In 2006, there were said to be 216 different denominations in America and Canada (2006 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches). It’s sad to think about how much religious division and confusion there is in our world. But it gets worse. Not only are people surrounded by confusing choices in religion, people often further divide themselves from God by serving other common things in this life. Instead of going to a church that serves Christ, people “worship” a variety of other things. What other “church” might people be going to?

The Church of Sports. When is the last time we let a sports practice or game take first place over worship or Bible study? Or what about skipping church to watch the Super Bowl or Bible class to watch the World Series? What does this say about our priorities when we skip out on worship because of sports? What does this tell others about what we find most important? What message does this send to our children when we allow them to miss worship because of sports? Far too many people are allowing their lives to be dictated by the church of sports.

The Church of Work. We live in a fast-paced and busy society. Everyone has things to do and places to go. Everyone is busy. It has become one of the most used and most common excuses for people to skip out on the most essential priorities of life. When is the last time we allowed our employer to schedule us during times of worship and Bible study? Have we asked not to work during those times? Do we choose to skip out on church functions because we have “too much work to do”? Many people allow the church of work to become more important than the church of our Lord.