The Purpose Driven Life, Chapter Seventeen
A Place To Belong
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We are created for community, fashioned for fellowship, and formed for a family, and none of us can fulfill God's purposes by ourselves. While your relationship to Christ is personal, God never intends it to be private.
Many believe one can be a "good Christian" without joining (or even attending) a local church, but God would strongly disagree.
WHY YOU NEED A CHURCH FAMILY
1) It identifies you as a genuine believer.
When we come together in love as a church family, from different backgrounds, race and social status, it is a powerful witness to the world.
2) It moves you out of self-centered isolation.
The local church is the classroom for learning how to get along in God's family.
3) It helps you develop spiritual muscle.
We are commanded to love each other, pray for each other, encourage each other, admonish each other, greet each other, serve each other, teach each other, accept each other, honor each other, bear each other's burdens, forgive each other, submit to each other, be devoted to each other, and many other mutual tasks.
4) The Body of Christ needs you.
God has a unique role for you to play in his family. This is called your ministry, and God has gifted you for this assignment. Your local fellowship is the place God designed for you to discover, develop and use your gifts.
5) You will share in Christ's mission in the world.
We are not just to model God's love by loving each other, we are to carry it together to the rest of the world.
6) A church family will help keep you from backsliding.
We are called and commanded to be involved in each other's lives. If you know someone who is wavering spiritually right now, it is your responsibility to go after them and bring them back into the fellowship.
God created the church to meet your five deepest needs: a purpose to live for, people to live with, principles to live by, a profession to live out, and power to live on.
Worship helps you focus on God, fellowship helps you face life's problems, discipleship helps fortify your faith, ministry helps find your talents, evangelism helps fulfill your mission.
Joining a local church family proves your commitment to your spiritual brothers and sisters in reality, not just in theory.
Many believe one can be a "good Christian" without joining (or even attending) a local church, but God would strongly disagree.
WHY YOU NEED A CHURCH FAMILY
1) It identifies you as a genuine believer.
When we come together in love as a church family, from different backgrounds, race and social status, it is a powerful witness to the world.
2) It moves you out of self-centered isolation.
The local church is the classroom for learning how to get along in God's family.
3) It helps you develop spiritual muscle.
We are commanded to love each other, pray for each other, encourage each other, admonish each other, greet each other, serve each other, teach each other, accept each other, honor each other, bear each other's burdens, forgive each other, submit to each other, be devoted to each other, and many other mutual tasks.
4) The Body of Christ needs you.
God has a unique role for you to play in his family. This is called your ministry, and God has gifted you for this assignment. Your local fellowship is the place God designed for you to discover, develop and use your gifts.
5) You will share in Christ's mission in the world.
We are not just to model God's love by loving each other, we are to carry it together to the rest of the world.
6) A church family will help keep you from backsliding.
We are called and commanded to be involved in each other's lives. If you know someone who is wavering spiritually right now, it is your responsibility to go after them and bring them back into the fellowship.
God created the church to meet your five deepest needs: a purpose to live for, people to live with, principles to live by, a profession to live out, and power to live on.
Worship helps you focus on God, fellowship helps you face life's problems, discipleship helps fortify your faith, ministry helps find your talents, evangelism helps fulfill your mission.
Joining a local church family proves your commitment to your spiritual brothers and sisters in reality, not just in theory.