Connect

October 12

One of my husband's new jobs is heading up the small group ministry at our church. They are called Connect Groups.  Our group meets once a week in our home.  The encouragement, love, insight and accountability being part of a group like this brings to life is truly valuable.  So many people walk into church Sunday, fill themselves up and walk out, never connecting with the Body of Christ.

That isn't how God intended the church to operate.

Ephesians 4:12-16

"...for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ,

 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.  As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love."

Let's evaluate the six days between Sundays and how we exhibit these actions with other individuals (outside our household) who are part of our church.

1) Help equip them for service

2) Build them up, encourage them in some way

3) Have a discussion and be unified over our faith as believers at a time when our world is not like    minded.

4) Impart some knowledge we've unlocked about God in our studying or quiet time.

5) Speak the truth in love to someone discouraged/unable to stand strong or drifting away from their faith.

6) Affirm the spiritual growth we've seen in them.

7) Join forces together in a work for the Lord

8) Make another member of the Body of Christ feel loved and appreciated.