Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Fast and furious is the only way I can describe my new birth, my born again experience. I was instantly changed and from the very beginning the Holy Spirit was actively seeking to correct my attitudes and impressions about God and my new relationship. It really was too much for me to comprehend. I needed help and a pastor and a teacher seemed like the right move. What church should I attend?

Luckily I had a boss who was an elder at a church. I knew nothing about the church, its history or its administration. I chose his church for one simple reason. He had shown me that he loved me and that his prayers had been instrumental in my being healed from drug addiction. He could have exposed me and have me fired but rather than that he showed mercy and grace. He prayed for me.

If you are going to start afresh in attending a church you cannot go wrong with seeing where that person who loves you attends church. Obviously what he did for me worked towards my salvation, so I could count on his guidance in my introduction to church life.

I’ve attended four different churches since my new birth. Each one provided me with a different aspect of my Christian growth. The first was responsible for training me to serve. The second church helped identify my primary gift and that hearing God is only the beginning of obedience. The third demonstrated that perfect knowledge of the Word and how preaching wasn’t sufficient for a healthy church life. It took more.

The fourth and current church showed me that grace isn’t restricted to God’s blessings. His grace flows from the body to each member from each member and grace is the bond that holds a church family together.