3 Ways to Prepare for Church

I think that most of the time we breeze through our week and put very little thought about what's going on in our life.  If we do think about our life, we usually think progressively toward repairing something damaged or looking for something new.  I would like to challenge you to really see what's going ON in your life.  Who are you influencing?  Who are you praying for?  Who have you invited to dinner?  The everyday life of a follower of Christ is and should be saturated with ministry movements.  A ministry movement takes place in the heart of a person who is listening to the Spirit of God and seeing the NEEDS of people around them.  Maybe you read this and think about your co-worker that you "should've" prayed with today.  Or maybe you remember the people who were talking about sin as a trophy (i.e. guess what I did this weekend) and you simply rolled your eyes rather than wrote down their names so you could pray for their souls.  MM's happen because you're prepared for church.  You see, church is NOT where we GO, but WHO we ARE as followers of Jesus Christ.  With that view of church, I want to give you 3 ways to prepare for church, which means, living as salt and light in a lost and dying world.
1. Remind Yourself
Remind yourself that Jesus is Worth-More than what this World gives.
It's easy to forget Luke 9:25 "For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?"  To be the church, you've got to wake up everyday worshiping the ONE who's WORTH it!
2. Renew your mind
If you don't, you'll act for acceptance rather than live out because you're accepted.  The wording is strange because we don't get it!  Romans 12:2 "do not be conformed to this world (acting in a way that you'll be accepted by the world) but be transformed (living out in obedience because God accepts you In Christ) by the renewing of your mind." In short, Read the Word of God like it ain't gonna be available to you tomorrow!
3. Re-Arrange Your Target
Let's face it, we're all pretty self-centered.  We live for us. Jesus lived His life with "others" as His target. I really don't think this comes natural and I believe that it's a part of our maturing process as followers of Christ. However, to have church the way you want it, and like it, you're going to have to know the target that  you and I should have daily.  John 13:14 "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet."  Let's serve with others in mind.  The one who serves looks last in the world but is first in the Kingdom.
What's the point of these 3 points?  To see your life cycle into more and more ministry movements.  The world needs ministry and you're the one God is moving into their life.  We'll start seeing revival in church when we start having church like it's intended.