1.Relying on the Sunday Morning experience for your spiritual health.

This is a big one that we all know happens all too often. Going to Church on Sunday isn’t and shouldn’t be your only means of spiritual nutrition for the week. If anything, Sundays should be the dessert to a buffet of a meal we’ve had through the week. Our prayer lives, devotional lives, discipleship lives should be the main foundation under our feet – Sundays should be for the gathering and encouragement of one another.

2. Saying “I’ll pray for you!” without actually praying.

We’ve all been there. It’s a phrase we tend to throw out to try and put a bow on the end of a hard conversation, or one filled with emotions and situations we aren’t sure how to respond to. We may even say it with the fullest intent to actually do it…but then our days get rolling and next thing we know, we forget to pray. Friends, let’s be more intentional to pray with someone right in the moment, even for a couple seconds, to petition with God on behalf of that person. The moments I’ve asked to pray for someone right then have both shocked and encouraged that person greatly.

3. Only reading books, blogs, and other media that confirms your denomination or biases.

Denominations are a wonderful thing. Theology is a wonderful thing. There are so many amazing and lovely expressions of Christianity in the United States and all over the world! Let us be an intentional people who want to learn more about our brothers and sisters for the sake of learning…not for a debate. Let’s get to know those crazy cousins of ours across the street! I guarantee they are cooler than you are imagining them to be.

4. Acting like we never have any doubts or fears or struggles after surrendering to Christ.

This is a big one. So many of my friends who are skeptics or unbelievers tend to throw this one out there when I ask them what is keeping them from walking with Jesus. So many have questions, concerns, doubts, fears, frustrations with God. Things that (from the outside) they say, Christians don’t seem to wrestle with. Can we be more open and honest about our journeys when we are sharing with our skeptical and unchurched friends?