Have faith, pray, seek and ye shall find...
You hear the gospel and you are intrigued. You keep playing the words over and over in your mind, "Jesus loves you. He wants you to know Him. He is there in your worst times of trouble." You ask yourself, "how can Jesus love me? I'm a sinner. I have broken almost every 10 commandment. How... can... He... love... me...?" The answer is clear. Jesus loves everyone.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 5:8 - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God. who loved me and gave himself for me.
"God’s unfailing love for us is an objective fact affirmed over and over in the Scriptures. It is true whether we believe it or not. Our doubts do not destroy God’s love, nor does our faith create it. It originates in the very nature of God, who is love, and it flows to us through our union with His beloved Son." ~ Jerry Bridges
So now I ask you this: If you do not have a home church, why? I would like to encourage everyone to let finding a "home" church be your mission. Do not just visit a church here and there, but find a church where God is present, where the Word of God is continually given to the flock, where God is your best source in having the truth given to you.
As you begin your mission journey, you should begin with FAITH. You have arrived at the starting point to every situation in life. One must begin with FAITH in God that He will lead you in the "right" direction.
Next, PRAY - This is hard for some people - it should not be! Pray God will lead you to a good church with a solid foundation that is rooted in the Word of Christ. If you or anyone for that matter, takes God out of the equation, you might just as well join your local service organization. God must be in the church, not outside of the church or just a passing thought, but "in" the church. Use the FAITH you have, kneel upon your knees and begin your search by petitioning God to direct your search. Do not expect a pillar of light just yet - especially if it has been awhile since you've "called home."
Now your SEARCH should begin. For a blessed few, angels have come to the door bearing all things - for most of us, this step means study. Your SEARCH may include books, questions posed to close friends, the "net", or perhaps visits to prospective churches. If you begin to feel that little "nudges" from within, taking your search in a specific direction, God is probably asking or even telling you to go there. The more times you lean on Him, the more likely these nudges will come, and the more strongly you will feel them.
Now make a CHOICE. Life is all about choices and God gave us all 'free will." Choose what you feel most comfortable with. Lay aside any prejudices about the church. Lay aside that you do not believe folks should go to church to believe in God. How can you get to know the Heavenly Father, if you do not spend time with Him and others who believe in Him? How? Further, lay aside what someone told you bad about their church. Lay aside how Sunday is your only day off and let God speak to your heart speak first. Then choose a direction. Yes or no answers come much more easily from above. Ask The One who already knows the answer if your choice, is the right choice. God will never lead you astray, He will never forsake you and He is always there for you.
I tend to gravitate toward positive people, so when my husband and I were seeking a new church, we found folks who are now our brothers and sisters in Christ. They are not perfect by any means and neither are we, but if we ever needed them, they would be there for us. We are supposed to be there for each other. We are supposed to spend time with Christ and we should, more than anything, want to be with Him and spend time with Him. Do you really think it is enough to just read the Bible? What about spending time in God's house with Him? What about spending time with the community of people God placed here on earth for you to be with? I beg you to stop making excuses and get out there and find yourself a church. You will never regret it and will only grow in Christ from the experience of being with Him and others who believe in Him.