Purpose Driven Life Day 17

Day 17, May 17th, "A Place to Belong"
  - We are called to belong, not just believe. It is not good to live life in isolation or alone. Our relationship with God is personal but it was never intended to be private. We are connected to other believers now and in eternity. We are members of His body through belonging to a church. Rick Warren says, "Church is a body not a building, an organism, not an organization." If we are not apart of a church we miss out on the second purpose in life. We discover our purpose in life through our relationships with others. Without church, our spiritual life starts to wither and then eventually dies. The first sign of someone in spiritual decline is missing church. We need to love the church as much as God does.

YOUR LOCAL FELLOWSHIP
  - God intended for church to be local, visible congregation. Rick Warren says, "The Bible says a Christian without a church home is like an organ without a body, a sheep without a flock, or a child without a family." It is important for us to become a member of our local church. For me I have been moving around for the last 9 years and have not become a member of a church but, once I settle down wherever I am at, I plan on become a member of a local church in grow to spiritual maturity.

WHY YOU NEED A CHURCH FAMILY

  1. A Church Family Identifies you as a Genuine Believer
     - We all come together in fellowship with different backgrounds and races. We love each other and get along.
  2. A Church Family takes you out of Self-centered Isolation
     - The church is like a classroom for learning how to get along with God's family. We can practice unselfish love. Ephesians 5:16 says, "Use every chance for doing good, because these are evil times." After reading and studying this book for the last 17 days, I see life differently. I look at every opportunity I am in as a way to show God's love. We need to love other believers like God does.
   3. A Church Family Helps Develop your Spiritual Muscle
     - If we are not attending church regularly as members we will not reach spiritual maturity. We won't grow spiritually by just attending services and being a passive spectator, we need to get involved. As members of God's family, our responsibilities are to love, encourage, admonish, greet, serve, teach, accept and honor each other. We also need to hear each others burdens, forgive one another, and devote our lives to God. If we are not being challenged it is easy to fool ourselves that we are spiritual mature. Going to bible study or small group can challenge us in different ways then just going to Sunday service. Rick Warren says, "We grow faster and stronger by learning from each other and being accountable to each other."
    4. The Body of Christ Needs Us
      - We are each given a spiritual gift. The church is where God designed for us to discover, develop and use our gifts. Whether your gift is teaching or serving you can serve at the church.
     5. You will Share in Christ's Mission in the World
         - God's instrument on earth is the church. We learn at the church and become better christians. One we leave the church we need to share God's word to the world. This could be to family, friends, coworkers, or even strangers.
    6. A Church Family will Help Keep You from Backsliding
       - I have backslid in my life before. When I was in college I didn't attend church regularly and I started to backslid. I am thankful I got myself back on track by senior year. No one is immune to temptation. If we are placed in the right situation we are capable of any sin. Some situations are harder for others then they are for you but, everyone has a weak area. If we are members of a church, we can be accountable to others and they can be accountable to us to help us from backsliding. If we know someone is wandering spiritually it is our job to get them back on track. I am going through this right now with my sister. I am trying to get her back on track, she has backslid in her christian life and I am working on helping her connect again. We are also accountable to spiritual leaders of the church.

IT'S ALL IN THE CHURCH
  - God created the church to meet our 5 deepest needs:
     1. Purpose to live for
     2. People to live with
     3. Principles to live by
     4. A Profession to live out
     5. Power to live on

YOUR CHOICE
   - It's our choice to become a member of a church. Being an attender versus being a member is commitment. Once you become a member you make a commitment to that church and you can start growing to spiritual maturity.

Point to Ponder: I am called to belong, not just believe.
Verse to Remember: "In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Romans 12:5
Question to Remember: Does my level of involvement in my local church demonstrate that I love and am committed to God's family?