Week of October 19th - Sticking Together as a Family

Key Thought:
There are many forces that constantly threaten the institutions that God has ordained in this world. These institutions such as the nation of Israel, societal/civil order, marriage, and the family have endured, and at times succumbed to, these splintering influences. The church family is another ordained institution of God.

Some prefer to view the church as an organism not an organization primarily because the Bible describes the church as the “Body of Christ.” When we operate in unity, we become an effective force for the Kingdom of God. However, when external or internal forces rip apart this spiritual family, a vital institution of God’s suddenly becomes ineffective and irrelevant to a dark world. Additionally, those within the family sense the loss of peace and fellowship that accompanies this disintegration.

We must continue to encourage unity and fellowship so we have wholeness in our spiritual lives, and so that we can be the vehicle of God’s power, bringing truth and healing to a lost and hurting world. To build this unity our biblical imperative is to practice the “one another’s” of the Bible as well as the spiritual gifts that each believer has received at the time of spiritual regeneration. There are many “one another’s” listed throughout the New Testament. For a partial list of the spiritual gifts present in the church read Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.

Bible Reading:
Monday – Romans 12
Tuesday –Galatians 5
Wednesday – Ephesians 4
Thursday – Hebrews 10:24
Friday – John 13:34, 35

Key Questions to Ponder During the Week:

1. Why do you believe that there are so many things that seem to work against God’s ordained institutions like the family and the church family?
2. What is the potential of a unified church body? What harm can happen if the unity is gone?
3. Have you discovered that there is some unexplainable ability or gift that you possess that serves the Christian body?
4. Have you benefited recently from the peculiar giftedness of another Christ follower?
5. Why do you think that in 1 Cor. 13:13, love is described as the greatest of all the gifts?