Quit Church: For Yourself, Your Church And For Jesus

All this week we have been reviewing a book by Chris Sonksen entitled Quit Church: Because Your Life Would be Better If You Did. In summary, the book is about how the church could be better. The title of the book isn’t necessarily quite what it is made out to be. Instead, Sonksen is encouraging us to look deep within and understand why you are going to church. Go outside of just warming a pew by becoming involved, rekindling your passion for God and His church.

God is passionate about His love for you. Zephaniah 3:17 says, “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” God is so passionate about you that He sent Jesus to save you. And He wants you to be passionate in your love for Him. 

The passion for God was never higher than when you first gave your life to Jesus. There was excitement, a sense of purpose and joy. Then life’s disappointments and difficulties enter the picture. The passion subsides a little. And then a little more until our walk with God became routine and less passionate. In the book, Quit Church,Chris Sonksen warns against dull, routine, passionless Christianity. He talks about how going through religious motions can dull your spiritual senses and blind you to your own condition. But God can open your eyes.

In Quit Church, Chris is not advocating quitting church, but doing more rather then less. And doing it first for you. He writes, “My prayer for you is that you will learn to quit; that you will learn to stop doing, thinking, or behaving in the ways that go against the spiritual practices that God desires for you; that you will realize how much he loves you and how much he wants to bless your life. “

Do it for your church as well: “Your church will win when you decide to quit. Your church will experience a new level of success as you step out and do what God has called you to do. Your pastor needs you, your leadership needs you, and your spiritual family needs you. If you don’t take action, it won’t affect just you; it will affect many others as well. Being a part of a spiritual family means there are family responsibilities. Do your part, and watch what happens.” (Quit Church, Conclusion)

But most of all do it for Jesus. “Jesus is crazy about you. He loves you and is cheering you on. He is leaning in to see how you are going to respond to this challenge. You are his child. He wants you to win. No doubt he will bless and reward you as you step out, but I challenge you to do this for Jesus simply because you love him. Do this not because of what he will do for you (and he will) but because he is the Lord of your life, the Master of your soul, the strength when you are weak, the hope when you feel hopeless, the rock when you feel unstable, and the shield when difficulty surrounds you. Do it simply because of who He is, not because of what He can and will do.” (Quit Church, Conclusion)

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you feel like you take God for granted? Why or why not?
2. How often are you spending time with God right now?
3. How much time would you like to be spending with God each week?