Love Your Church Family
Two weeks ago I preached about loving your church family. My text was 1 Peter 1:22 (CSB). "Since you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth, so that you show sincere brotherly love for each other, from a pure heart love one another constantly." Well, this week my church has lived it out much better than I ever preached it.
Most of you know that Lydia's mother, Rita Mann, passed away on Friday. Our church family has shown us such overwhelming love and care and support. They are bringing food, and sending gifts, and visiting, and calling us on the phone, and writing kind notes and emails and texts and messages on social media. They are hugging our necks. They are going the extra mile at church to lighten our load. They pretended to enjoy my sermon on Sunday to make me feel good. I can go on and on!
I'm so proud of our church. We're not the perfect church (mostly because of me). But this week I can see and feel us acting like a true, Biblical Christian church. Love. Generosity. Service. Sacrifice. Looking out for the interests of others. Weeping with those who weep. Sharing burdens. This is what church is supposed to look like. I'm grateful. I'm humbled. I'm inspired. I'm proud.
If you're not plugged in to a good church, then you're missing out. Get connected. Remember, if nobody knows you, then nobody can care for you. Get involved in a church so that you are known. Attend weekly. Show up a little early and leave a little late so that you can build relationships. Find a way to volunteer. Plug in to a small group. And when you and your family are hit with the storms of life, you'll have an entire support group in place who will rally around you and lift you up and hold you tight.
Most of you know that Lydia's mother, Rita Mann, passed away on Friday. Our church family has shown us such overwhelming love and care and support. They are bringing food, and sending gifts, and visiting, and calling us on the phone, and writing kind notes and emails and texts and messages on social media. They are hugging our necks. They are going the extra mile at church to lighten our load. They pretended to enjoy my sermon on Sunday to make me feel good. I can go on and on!
I'm so proud of our church. We're not the perfect church (mostly because of me). But this week I can see and feel us acting like a true, Biblical Christian church. Love. Generosity. Service. Sacrifice. Looking out for the interests of others. Weeping with those who weep. Sharing burdens. This is what church is supposed to look like. I'm grateful. I'm humbled. I'm inspired. I'm proud.
If you're not plugged in to a good church, then you're missing out. Get connected. Remember, if nobody knows you, then nobody can care for you. Get involved in a church so that you are known. Attend weekly. Show up a little early and leave a little late so that you can build relationships. Find a way to volunteer. Plug in to a small group. And when you and your family are hit with the storms of life, you'll have an entire support group in place who will rally around you and lift you up and hold you tight.
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