Pumpkin Spiced Christianity. When my friend and co-worker Keri and I talked about writing this article and as we started to work on it together – yep, sipping on our favorite coffees – I loved the title she came up with and it resonated with me in many ways. It also brought to mind that some people view coffee and church as part of a Sunday event routine rather than part of their daily living routine.

It’s Sunday morning.

Maybe you’re on your way to a local coffee shop to grab your favorite autumn pumpkin spiced latte morning pick me up on your way to church. Maybe you snap a cute picture outside and tag your church with a hashtag #sundayservice, #sundaylatte, or #sundaycoffee or something like that. Sound familiar? 

Many of us love church. We look forward to Sunday where we can gather and hear a good word to get us through the week. But I often wonder how often we’ve made church more about us and less about Jesus?

The question we need to ask ourselves is why are we truly at church? Is it for Jesus alone? Is it about what we get out of church or what church gets out of us each Sunday? 

When we look at Jesus’ preaching during His time on earth, people walked miles to see Him. They probably sat in the blazing sun – no air, no big screens or cool graphics, no sound systems, or fancy coffee shops. They couldn’t take photos or share where they were with their followers. They were there for one reason: Jesus.

What is our “why” for going to church? Do we go with the intention of grabbing our #sundaycoffee, meet up and socialize with friends, and make our plans for lunch? Affectionately, we referred to this as Pumpkin Spiced Christianity as we wrote this article, and it made me think about how so many of us have created these types of Sunday routines as we head out the door to church.

Tony and I have been blessed to take men who attend our 3Thirds Discipleship studies inside the prison system to church with us, and we want to be certain the men we minister to are wanting to grow spiritually first, and not just signing up to come to church for the wrong reasons.

We have noticed – without fail – that the men who have stepped up into leadership roles are those we select to be on the church list. We won’t take someone to church just for the asking. As a matter of fact, we won’t take them to church unless they are truly doing the work of being a disciple-maker. 

Is God your weekly coffee date for your Pumpkin Spiced Christianity on Sunday?

It feels like now is a critical time to consider our faith life. Are we really invested in building God’s Church here on Earth or is church simply a Sunday activity that occupies an hour of our day? 

Are we looking for a conviction in the message or simply hearing a sermon like a good self-help book? Are we at church only to receive or to worship and serve? Are we attending church for the right reason? 

What is God getting out of us each Sunday? 

As Christians, we are called to more than an hour on Sunday and Jesus’ message is more than “feel good” words for the week or a place to meet up with friends for lunch. A one and done day… box checked!!

We often approach church in a “what can they give me” kind of way, but the better question is “what can I give the church,” or “why am I here?” 

If this season of pandemic madness has revealed anything, perhaps it is for each of us to examine the depth of our faith life. Maybe it’s been stagnant for too long. Maybe it’s been unchanged or maybe it never goes deeper than a Sunday service. Maybe, as we’ve been faced with the events of 2020, it’s time to go deeper.

Maybe it’s time to let God move you. Maybe it’s the season that you don’t just let your heart go unchanged or your walk go unchallenged by the gospel that set you free. Maybe it’s time that believers in the church are called to a deeper walk toward discipleship. Maybe it’s time to put down the pumpkin spiced latte and put on the full amour of God as the church takes the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world.

Now is the time to dig deeper and go deeper with Jesus. Now is the time to share the hope we have with a hurting world. Now is the time to shine His light. If ever there was a time in this generation, it is now. 

The question is, will you answer the call?

Tony and I hope this article is an encouragement to you and that you are staying connected to a body of believers who are doing the work to grow spiritually. We pray that you will feel the conviction to do more than just grab your favorite #sundaycoffee, meet up with your friends, attend church, and make plans for lunch, but that you will plug into one of our interactive 3Thirds Discipleship Groups. 

3Thirds teaches you 3 habits every Christian needs to develop to grow spiritually:

• 1) dealing with convictions
• 2) sharpening iron with other believers
• 3) sharing your testimony or the gospel with those who don’t know Christ.

It’s more than a Bible Study, it’s a call to action… and this study changed my life, the lives of the men, women, and families Tony and I minister to, and the lives of over 700 men inside the prison system.

We look forward to hearing from you and helping you get plugged into a 3Thirds Discipleship Group that fits your schedule and invite you to join us on Sundays at 9 AM in room WC470 and/or on Thursdays at 7:15 PM (men meet in WC329 and women in WC327) at our church, Southeast Christian Church located at 920 Blankenbaker Parkway in Louisville Kentucky. If you’re reading this and live outside the Louisville area and would like to connect with someone in your area, please contact us here for more information.