Hebrews 10:24-25 — "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

Church family, there's a temptation in every season of life to drift. Work gets busy. A hard week makes the couch more appealing than a pew. Maybe you've been hurt before, and pulling back feels safer than showing up again. Scripture doesn't ignore that pull — it names it plainly: "as the manner of some is." Some people quietly stop coming. It was true in the first century, and it's true today.

But the writer of Hebrews doesn't just warn us to keep showing up out of duty. He gives us a reason: we gather to "consider one another" — to pay attention to each other's burdens — and to "provoke one another to love and good works." That word "provoke" is strong. It means to stir something up on purpose. We don't gather just to sit near each other for an hour. We gather so that somebody's faithfulness rubs off on somebody else's weariness. So that one person's quiet obedience stirs another to keep going.

And notice the urgency at the end: "so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." The nearer we get to Christ's return, the more this matters, not less. The world will give you a thousand reasons to isolate. Scripture gives us one clear command to resist it: don't forsake gathering together.

So this week, if you've been drifting, let this be your nudge back. And if you're steady, look for the person beside you who might be one Sunday away from disappearing. Encourage them. That's not extra credit in the Christian life — Hebrews says it's the point of being together at all.

Let's pray: Father, thank You for this church family. Forgive us for the times we've pulled away when we needed each other most. Stir us up to love and good works, and help us hold fast to one another until the day You return. In Jesus' name, amen.