When I talk about serving the church with God-given talents and gifts, people oftentimes think too small. They picture the choir singer or the Sunday school teacher. But if they don't happen to be naturallly adept at singing or teaching, they give up.
It's time we stop thinking in terms of a "Sunday only" establishment. The church is not a place or a time; it is a body of believers, each one uniquely gifted by God to guide, help, challenge, and support the rest. In fact, most service to the Lord doesn't take place inside the church building. It happens out in the world, where we do all the things that Scripture commands.
Most believers are not in a position to influence a lot of people. When we act or speak, only those closest to us notice, but a chain reaction ripples outward to affect an entire community. Paul's metaphor of body parts working together harmoniously is a helpful description of how one small action can have a widespread impact. Consider the way tensing your big toe keeps your foot stable and thereby steadies your whole body. In the same way, a gentle rebuke, a listening ear, or a loving deed benefits the church by strengthening one brother or sister, who then supports another...
We are on this earth to serve the kingdom of God and His church. And we do that by ministering to each other in small ways that steady the whole body as we give extra support to one member. In talking about such service, I am challenging you to find a need that God can meet through you.Dr. Charles Stanley Excusing Sin For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths. The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. - Proverbs 5:21-22
Have you ever been foolish enough to attempt to blame your wrong doing on the Lord?
Several years a Honduran Congressman, Julio Villatoro was charged with bigamy. When asked about the charges filed against him by his wife, the congressman replied, "I have problems with my wife, even though she knows a handsome man is not for one woman but for several. God gave me a physique attractive to women, and I take advantage of it."
Do you ever find yourself making excuses for your sin? Excuses rarely fool anyone except the person making them. They never fool the Lord. When you pardon your own wrong doing, you have set yourself on the path to self-destruction.
Don't make excuses for the sin in your life. Instead make a habit of catching yourself in the act, and go to the Lord immediately for His forgiveness and His loving correction.
How to Serve the Church
1 Corinthians 12:18-26
When I talk about serving the church with God-given talents and gifts, people oftentimes think too small. They picture the choir singer or the Sunday school teacher. But if they don't happen to be naturallly adept at singing or teaching, they give up.
It's time we stop thinking in terms of a "Sunday only" establishment. The church is not a place or a time; it is a body of believers, each one uniquely gifted by God to guide, help, challenge, and support the rest. In fact, most service to the Lord doesn't take place inside the church building. It happens out in the world, where we do all the things that Scripture commands.
Most believers are not in a position to influence a lot of people. When we act or speak, only those closest to us notice, but a chain reaction ripples outward to affect an entire community. Paul's metaphor of body parts working together harmoniously is a helpful description of how one small action can have a widespread impact. Consider the way tensing your big toe keeps your foot stable and thereby steadies your whole body. In the same way, a gentle rebuke, a listening ear, or a loving deed benefits the church by strengthening one brother or sister, who then supports another...
We are on this earth to serve the kingdom of God and His church. And we do that by ministering to each other in small ways that steady the whole body as we give extra support to one member. In talking about such service, I am challenging you to find a need that God can meet through you.Dr. Charles Stanley Excusing Sin
For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths. The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. - Proverbs 5:21-22
Have you ever been foolish enough to attempt to blame your wrong doing on the Lord?
Several years a Honduran Congressman, Julio Villatoro was charged with bigamy. When asked about the charges filed against him by his wife, the congressman replied, "I have problems with my wife, even though she knows a handsome man is not for one woman but for several. God gave me a physique attractive to women, and I take advantage of it."
Do you ever find yourself making excuses for your sin? Excuses rarely fool anyone except the person making them. They never fool the Lord. When you pardon your own wrong doing, you have set yourself on the path to self-destruction.
Don't make excuses for the sin in your life. Instead make a habit of catching yourself in the act, and go to the Lord immediately for His forgiveness and His loving correction.
- Steve Arterburn