You Were Never Supposed to Know God Only Through Church!

I’m sure that title caught your attention. But hear me out. I believe one of the biggest lies many Christians have embraced today is that the church is the only place to know God, and that teaching people the ways of God is solely the church’s responsibility.

This mindset has crippled many believers and weakened the spiritual foundation of families.

Let me take you to the Bible.

1. Knowing God Started With an Individual, Not a Church

Think about this: God created Adam and Eve long before there was a church, temple, or corporate gathering.

That alone should tell us something.

Knowing God began with personal fellowship.

Before Eve came along, Adam had already been communing with God. God gave Adam instructions, including the command concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16–17).

When Eve came, Adam had a responsibility to communicate what God had instructed him to Eve.

Now fast-forward to their children.

In Genesis 4, Abel offered a sacrifice that pleased God. Where did he learn about offerings? Scripture doesn't explicitly say, but I believe his knowledge likely came through what was passed down by his parents and his own dealings with God.

Do you see the pattern?

Individual. Marriage. Family.

Adam knew God personally before he entered marriage. It was through his personal relationship with God that he gained the knowledge and understanding needed to lead his wife (although he failed in some areas, lol) and eventually his children in the ways of God.

Now, I know what you're thinking: What about Cain?

Well, let's not forget that free will is a thing! You can teach someone the ways of God, but you cannot force them to follow Him. At the end of the day, everyone has a choice to make. Being taught about God doesn't automatically mean someone will choose to walk with Him.

But that doesn't take away the responsibility of parents to create an environment where the ways of God are taught, practiced, and nurtured.

You may not be able to control your children's choices, but you are responsible for the spiritual foundation you help build for them.

And this pattern didn't end with Adam.

2. Abraham Walked With God Without Going to Church

Here's another example that should make us pause.

Abraham walked with God without attending a church service! 🤫

His relationship with God was built through personal encounters, obedience, faith, and personal fellowship.

And God said something remarkable about Abraham:

"For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD..." — Genesis 18:19 (KJV)

God expected Abraham to teach his household His ways.

Not outsource it. Not leave it to someone else.

Abraham passed down the knowledge of God to Isaac, and Isaac to Jacob. Each generation also had to develop their own relationship with God.

Notice something important here.

God wasn't just interested in Abraham knowing Him. He was also interested in Abraham passing down that knowledge to his family.

This wasn't just an expectation for Abraham. God later gave the same responsibility to the entire nation of Israel.

3. God Never Gave the Church Your Responsibility as a Parent

In Deuteronomy 6:6–7, God instructed the Israelites to keep His words in their hearts and teach them diligently to their children.

Not just on the Sabbath. Not just during religious gatherings.

But when sitting at home, walking, lying down, and rising up.

In other words, teaching God's ways was supposed to be part of everyday family life.

Joshua understood this responsibility when he declared:

"But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." — Joshua 24:15 (KJV)

But something tragic happened after Joshua's generation.

Judges 2:10 tells us another generation arose that did not know the Lord or the works He had done for Israel.

Imagine that!

A generation had witnessed God's mighty works, yet another generation arose that did not know Him.

Somewhere along the way, the knowledge of God failed to take root in the next generation.

And that should make every parent pause.

Because what happens when one generation fails to pass down the knowledge of God?

The next generation may inherit religious traditions without truly knowing the God behind them.

And I believe we're seeing a similar problem today.

4. We Are Passing Down Religious Traditions, Not How to Walk With God

This is where it gets uncomfortable.

Many Christian families are passing down religion without the substance of knowing God and truly walking with Him.

We teach our children to attend church on Sunday, go to Bible study, pray when they need something, and behave like good Christians.

But is that all Christianity is?

Many believers rarely study their Bibles personally. Some have been Christians for decades but have never read the entire Bible even once.

Yet we're supposed to teach our children the ways of a God we barely take time to know ourselves.

So what exactly are we passing down?

Traditions? Culture? Our opinions? Misinterpreted Scripture? Our pastor's understanding of God?

Sometimes, without realizing it, we're passing down spiritual confusion.

We can teach our children our native languages, cultural traditions, and family history with great dedication, yet struggle to teach them the Word of God in the pattern God intended for us to follow.

There's nothing wrong with preserving culture. But when culture takes priority over knowing God, something is wrong.

We have raised generations who know how to attend church but don't necessarily know how to walk with God.

And that's a serious problem.

But perhaps one of the biggest reasons we're passing down religion instead of a genuine walk with God is that we've handed over our spiritual responsibilities to someone else.

5. Stop Outsourcing Your Spiritual Responsibility!

Somewhere along the way, we began treating pastors as though they were the only people capable of understanding Scripture.

We tell ourselves:

"My pastor understands the Bible better than I do."

"I can't interpret Scripture like him."

"I'll just listen to his sermons."

We've belittled ourselves and forgotten our identity in Christ.

The same Holy Spirit who helps your pastor understand Scripture is available to you!

Does that mean you don't need pastors or teachers? Absolutely not. God gave them to equip the saints (Ephesians 4:11–12).

But being taught by someone should never replace your responsibility to seek God for yourself.

And parents, Sunday school is not a substitute for spiritual parenting!

Proverbs 22:6 says:

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (KJV)

That responsibility begins with you, sir and ma!

The church should strengthen what is being built at home, not be the only place where anything is being built.

We need to level up spiritually!

And this brings me back to the main point of this entire discussion.

6. Your Church Cannot Walk With God for You

Fellowship with God comes first. Fellowship with others flows from it.

Please don't misunderstand me. I love the church, and corporate fellowship is biblical and necessary (Hebrews 10:25).

But think about this: How spiritually impactful can a gathering be when 90% of the people have weak personal fellowship with God?

Nothing exciting about that one! Lol.

We cannot keep expecting the church to do for us what we are neglecting to do in our own personal relationship with God.

There has to be a balance.

I'm not saying don't go to church or fellowship with other believers. What I'm saying is, don't allow corporate worship to replace your personal intimacy with God.

Some things must be cultivated in private, between you and God, without anyone else involved.

Adam and Abraham's lives remind us that knowing God is deeply personal. And the New Testament shows us the importance of gathering with other believers. These are not competing responsibilities. Please, I’m not advocating for less church. I’m advocating for a more intentional, personal walk with God. There’s a difference!

Corporate fellowship should strengthen our personal walk with God, not replace it.

Otherwise, we'll continue raising spiritually weak families, Christians who profess faith without truly knowing God, and believers who remain spiritual babies despite spending decades in church.

At some point, we must grow!

I'll End With This...

My plea is simple.

When you stand before God on judgment day, you will give an account of your own life.

Philippians 2:12 tells us:

"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (KJV)

Notice the word OWN.

Not your pastor's salvation. Not your spouse's. Not your parents'.

Yours.

So yes, attend church. Serve. Fellowship. Learn from your pastors. BUT

Know God for yourself. Read your Word.

Teach your spouse and children His ways. Build a home where God's Word is lived, not just quoted.

Because the greatest inheritance you can leave your children is not merely the tradition of going to church, but the knowledge of God and what it means to walk with Him.

I pray God gives us the wisdom, discipline, and grace to return to His pattern.

The church is a place of fellowship, but your relationship with God was never meant to exist only within its four walls.

🎶 Music Time! 🎧

“Heaven has come” — Ty Bello