The psalmist said, ‘I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”’ Do you feel that way about God’s house too? And if not, why not?

Paul writes: ‘You are members of God’s family. Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself. We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through Him you… are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by His Spirit.’ (Ephesians 2:19–22 NLT) There are times when you need to be alone with God in prayer; there are times you’ll only find the answer you seek when you’re with God’s people. When those who are indwelt by God’s Spirit meet for worship, teaching, encouragement and service, God shows up in a powerful way. You grow spiritually as you experience His presence, hear His Word, and fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Every time you gather with other members of Christ’s body, it reminds you again that you’re on the winning side.

It’s hard to celebrate by yourself. When you’ve something worth celebrating you generally call people together so you can share the joy, right? Jesus is so excited about His victory at the cross, that He calls us together every week to celebrate what He accomplished for us. And celebration, like spiritual growth, is a group project.