the exact same page when it comes to faith, worship and attending church. Sometimes it’s a struggle to get the kids to go and maybe the wife has a busy schedule as well. That’s why attending an evening church service can work best for you – it gives you a chance to attend with everyone that you love. Studies also show that families that attend church together reported higher levels of happiness and deeper levels of connection. The reason is that church helps reconnect us to the shared beliefs we do have. It reinforces the higher philosophy and purpose behind being a family, allowing us to create a safe space to connect with God and our families on a deeper level.
Families who take the time to attend an evening church service are making more time to connect with each other on a more spiritual level of Christian fellowship. When you started your family I’m sure you had every intention to do whatever it took to stay connected with each other. By attending a night church service together, you and the family are reminded of your strong bond and undenying love for one another.
- Feel more admiration
Your day to day life can get chaotic, don’t you ever long for some peace and quiet? When you step foot into an evening church service, you are transported into a new place that is centered around the values of peace and worship. It’s amazing how feelings of peace and happiness wash over you the minute that you step inside the holy place of the Lord. It’s a place where you know you can be safe, even in the craziest of days.
Regular evening church attendance at a local community church near you can help us revisit our most peaceful states, finding what it takes to truly feel calmness and joy. It provides us with a safe space for prayer, where we can express humility and gratitude in a spirit filled environment. It also gives us the chance to feel more at peace within, giving us a sense of satisfaction with our daily lives. Use a night church service to slow down even the craziest of days. By implementing a regular evening service into your life, you will have something to look forward to at the end of each week.
- Creating More Opportunities
Attending multiple services creates more unity. If you can add an additional evening service to your schedule, you should give it a try. The people who attend only one service never truly get the chance to appreciate all the opportunities for growth and personal development like they would if they would only add an evening service at their local community church. So, when you add an evening service to your schedule, it gives you the chance to get closer with the people in your church and form tighter relationships thru Christian fellowship.
The more services you attend, the more opportunities that are created. More opportunities for growth, leadership and learning. By adding an extra evening church service to your life, you are truly maximizing your potential for growth through faith.
- Giving back
Most churches offer different kinds of charity work and assistance for their communities and other areas of need around the world. Through faith alone, you can visit and help out struggling communities from all around the world – not to mention locally, in a variety of ways. Church gives you the means to do it with people that you love.
Within a local community church, you get the opportunity to donate time and money to the causes that you believe in the most. Help out through organizations who share the same values that you do so you can share God’s Grace and love together. We are truly blessed to be living the lives we do today, full of opportunity, safety and freedom. Many people in today’s world live in constant fear and poverty, some not knowing how or when they will get their next meal. Use an evening church services to help those in need. It can be a great way for you to better appreciate what you do have and will give you a greater sense of gratification in your everyday life.
- Finding each “lesson” in life
Psalms73:2-3
But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
Psalms 73:17
Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.
Everybody wants to understand why things happen the way that they do, this is normal. But even in life’s toughest challenges, there is always a lesson to be learned. When you take the time to attend an evening service near you, it gives you time to truly reflect on what’s happening in your life and understand what these occurrences mean. This free time to yourself, alone, will help you understand what’s going on and can help show you the lesson that needs to be learned. Church just helps us “understand” by giving us the time to pray, think and reflect.
- Learning Forgiveness
It can be difficult at times to ignore feelings of disappointment, frustration and annoyance with others. Maybe the one that you love the most let you down, your kid has been getting in trouble at school or a family member has said something hurtful to you. Whatever the case may be, forgiveness is always one of the hardest lessons to learn. The irony is that once you let go and forgive, a huge weight is immediately lifted off your shoulders – allowing you to go on with your life with a better attitude and understanding.
When you’re constantly busy in your day to day life, it’s tough to reflect and get the strength to let go of something that once hurt you. By attending an evening church service near by, you put yourself in a position for ultimate reflection and understanding. This will be your best chance at learning to forgive and gaining the strength to let go of those negative feelings, which could be holding you back from living your life to the fullest. You can’t live your best life when you are stuck in the past, holding on to negative feelings toward another person. But by learning to forgive, you will be on the right path to your best life.
- Music fills the spirit
There is something special about spirit filled Christian music, nobody can deny this. Your evening church service will be filled with uplifting hymns and religious music that can help you receive a message you may not have been able to hear otherwise. The power of music can truly open up your heart and your mind, even lifting the weight of the world off of your shoulders.
Through music, you will feel more spiritually connected since song helps us think of God. By simply listening to music at the midweek service in the area, you can experience unparalleled feelings of joy and happiness that will give you an eye-opening message you can carry with you throughout the rest of the week. Attend your evening service.
Conclusion
Adding an extra evening church service is a great way to find deeper meaning in your life. In your worst moments, when you’re experiencing feeling of sorrow, frustration and despair, it can be easy to lose sight of what matters most. You may even feel alone or isolated from God and loved ones. But when you attend that additional evening service, you are given a greater sense of purpose. You can better see what it is you were put on this earth to do. Evening churches truly helps us revisit our purpose and the reasons why we need to hold on and remain faithful.
If you are looking for a community church for Christian fellowship near you, we invite you to our midweek evening service. Take this time to connect with others, yourself and God. Pentecostal Life Church is a Spirit Filled Apostolic United Pentecostal Church in the San Antonio suburb Schertz, Texas.
We are currently meeting at 1201 Oak street, Schertz, TX Service times Sunday 10:30am & Thursday 7pm.
Come out to our evening service and enjoy the spirit filled experience.