Growing as part of the body of Christ

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CURRENT RADIO SERIES Songs of Encouragement   CURRENT TV SERIES Songs of Encouragement

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  Romans 12:4-5 Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? That question so often becomes the litmus test of what it means to be a Christian today. Everywhere you turn you hear Christians talk about things like “my personal faith” and “Jesus is my personal Lord and Savior.” Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely believe that placing your faith in Jesus Christ is a personal decision that only you can make. But how often do you see Christians emphasize the personal nature of our faith only to forget the corporate nature? The word corporate comes from the Latin word corpus, which means “body”—and that’s exactly what I’m talking about! You and I are part of the body of Christ and not one of us can live the Christian life alone. Unfortunately, much of the Western world has adopted a “Lone Ranger” mentality when it comes to faith. But God never meant it to be this way! Even before the fall of man, God knew that it was “not good that the man should be alone” (Genesis 2:18). And from eternity past, God existed in three persons—Father, Son, and Spirit—because he knew that community was so important. So get away from the “Lone Ranger” mentality and live in community. Only then will you begin to grasp what God can do when the many members of the body act as one! LIVE IN COMMUNITY AND WATCH GOD DO SOMETHING AMAZING! Victory over Stress by Dr. Paul Chappell “And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.” Judges 6:14–16 Many people in our society struggle with stress. A study by AARP a few years ago identified approximately $300 billion in costs—medical care, lost time from work, etc.—associated with stress. In their survey, four out of ten adults said they had trouble sleeping because of stress, slightly over half had serious worries about their health, and seventy percent worried about their jobs. While some worries are based on what might happen, others are based on real problems. As someone put it, the leading cause of stress is reality. The situation Gideon faced when God called him to deliver Israel was certainly stressful. The Midianites had overrun the country, stealing the food that the Israelites grew. Things were so bad that Gideon was hiding just to thresh his wheat so that it too would not be stolen and there would be something to eat. He greeted the news that he had been chosen to lead a great military campaign with amazement. He did not understand how a victory was possible. But God told Gideon the one thing that would make all the difference—that God would be with him. This is the same promise that Jesus made before He returned to Heaven: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:20). The burdens may be real, but His presence provides peace.   Today’s Growth Principle:  The promise of God’s presence is our hope of victory, not only over obstacles, but over stress and worry as well.