Sunday morning worship doesn’t start when I enter the church building. The Lord convicted me some time ago that worship should start at home. As I go about getting ready, I should prepare my mind to focus on God. But Sunday mornings can be pretty hectic!

A pastor of mine used to say, “Sunday morning church is a Saturday night decision.” Basically, anything that can be done in advance makes the morning run more smoothly, such as washing/ironing clothes, planning the after-church meal, or stocking the diaper bag.

Gather church supplies in advance.

I’m certainly not focusing on the Lord if I’m running around like a madwoman trying to find a pen and my Bible. My solution is to have a “Bible Bag.” Everything I need for church is in there and stays in there during the week. Sunday morning all I need to do is grab it and walk out the door. Here’s a breakdown of what I keep in my bag:

Bible: I bought this Bible specifically to be my church Bible. The translation isn’t super important–this one is NIV, but that didn’t come into my purchasing decision. I bought it because it was pink and on sale. If you want to know what Bible I use for study, watch this short.

Notebook: I’m not an auditory learner and, sometimes, my mind wanders during the sermon. Taking notes helps me to pay attention and retain what the pastor says.

Sunday school book: I have to take out my Sunday school book during the week to study. But when I’m done, I immediately put it back in the bag. If I set it down and think I’ll put it away later, it will never get into the bag. Then, Sunday rolls around, and I’m shuffling to the front of the classroom to get a spare, hoping no one notices the teacher forgot her book.

Pens and highlighters: I got this cool iStudy pack as a Black Friday doorbuster. It has all I need in the writing/notetaking department, and I was afraid of what I would do when the ink ran out. Thankfully, I found the pack on Christian Book Distributers! Of course, I’ve ordered backups because I’m a little compulsive.

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