What a week! We finally moved into our new facility and had our first service this past Sunday. It was a dream come true and still feels a little surreal. But one thing is certain--it could not have happened without the dedication and sweat of 50+ people of The Mission who gave up their Saturday and all worked like crazy together for the glory of God!
At the end of the day, as the final product began coming into focus, I was reminded that there are very few things in life as sacred as taking part in this thing called "the church," and I was overwhelmed with gratefulness and real joy at being part of such a great community of believers. God is best experienced and expressed in biblical community. This is true at so many levels, but one of the most obvious benefits of biblical community is that our joy is multiplied!
Have you ever noticed that the best moments in life are the ones that are shared? I remember getting a new truck once and being so excited to have someone to show it to and celebrate it with. The only problem was that everyone I knew seemed to be gone or unavailable. I was frantically driving around looking for someone, anyone, to be happy with me! It just wasn't the same experience by myself. Likewise, our joy is multiplied when we share together in what God is doing, knowing that it's much bigger than any one person. There is a certain joyful synergy released as we allow our lives to be joined with others and move towards what the Bible calls "fellowship."
We have a saying at our church: "Share life." It means that you don't walk it alone. You do life together. Our Pastors, Deven and Kathy, embody this value better than anyone I know. Whether it's a baby shower, a funeral, a job interview, a dream (or even getting a new truck) Pastor Deven and Kathy "share it" with you. They understand that it's not just a good Christian thing to do, it is intrinsic to the gospel itself. Paul summarized this truth this way: We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God's Good News but our own lives, too (1 Thess 2:8).
Are you doing life with anyone? I mean for real?
I don't mean that you just go to church on Sundays; would you say you experience fellowship regularly?
If not, what's stopping you?
Let down your guard, start sharing life with some people, and watch the joy multiply.
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