Never Going…
I’m Never Going to Church again…
This week I would like to share a story of a church-going Christian who stopped attending his church. It’s interesting that the things that the church stands for are lacking in some respects and how satan will use them for his purposes. _____________________________________
I never thought I would say it, but I’m never going to church again. At least, that’s what I told myself after years of feeling disappointed, misunderstood, and worn down. Church was supposed to be a place of hope, healing, and community, yet for me it slowly became a source of frustration and discouragement.
One reason I reached this conclusion is hypocrisy. I listened to sermons about love, forgiveness, and grace, but often saw judgment, gossip, and division in the pews. People who sang hymns on Sunday sometimes spoke harshly on Monday. I began to wonder how a place meant to reflect God’s love could feel so unloving. Instead of finding encouragement, I often left feeling worse than when I arrived.
Another reason is feeling invisible. Church can be crowded, busy, and structured, but somehow lonely at the same time. I sat through services, shook hands, and exchanged polite greetings, yet no one truly knew me. My struggles, doubts, and questions felt unwelcome. When I needed support the most, I felt overlooked, as if my presence didn’t really matter.
I also struggled with the pressure and expectations. Sometimes it felt like church was more about appearance than authenticity—how you dressed, how often you attended, how involved you were. Instead of being a place to come as you are, it felt like a place where you had to measure up. That pressure made faith feel heavy, like a checklist rather than a relationship.
Over time, I began to tell myself that I didn’t need church to believe in God. I could pray on my own, read the Bible at home, and live a moral life without sitting in a building every Sunday. God is everywhere, not just inside church walls. Skipping church felt like freedom—freedom from judgment, disappointment, and routine.
But as time passed, something unexpected happened. While I stopped going to church, I didn’t stop longing for fellowship, truth, and hope. I realized my problem wasn’t really with God… it was with people, systems, and experiences that fell short. Church is made up of imperfect people, and expecting perfection only leads to hurt.
So maybe the statement “I’m never going to church again” isn’t the end of the story. Maybe it’s an honest cry of frustration. A reminder that faith is bigger than a building, but also that fellowship still matters. While I stepped away, it opened the door to reevaluating what church should be… not a place of judgment, but of grace, not obligation, but love.
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There are many reason why people stop going to church. Leaving church because you got hurt by a preacher or a church or a church member. That makes about as much sense as….
1. Never getting your vehicle repaired again because a mechanic ripped you off.
2. Never eating out again because you found a hair in your food.
3. Never going to the doctor again because once he told you to lose weight.
4. Never going to the store again because the cashier was rude to you.
5. Never going on vacation again because your motel didn’t have a soft pillow.
6. Never going to the dentist again because it hurts too much.
7. Never buying another vehicle because the last one was a lemon.
8. Never going back to work because you had a boss who was a jerk.
9. Never going to the bank again because they messed up your deposit.
10. Never flying again because you had a rude stewardess, had a flight canceled or experienced some turbulence.
We have all been hurt by a preacher, or a church member, or a staff member. Everybody that goes to church has been hurt in church. Every single one of us without exception.
Ask God to give you the wisdom and grace to put it in your rear-view mirror and go on for God. Stopping you from going to church was exactly what the devil was trying to accomplish. Don’t let satan get the victory or have the final say in whether or not you go to church.
You need the church, and the church needs you. Find a good Bible-preaching, loving church and get plugged in! Don’t quit. Psalms 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
Have you stopped going to Church? Have you let satan win this battle? It’s time to defeat the devil and make a commitment to follow and serve the Lord.
Hebrews 10:25: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Just take a moment to pray—tell God you believe His Son, Jesus, paid for your sins and rose from the grave. Let Him know you’re sorry and want to live for Him. Ask for forgiveness for your sins and mistakes. He will grant you eternal life with Him and fill your heart with His Spirit, dwelling deep within you. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” and Romans 10:9 tells us, ”that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;“
May God Bless you. Bob
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