The Church

by Charity Pence

Let's start this week's post by picturing the church. What do you see? A large brick building with glass doors? A small country church with a steeple and a bell?

Once you have a picture set in your mind, consider the following:

"You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22 (NIV)

Do those verses match the picture in your mind? Probably not. That's because we are the church. Read the following again: "In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temply in the Lord." I believe that verse means that when we, God's people, join together, we become God's temple. And in becoming God's temple, we become a haven that leads others to Christ. In the temple we help build, people find hope, grace, mercy, and a love like no other. How do we become the church? By recognizing our part. By showing God's love through our actions and words, and by offering forgiveness to those who have hurt us because God has forgiven us.

There's nothing wrong with the church building itself. But without us, God's children, and without His presence, it is nothing except an empty, useless building.

Dear Heavenly Father, You have called us to be so much more than what we realize. We are Your church. And by creating us to be Your church, others can come to know you not just on Sundays but every day of the week. Halelujah!

What If?

by Debby Craig

This Week's Verse: Acts 20:28, "Now it's up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God's people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for."(MSG)

Devotion:
As I looked around church last Sunday I noticed how many people I didn’t recognize. Who were they? Did I know them? Were they visiting for the first time or had they been coming for weeks and just happened to sit on “my side” this time? Whichever it was, I needed to make sure that I greeted them with a smile that would come from Christ himself.

But I don’t always do that. Do you? We sometimes get caught up in this mindset: but I don’t know who they are – I’m sure someone else knows them or invited them and I’m not in the greatest mood today so I better not say anything or look their way.

There are many, many “what if” stories we could imagine about the visitors that come through our church doors, but here is just one.

What if the visitor had fought with herself all week about finally getting there that particular Sunday morning for some unknown reason to her (read on)? What if her mother had been praying for her for as long as she could remember to come back home to the Lord? And what if that young woman ran into me or you on that very first visit--scared, away from her hometown, not knowing anyone at all--and we were in one of those “moods” and did not look her way.

What would we tell her mother? What would we tell our Lord?

Let’s be cheerful when we meet new people in church. It’s the place Our Father drew them to get loved on! Let’s greet people all over the place. Who cares who they are or what they were doing yesterday. Let’s pretend like we invited them over for dinner and are so glad to see them. If we see someone and we don’t know who they are, let’s say “Hi” – tell them our name and they will probably tell us theirs. It is a simple concept and it works. We might even get a reputation of being "the friendly person." Our whole church needs to be "the friendly person" for that matter.

Even if we weren’t born with that touchy-feely gene, the Holy Spirit can muster it up on demand. Galatians 5:22 says, "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..."

What if we submit to the Spirit?

What if we reach out to others as Christ Himself?

What if?

Father, help us to discern and follow your promptings in making people feel welcome and loved. Love them through us, in Jesus' Name.

Application:
Let’s get it started girls! Let’s not let one person slip by us or slip out that door this Christmas season. Let's impress the Lord on them so much that they leave thinking, I love these people. I know why my momma has been praying for me now. I think I’m coming back next week.

Power Verses:
John 21:15, "After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' Peter replied, 'you know I love you.' 'Then feed my lambs,' Jesus told him."(NLT)
Psalm 68:3, "But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy."(NLT)
John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."(NIV)

Olympian

by Bethany Lashbrook

This Week’s Verse: Romans 15:17, “Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.” (NIV)

Devotion:
One month ago summer was busy. My family—like most of yours—was in the midst of summer vacations, family reunions, swimming adventures, and of course, good old Vacation Bible School! For the first year, both my husband and I were able to volunteer for a week of fun! We decided to let Stacey, our children’s minister, assign us where needed. Risky? Yes. But we knew there was a great need for volunteers so we were willing to do anything, go anywhere!

It came to be that Clint and I were both needed for drama. Clint’s part came first on that Monday. He was Festus of Augustus. He was a wanna-be-athlete that won the crowd over. My part of Junia was the last night, and it went well as I proclaimed my loyalty to Christ, even as the Roman authorities were shutting down my business for that very fact. VBS was a wonderful experience for us both, and to my astonishment, it didn’t end that Friday.

John Cutshall had written in The Caller (something like) “these children will remember this VBS for a long time and will remember Rome and what it was like to be an early Christian.” I didn’t tell him this, but I was skeptical. I didn’t think that our parts would change anyone, or anything for that matter. Really, what could Clint and I have accomplished in our five minutes of drama?

A lot.

Last week, Clint and I were swinging on his grandma’s front porch when a scooter came whizzing by. Perched on this scooter were a father and his son. As soon as this boy saw Clint, he yelled “OLYMPIAN!!!” Three weeks after Clint had played Festus, this boy remembered who he was! This made my heart skip a beat!

Maybe Clint and I did make an impression on these children. Maybe they do understand the hardships of early Christians in Rome. Maybe God placed Clint and me where we were needed in order to impact at least one child, if not many more! Maybe this VBS will be remembered and Clint and I will look back on it in many years still smiling because our part in it was so fun and adventurous! Maybe, just maybe, God didn’t just change these children, but he changed Clint and me.

Often times, when we do something to bless someone else, we are the ones receiving the blessing.

This one moment, sitting on the front porch swinging, affirmed everything I believe in. My Lord, My savior loves me and wants to bless my life in big ways, in small ways, and in unexpected ways. And I’m so grateful for that.

Dear Lord, thank you for sending this child to remind me we are all needed and called to further the Kingdom of God. Thank you, Lord, for our ministers who work so hard to reach out to these children. Thank you for the many volunteers that make each year’s VBS so special. And of course, thank you for the wonderful children you send to each year’s VBS so we may teach them about you! Amen.

Application:
Is the Lord calling you to do something, but you are scared? He will stand by you. Like many, you might not quite understand the Lord’s will, but He will reveal it to you if you follow His lead.

Power Verses:
3 John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (NIV)
1 Corinthians 14:12, “Since you're so eager to participate in what God is doing, why don't you concentrate on doing what helps everyone in the church?” (MSG)

The Body of Christ

by Sara Boyer

This Week’s Verse: Romans 12:5, “…so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (NIV)

Devotion:
Recently my father-in-law, Jim Boyer, passed away. He was an incredible man. He was gifted, loving and one of the most compassionate people I have ever met. He loved Jesus and served Him. When he was in the hospital, we called out to our church family and friends for prayer. They answered, as they always do. People came to the hospital to see us, feed us, pray with us and encourage us. After he passed away, we were showered with love. We were lifted up and our burden was lighter because our church family shared it with us.

The outpouring of love we received overwhelmed some family members. They had never experienced people truly being the hands and feet of Jesus. It was an awesome witness for who Jesus really is and what it means to follow Him.

It was brought to my attention that there are people we sit next to on Sunday morning that have never experienced that kind of love. There are people who are part of our family that we don’t know. Either we have been so wrapped up in our own little world that we haven’t seen them, or they have isolated themselves from the body. There are people that are hurting and we have no idea that they are in pain. There are people who are wandering in the wilderness and want desperately to ask someone for directions. There are some people who simply need a hug.

If you are someone who is going through Sunday morning with blinders on, take them off. See the beautiful family that surrounds you and reach out a loving hand. If you are one who is hurting, don’t sit quietly! Ask someone to pray for you and with you. These connections are vital! Share your triumphs and your tragedies with your family! Take off the mask and let us see you for who you really are and know that you’re are loved. There are none of us without blemishes and scars from our past. Let us pray together, let us lavish His love on each other and let us praise and worship our Abba Father together.

Abba Father, Thank you so much for our church family. You have gifted each of us to be a vital part of the body. We know that your plan is perfect and we are so blessed when we live in community with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us embrace each other with the love and compassion that you have taught us. Amen.

Application:
Get involved. If you don’t belong to a small group or a ministry team, choose one and get started. It is so important to make connections with your church family.
If you have a burden, ask a pastor, elder, deacon, or Sunday school teacher to pray with you.
Send a card or email of encouragement to a brother or sister. Reach out to someone that you have known and also a new member or guest to the church.

Power Verses:
1 Corinthians 12:26, “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all of the parts are glad.”
Philippians 1:3, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.”
Ephesians 4:3-6, “Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit and bind yourselves together with peace. We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. There is only one Lore, one Faith, one Baptism, and only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all.”