Why Be Part of A Church?
Cole reminds us of the importance of being part of a church…not just attending a service on the weekend. Rather, being in relationship with people to spur one another on is where some real, life-value is found.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
Sunday morning may seem like a great time to sleep in, but in reality this should be one of the most important times of preparing ourselves for the game of life. We are not called to walk this life alone, but to come alongside each other (spur one another on)! To do that we have to practice with our team…how can we get better in our role on the team if we don’t ever practice?
Finding a local body of believers to do life with is like finding a great team to help sharpen our skills.
1. Be a part of the team. The Lord has blessed us with some individual gifts…but without a team to distribute those gifts we are much less effective and not able to be used to our fullest potential. This applies in sports (what good is a post without a great guard to get him the ball?) as well as our pursuit of the ultimate prize. We need a good team around us.
2. Use the gifts the Lord has given you. I Corinthians 12 talks about how the Lord has gifted us all uniquely with the idea of us all working together to bring glory to Him. Like a great player must commit to his team…we too must commit to our team. Floating from church to church consistently without putting down roots doesn’t allow us to fully develop our gifts.
3. Be challenged to grow. Christ is the head of the body…but there are other “players” He can use to grow us. Just as teams count on veteran players to show rookies the ropes we can benefit from rubbing elbows with folks who have been walking with Jesus longer than us.
Watching March Madness this year I remember seeing a senior post player who the announcers spotlighted. Their focus was how he stayed for his last year benefitting a freshman who he helped train throughout the season. As the freshman made a great move and dunked the ball the camera panned to the senior who was catching a break on the bench. You would have thought the senior player had just won MVP by his level of excitement watching the freshman “come of age”.
This is the type of relationship we need with one another. Learning and growing in our walk…all the while cheering others on who we have a chance to spur on!
Camper Corner:
Is there someone you look up to who you could ask to intentionally meet with you in order to be spurred on in your growth in Christ? Is there someone younger who you would be willing to “coach up” as they are learning and growing?
