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CURRENT RADIO SERIES God's Secrets   CURRENT TV SERIES Unchained

“… but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” --John 15:15 Today I want to talk to you about making a commitment to a local church. Now, I know you may think, “Pastor, I’m not really into institutions.” Well, I’m not either. But as friends of Jesus, you and I are also called to be friends with other friends of Jesus, and that’s his church. That’s why choosing a church is one of the most significant choices you will ever make in your life. But not just any church will do. You have to look for a church that’s committed to seeing people grow in Christ Jesus. Thriving and healthy churches have some important characteristics in common. So when you’re looking, you will want to look for a church where:   Jesus is loved and celebrated. The Word of God is proclaimed, taught, honored, and believed. Service is not an option, but where every member is called to ministry. People are coming to Christ and lives are being changed. Friendships are nourished and families are strengthened. While there are no perfect churches, there are many that love Jesus and that are passionate about him and his call on their lives. That’s the kind of church we all need to be a part of as believers! So if you want to grow in Christ, ask him to help you commit yourself to a local church, and to the friends of Jesus who are there. And as you do, you will find that your friendship with God grows increasingly vital, healthy, and fulfilling.   CHOOSING A CHURCH IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHOICES YOU WILL EVER MAKE.

A Choice of Building Materials

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.”
1 Corinthians 3:12–14

There is an old story of a man who dreamed of visiting Heaven. In his dream, after he was shown through the wonders of the beautiful city, he asked to see the mansion where he would be living for eternity. To his shock, he was taken to a run down shack that looked completely out of place among the surrounding splendor. When he asked why this tiny and dilapidated building was to be his eternal home, he was told, “We did the best we could, but this was all we could build out of the materials you sent ahead.”
While the Bible does not teach that our mansions in Heaven are built from materials we provide, it does teach that there are rewards for those who are faithful in their service and diligent in their stewardship of what God has provided. Each of us faces the choice between living for what is eternal and living for what is temporal. And while we may be able to deceive those around us, the fire of God’s judgment will reveal the truth.
There are some whose lives are judged a great success by those around them because of their material prosperity, but if that God-given increase is not put to work for His kingdom, then there will be only ashes left when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. The truth that eternal reward awaits should motivate us to choose our building materials with great care so that we will be glad when we stand before the Lord.
 

Today’s Growth Principle: 

The choices we make with our resources in this life impact the rewards we will receive in Heaven.