“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.” — Henri J.M. Nouwen
Archive for the ‘fellowship’ Category
Add a Personal Touch
Posted in Christianity, compassion, fellowship on August 18, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Potluck of Praise
Posted in Christian, church, expressions, fellowship, food, love, praise, unity on September 23, 2010| Leave a Comment »
46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
–Acts 2:46-47
Christian churches are known for their fellowship. In fact, it seems like there must have been a daily potluck of sorts after Pentecost in Acts 2. We see the early church had a common faith that led to a communal fellowship.
In days like today, we need to come together in a similar fashion. Think about ways that your congregation can share with one another in the joyous fellowship of Christian love and unity. Let it be casual and comfortable. Make it just a gathering that allows you to break bread and share praise and praise together.
Have every family bring a dish with a message of praise placed near it. Display the messages prominently so that all can see them. People will not only praise Sister King for her potato salad but also for overcoming the challenge of losing her husband in faith. They won’t only see Brother Gilbert as an excellent Sunday school teacher but a mighty good barbecue cook as well. Fellowship together, sharing your praise for the Lord as one.
Encountering Jesus
Posted in believers, evangelism, fellowship, gospel, outreach, relationships, testimony, The Great Commission, witnesses on August 20, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Since meeting Jesus:
- Who have you brought to Him?
- To whom have you brought Him?
It makes sense. If you have a relationship with someone and you think someone else should meet that peron, you arrange a way for the two to meet and get together. Levi held a party for his fellow tax collectors and others after leaving his tax collection table to follow Jesus. Zacchaeus hosted Jesus as well. Andrew took Peter to meet Jesus after John the Baptist showed Andrew and the disciple whom the Lord loved the Lamb of God- Jesus Christ of Nazareth. People introduce other people to Jesus. That’s how it happens.
As believers, we are to bring people to Christ and bring Christ to people. We take the Word out into the world. We bring the world face to face with its issues as we bring people into a personal encounter with Jesus Christ and the message of God’s Good News.
The believer is seeking out open opportunities to lead people to Christ daily. The believer’s chief concern is not to get people to the church for mid-morning service on Sunday. The chief concern for the believer is to take God’s Word to people who need a personal introduction to Jesus Christ.
Read Matthew 5:16; 16:24; John 1:29-46; Luke 19:1-10
Our Kingdom Worth
Posted in acceptance, assurance, Christian, fellowship, lost, salvation on August 14, 2010| Leave a Comment »
How to Make Disciples
Posted in Christianity, discipleship, evangelism, fellowship, Jesus, ministry, Operation Reach Out, outreach, relationships, The Great Commission on August 12, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Where are You Headed?
Posted in belief, church, faith, fellowship, salvation on October 1, 2009| Leave a Comment »
I want to say this with as much sincerity nd gentleness that I can muster up in times like these. There seems to be a great falling away from what we know and believe. Some of us may have started out wrong by putting our faith in the man of God rather than what he was supposed to be preaching about. Some may have taken the low road and just slid out of church through some back door or open window, but you voted with your feet and didn’t sy a word when you went out. Others just stayed and stuck around waiting for something better, so when the next big thing came along and the church wasn’t moving fast enough, you got yourself up and went to the next big thing until better things come along. It’s just sad. Faithless followers filling up pews, waiting on the “show.” They don’t want church. They want to be entertained by praise and worship duets and quartets that are professional without professing Christ. They want a preached word that may not even be the Word but that sounds good to what Paul called itching ears. It’s just sad to see.
Where are you headed? Where are you going as you go away from the church? Will you find Jesus in your escape? Will He visit you as you depart? Consider carefully how you answer. If you have one foot in the sanctuary and another foot hovering over uncertainty, please reconsider. Take a moment and pray before drifting and straying away from the flock. We’ve all been there in one way or another. Talk to an experienced Christian who has walked with the Lord for some time. We all lose people. We will suffer losses great and small, but we have assurance in Christ for our souls.
Trust God. Keep the faith. Stay strong in spite of adversity. Live like Christ, loving those around you. Stay the course.