Purpose #2 - We Were Formed For God's Family

I am the vive, and you are the branches.

JOHN 15:5 (CEV)

Christ makes us one body ...connected to each other.

ROMANS 12:5 (GWT)

Purpose #1 - You Were Planned For God's Pleasure

For God has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for His own glory.

ISAIAH 61:3 (LB)

Day 21 - Protecting Your Church

You are joined together with peace through the spirit, so make every effort to continue in this way.

EPHESIANS 4:3 (NCV)

Most of all, let love guide your life, for then the whole church will stay together in perfect harmony.

COLOSSIANS 3:14 (LB)

"Unity is the soul of fellowship.  Destroy it, and you rip the heart out of Christ's Body." p160

"Nothing on earth is more valuable to God than His church....he wants it protected, especially from the devastating damage that is caused by division, conflict, and disharmony.  If you are part of God's family, it is your responsibility to protect the unity where you fellowship." p161

"Focus on what we have in common, not our differences.  Paul tells us, 'Let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony, and on the ground of one another's character.' As believers we share one Lord, one body, one purpose, one Father, one Spirit, one hope, one faith, one baptism, and one love.  We share the same salvation, the same life, and the same futures - factors far more important than any differences we could enumerate. These are the issues, not our personal differences, that we should concentrate on.

We must remember that it was God who chose to give us different personalities, backgrounds, races, and preferences, so we should value and enjoy those differenced, not merely tolerate them.  God wants unity, not uniformity.  But for unity's sake we must never let differences divide us.  We must stay focused on what matters most - learning to love each other as Christ has loved us." p161-2

"Conflict is usually a sign that the focus has shifted to less important issues, things the Bible calls 'disputable matters.'.....   But if we concentrate on loving each other and fulfilling God's purposes, harmony results. " p162

"Divorcing your church at the first sign of disappointment or disillusionment is a mark of immaturity.  God has things He wants to teach you, and others, too.  Beside, there is no perfect church to escape to.  Every church has its own set of weaknesses and problems. You'll soon be disappointed again." p162

"The sooner we give up the illusion that a church must be perfect in order to love it, the sooner we quit pretending and start admitting we're all imperfect and need grace.  This is the beginning of real community." p163

"God warns us over and over not to criticise, compare, or judge each other.  When you criticise what another believer is doing in faith and from sincere conviction, you are interfering with God's business: 'What right do you have to criticise someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right.'" p164

"It's the devil's job to blame, complain, and criticise members of God's family.  Anytime we do the same, we're being duped into doing satan's work for him.  Remember, other Christians, no matter how much you disagree with them, are not the real enemy." p164

Point to Ponder:

It is my responsibility to protect the unity of my church.

Verses to Remember:

"Let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony and the growth of our fellowship together." ORMANS 14:19 (Ph)

Question to Consider: 
What am I personally doing to protect unity in my church family right now?

Day 20 - Restoring Broken Fellowship

[God] has restored our relationship with Him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:18 (GWT)

"God wants us to value relationships and make the effort to maintain them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, a hurt, or a conflict." p152

"...our ability to get along is a mark of spiritual maturity." p152

"If you want God's blessing in your life and you want to be known as a child of God, you must learn to be a peacemaker."p153

"Sometimes we need to avoid conflict, sometimes we need to create it, and sometimes we need to resolve it.  That's why we must pray for the Holy Sprit's continual guidance." p153

"Restoring broken fellowship is so important, Jesus commanded that it even takes priority over group worship.  He said, 'If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right.  Then and only then, come back and work things out with God.'"p154

"Patience comes from wisdom, and wisdom comes from hearing the perspective of others." p156

Point to Ponder:

Relationships are always worth restoring.

Verses to Remember:

"Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody" ROMANS 12:18 (TEV)

Questions to Consider: 

Who do I need to restore a broken relationship with today?

Day 19 - Cultivating Community

You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honour.

JAMES 3:18 (Msg)

They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.

ACTS 2:42 (Msg)

"Unfortunately, many people grow up in families with unhealthy relationships, so they lack the relationship skills needed for real fellowship.  They must be taught how to get along with and relate to others in God's family." p145-6

"While it is much easier to remain silent when others around us are harming themselves or others with a sinful pattern, it is not the loving thing to do... Many fellowships have been sabotaged by fear: No one had the courage to speak up in the group while a member's life fell apart." p146

"Paul's solution was straightforward: "No more lies, no more pretence.  Tell your neighbour the truth.  In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all.  When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself." p147

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.  Humility is thinking more of others.  Humble people are so focused on serving others, they don't think of themselves." p148

"In every church and in every small group, there is always at least one 'difficult' person, usually more than one.  These people may have special emotional needs, deep insecurities, irritating mannerisms, or poor social skills.  You might call them EGR people - 'Extra Grace Required'. p149

God put these people in our midst for both their benefit and ours.  They are an opportunity for growth and a test of fellowship: Will you love them as brothers and sisters and treat them with dignity?" p149

"Real community happens when people know it is safe enough to share doubts and fears without being judged." p150

"You have to spend time with people - a lot of time - to build deep relationships.  This is why fellowship is so shallow in many places in many churches; we don't spend enough time together, and the time we do spend in usually listening to one person speak." p150

Point to Ponder:

Community requires commitment.

Verse to Remember: 

"We understand what love is when we realise that Christ gave His life for us.  That means we must give our lives for other believers. " 1 JOHN 3:16 (GWT)

Question to Consider: 

How can I help cultivate today the characteristics of real community in my small group and my church?

Day 18 - Experience Life Together

Each one you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace.

COLOSSIANS 3:15 (CEV)

How wonderful it is, how pleasant, for God's people to live together in harmony! 

(PSALM 133:1 (TEV)

"God intends for us to experience life together.  The Bible calls this shared experience fellowship." p138

"When it comes to fellowship, size matters: smaller is better.  You can worship with a crowd, but you can't fellowship with one." p138

"Authenticity is the exact opposite of what you find in some churches.  Instead of an atmosphere of honesty and humility, there is pretending, role-playing, politicking, and superficial politeness but shallow conversation.  People wear masks, keep their guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in their lives.  These attitudes are the death of real fellowship." p140

"...being authentic requires both courage and humility.  It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again.  Why would anyone take such a risk?  Because it is the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy." p140

"You can't have fellowship without forgiveness.  God warns, "Never hold grudges," because bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship.  Because we're imperfect, sinful people, we inevitable hurt each other when we're together for a long enough time.  Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship." p142

"God's mercy to us is the motivation for showing mercy to others.  Remember, you will never be asked to forgive someone else more than God has already forgiven you." p142

"If someone hurts you repeatedly, you are commanded by God to forgive them instantly, but you are not expected to trust them immediately, and you are not expected to continue allowing them to hurt you." p143

Point to Ponder: I need others in my life.

Verse to Remember: "Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ." GALATIAN 6:2 (NLT)

Questions to Consider: What one step can I take today to connect with another believer at a more genuine, heart-to-heart level?

Day 17 - A place To Belong

You are members of God's very own family, citizens of God's country, and you belong in God's household with every other Christian.

EPHESIANS 2:19b (lb)

God's family is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

1 TIMOTHY 3:15b (GWT)

"We are created for community, fashioned for fellowship, and formed for a family, and none of us can fulfil God's purpose by ourselves." p130

"In God's family you are connected to every other believer, and we will belong to each other for eternity." p130

"Following Christ includes belonging, not just believing." p131

 "A church family helps you develop spiritual muscle.  You never grow to maturity just by attending worship services and being a passive spectator.  Only participation in the full life of a local church builds spiritual muscle." p134

"Isolation breeds deceitfulness, it is easy to fool ourselves into thinking we are mature if there is no one to challenge us.  Real maturity shows up in relationships." p134

 "The church is God's instrument on earth.  We are not just to model God's love by loving each other; we are to carry it together to the rest of the world." p135

"'Mind you business' is not a Christian phrase.  We are commanded to be involved in each others lives." p135

"Satan loves detached believers, unplugged from the life of the Body, isolated from God's family, and unacceptable to spiritual leaders, because he knows they are defenceless and powerless against his tactics." p136

"The difference between being a church attender and a church member is commitment.  Attenders are spectators from the sidelines; members get involved in the ministry.  Attenders are consumers; members are contributors.  Attenders want the benefits of a church without the responsibility." p136-7

Point to Ponder:  

I am called to belong, not just believe.

Verse to Remember: 

" In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." ROMANS 12:5 (NIV)

Question to Consider: 

Does my level of involvement in my local church demonstrate that I love and am committed to God's family?