Why You Need a Church Family

 

Current Teaching Series God's Vision for the Rest of Your Life

Why You Need a Church Family By Rick Warren — September 21, 2018 "[Christ's] love has the first and last word in everything we do. Our firm decision is to work from this focused center" (2 Corinthians 5:14 The Message). You cannot fulfill the five purposes (worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism) on your own. Life is not a solo act. You were created for community. The only way you can fulfill God's five purposes is with people in your life who are giving you spiritual input. You need a church family! Why? Because the church helps you center your life on God. God didn't put you on Earth to live a self-centered life. His purpose for you is to build your life with him at the core. You were planned for God's pleasure. He made you to love you, and he wants you to love him back. God says, "I want to be the hub of your heart. I want to be the focus of your attention. I want to be the center of your life. I want to be the axis of your existence." The Bible says, "[Christ's] love has the first and last word in everything we do. Our firm decision is to work from this focused center" (2 Corinthians 5:14 The Message). How can you tell when Christ is at the center of your life? You stop worrying. Philippians 4:7 says, "It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life" (The Message). There's a word for this: worship. Whenever you focus your life on God, that's called worship. And worship is the antidote for worry. If you want to worry less, worship more. When are we supposed to worship? The Bible says, "You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week is holy because it belongs to me. No matter where you live, you must rest on the Sabbath and come together for worship" (Leviticus 23:3 CEV). God says, "Once a week I want you to come together with other believers to refocus, recalibrate, and re-center your life on me." Where are you supposed to do it? Acts 2:46 tells us, "They worshiped together regularly at the Temple" (TLB). For us, that means to gather at our local church—wherever that may happen to be. Can you see that God meant for you to be a part of a church family? When you are, it helps you focus and center your life on God so that you can fulfill his purpose for you.PLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk About It Worship is the antidote for worry. If you want to worry less, worship more. This week, when you start to worry, worship and praise God instead. How do you think your life would change if Christ were consistently (or more consistently) at the center? How can a church family help you refocus your life on God?

Our Gift: The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? God wants you to live your life in the way he designed it to be lived. He wants you to know what works best in your relationships, at work, with your health—and how to maintain peace and balance in your life. This valuable resource can help you: • Understand how much God loves you • Believe that God wants you to succeed • Embrace the meaning and purpose of your life • Prepare you for eternity LEARN MORE

Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes 6 full-length teaching CDs from Pastor Rick's series God's Vision for the Rest of Your Life. LEARN MORE

Series Summary Session 1: Choosing Your Future Session 2: Learning to Live Wisely Session 3: Embracing the Vision (The Purpose Driven Life) Session 4: Why You Need a Church Family Session 5: Enabling the Vision (Purpose Driven Giving Session 6: How to Get Ready to be Used by God PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He's the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences | Unsubscribe

 

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