There are many reasons why people come to church. They come because it’s part of their Christian duty; God commands that we not neglect worship:
not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
- Hebrews 10:25
So we make it part of our spiritual practice and exercise. Some come to church for the fellowship; being with other Christians is comforting and encouraging. Others genuinely enjoy the worship and Bible study experience and feel renewed spiritually. These are all perfectly good and Biblical reasons for attending worship services.
However, there are times when the real purpose of our presence at church Sunday or Wednesday is need. We need help, encouragement, answers, strength and insight into the problems and struggles we face every day as weak and sinful human beings. Perhaps there is a trouble or illness in our marriage or family; sometimes we feel a sense of loneliness or depression. Our struggle could be a battle with alcohol or any number of addictions. There are many Christians who have to cope with weak faith, discouragement, laziness or negative attitudes. The list of these goes on and on.
Of course, God’s word addresses all of these issues. Preachers are eager to help, to comfort, to exhort, even denounce what is evil in our lives, but there is one problem, unlike Jesus who knew men’s hearts, modern preachers don’t know what’s going on in a person’s life unless he is told. Unless your preacher knows what the sins and struggles you are dealing with are, he cannot effectively help you with them.
It is interesting to note that people will readily tell their doctors all about their aches, pains and symptoms in order to treat their bodies that will inevitably die. However, they are reluctant to share with their ministers the problems that threaten their souls that will live forever in heaven or hell.
It is for this reason that I have conducted surveys with typical congregations to determine which are the most prevalent sins and struggles in the lives of their members and written this book to address the top ones.
This work attempts to accomplish five goals:
- Identify the areas where Christians need ministry.
- Provide teaching from God’s word that will address the areas where people have real needs.
- Help Christians grow in maturity in dealing with sins and struggles, and not just ignore them.
- Open up the avenue of prayer on behalf of one another concerning our sins and struggles.
- Provide practical tools from God’s word that can be used to win these battles or maintain the struggle against sin without losing faith.
I believe that these are worthy goals and ones that will truly benefit us all.