Area of life
Church
God's family, where you belong and serve.
God might be speaking to you here if
- you keep finding reasons not to go
- you attend but nobody really knows you
- you are carrying a grudge against someone at church
- you sense you have something to give but are not using it
What this is
When you follow Jesus, you are joined to His family. The church is a body: every part needs the others, and every part has something to give.
In church you worship together, hear God's word, share communion, pray and carry each other. You also learn to love people you would never have picked.
No church is perfect. If a church has hurt you, that pain matters to God, but staying alone is rarely the answer. Ask Him to lead you to a healthy church with Jesus and the Bible at the centre.
My verses
And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. A sense of awe came over everyone, and the apostles performed many wonders and signs. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need. With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I do not need you.” Nor can the head say to the feet, “I do not need you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts we consider less honorable, we treat with greater honor. And our unpresentable parts are treated with special modesty, whereas our presentable parts have no such need. But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another. We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.
If your brother sins against you, go and confront him privately. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.
Where to next
- Go this SundayGo this week, arrive ten minutes early and talk to one person you don't know.
- Join a small groupAsk about a home group or Bible study. That is where attending becomes belonging.
- Serve somewhereHelp on one team: welcome, kids, tech, coffee, setup. Serving often shows you your gifts.
- Go to the person directlyIf someone at church hurt you, talk to them privately and gently, as Jesus says, not about them.
- Pray for your leadersPray for your pastor or leaders by name this week, then send a short thank-you.
What grows here
Pray
Jesus, thank You for making me part of Your family. Help me belong, serve and love the people in my church. Heal what has hurt me and make me a blessing.