I've had the privilege of being a part of 4 congregations in my 30 years on this planet. But the beautiful thing about being a part of the family of God is that we are one church and I am thankful to have so many fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that I am still in contact with in some way from all 4 of these church families.
I can honestly say that my appreciation for the church has been something that has grown over time. As we grow as believers and as we become adults we experience the trials and triumphs of life in very real ways. For those who have been an active member of the church for a long time, think about the people that were there for you during the trials and triumphs you have faced over the years. When that loved one died who was there ready to support you in any way you needed be it physical, emotional or spiritual? When you finally got the job you have been praying for so long who prayed with you and celebrated with you? What would your life look like if you didn't have the body of Christ to share in it?
I thought about this and the loneliness and bleakness of the answer saddened me for those people who don't have a church family to come alongside them through the good and the bad. What a blessing to have fellow believers that are willing to cry with you and pray with you and rejoice with you! Our salvation through Christ is the greatest gift and blessing the Lord has ever given us. But his goodness towards us didn't stop there (mind blowing!). He blessed us with a community in which we can enjoy it, share it and bless others with it!
The church family Mike and I are currently members of is First Baptist Church Durham. What a blessing this community of believers has been to our lives this past year. I know I have grown so much through the expository preaching of our pastor but also from my fellow believers who sit right next to me in the pew (yes, we have pews and it blesses my historical nerdy heart each week I sit in one :-)). What I love about how we "do" church is our Home Fellowships on Sunday evening. Through out the school year we meet in homes with 4-6 other families. We share a meal and then we dive into the Word and have a time for prayer. Now in order to be completely transparent, there are some Sunday afternoons where my fleshly thinking self would just prefer to stay home and take a nap and be lazy, but I am never ever sorry I went to home fellowship. It blesses me in some way each week.
It is so neat to see who God brings into your life during certain periods to challenge you and encourage you in your walk. I am thankful for the families He has brought into our lives for this season. Already in the past two months we have seen several prayers answered and been able to encourage each other in many ways. When we have our home fellowships it takes me back to Acts 2 when the church was first formed. Our Home Fellowships give me a small glimpse of what the early church might have been like. What a model for us to strive towards!
And they
devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching
and the fellowship,
to the
breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul,
and many
wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who
believed were together and had
all things in common. And they
were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to
all, as any had need. And day by day, attending
the temple together
and breaking
bread in their homes, they received their food with
glad and generous hearts, praising God and having
favor with all the people. And the Lord added
to their number day
by day those who were
being saved. ~Acts 2:42-47
What is my point? Well, my point is to encourage you! First, if you are a member of a church, I encourage you to be an active member. Don't just sit on the sidelines, get in there and get involved. Find that community to do life with. You will be blessed....I have no doubt! Second, if you are not a member of a church and/or not a regular attender, my prayer is that you will become one. I have listed many reasons why it is a blessing and I genuinely believe your life will be enriched by it. You will have people to help support you in times of sorrow/trials and your joys/triumphs will be that much sweeter as others rejoice with you in answered prayers.Give it a try...you won't regret it. Lastly, to those who are living this out on a regular basis, keep it up! You know the blessing it can be and you also know that Satan would love nothing better than to mess it up somehow and keep you from being a blessing and receiving one. It is easy to get discouraged but that is when a godly community can help keep you on track.
I leave you with a picture of our Home Fellowship. Special thanks to Katie for taking the picture. She is is the only one not pictured. We love these sweet families! Until next time my lovely readers....love from The Forest!
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