Go ahead, take a chance!

We announce to you what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have seen and our hands handled, about the word of life.The life was revealed, and we have seen, and we testify and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. What we have seen and heard, we also announce it to you so that you can have fellowship with us. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.We are writing these things so that our joy can be complete...

Would you bungee jump without a bungee? Would you go skydiving without a parachute? Would you go on a roller coaster ride without pulling the shoulder harness down? Would you scuba dive with no air in the tanks? Could I convince you to eat a rotten egg with a dead goldfish in it, just for the fun of it? The answer to all these questions is a definite "NO!!!" That stuff isn't smart. It's not tempting. It's a no brainer! Why? Because participating in any of those activities would lead to pain for sure, and probably to death! Wanna know something crazy? Most teenagers take those kinds of chances every day. They may not be performing daredevil stunts or eating raw food, but they take the chance of living life on their own. God designed us in His image, as relational beings. He created us to be in a relationship with him and with other believers (1 John 1:3). In the Bible, Christians are never divided into those who go to church and those who don't. In the New Testament, wherever Christians were within range of each other, they met. In the book of Acts, every time the apostle Paul went to towns where there were new Christians, he immediately helped them meet with each other, and together they became a little church.

Pray that God would give you a heart for his people and that he would help you make the choice to meet consistently with other Christians.