“… 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.
Monday, August 26, 2019
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
1 Corinthians 6:18–20
When Solomon set out to fulfill David’s dream of having a permanent building for the Ark of the Covenant, to replace the tent it had been kept in since the time of Moses, he left nothing to chance. Every detail was planned and prepared. The stone blocks for the walls and the wood beams for the roof were precut to fit, “So that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building” (1 Kings 6:7).
The Temple was dedicated with massive sacrifices and thousands of singers praising the Lord. The reason they took such extraordinary steps was that they realized exactly what they were building—a holy Temple for the living God. “That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place” (1 Kings 8:29).
There has not been a Temple in Jerusalem since the Romans destroyed it in 70 AD. But there is still a temple of God on earth in each of His children, and we must not forget who we are. And just as Solomon built that Temple to be solely for the worship of God, our temples must be kept holy as well. “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:17).
Today's Growth Principle:
Never forget how seriously God takes our personal commitment to holiness.
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