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[The following is excerpted from the book, Gather: Getting to the Heart of Going to Church, Copyright © 2021 by M. Hopson Boutot. Click here to download the entire book for free.] 

Romans 14:23 says that whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. Any action committed without faith is sin. That includes your church attendance. If you faithfully gather with God’s people without faith, even your attendance is sin. 

So what does it look like to gather in faith? Its gathering believing that God will speak to you through the faithful preaching of His Word. It’s believing that your hope will be helped as you gather. It’s believing that gathering helps you persevere. It’s believing you have a job to do. It’s gathering believing all these things and more. Not because I said them, but because God did. 

But what if your faith in these truths is weak? What if you’re struggling to believe they’re true? Should you fake faith until you make it? No. Take your doubts to Jesus. Tell Him, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). And trust that He will use your faithfulness to increase your faith. Choosing rightly about gathering means choosing to gather in faith.