When you think about church, do you think of family? I know that we are taught we are brothers and sisters in Christ, (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 “Now, brothers and sisters, we ask you to appreciate those who work hard among you, who lead you in the Lord and teach you. Respect them with a very special love because of the work they do. Live in peace with each other.”) but does it really feel that way? It is supposed to. Jesus is described several times in the Bible as family.
Matthew 12:50 “My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what my Father in heaven wants.”
Hebrews 2:11 “Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.”
Romans 8:29 “God knew them before he made the world, and he chose them to be like his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.”
Galatians 3:26-27 “You were all baptized into Christ, and so you were all clothed with Christ. This means that you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
John 1:12 “But to all who did accept him and believe in him he gave the right to become children of God.”
Ephesians 2:19 “Now you who are not Jewish are not foreigners or strangers any longer, but are citizens together with God's holy people. You belong to God's family.”
1 John 3:1 “The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are his children. The reason the people in the world do not know us is that they have not known him.”
Galatians 4:6-7 “Since you are God's children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and the Spirit cries out, "Father." So now you are not a slave; you are God's child, and God will give you the blessing he promised, because you are his child.”
Romans 8:14 “The true children of God are those who let God's Spirit lead them.”
1 John 3:2 “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and we have not yet been shown what we will be in the future. But we know that when Christ comes again, we will be like him, because we will see him as he really is.”
We as a body of believers need to realize we are all family. We all need to love each other, reach out to each other and be there for one another. When the church is a family, it is then that it feels like home. How do we become more like a family? LOVE! Love every person in your church as if they were the most cherished member of your family. If everyone did this, the church would be a place people could not get enough of and it would definitely be home. It is time to stop judging others, and accept and love others no matter what they look like, no matter what their age, not matter what job they have or how much they make. It is time to realize we all have the same Father, and come together as the family he intended us to be. And for all of you prodigal sons out there, we are your family and we are just waiting for you to come back home, we will welcome you back with open arms, and open hearts.
Matthew 12:50 “My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what my Father in heaven wants.”
Hebrews 2:11 “Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.”
Romans 8:29 “God knew them before he made the world, and he chose them to be like his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.”
Galatians 3:26-27 “You were all baptized into Christ, and so you were all clothed with Christ. This means that you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
John 1:12 “But to all who did accept him and believe in him he gave the right to become children of God.”
Ephesians 2:19 “Now you who are not Jewish are not foreigners or strangers any longer, but are citizens together with God's holy people. You belong to God's family.”
1 John 3:1 “The Father has loved us so much that we are called children of God. And we really are his children. The reason the people in the world do not know us is that they have not known him.”
Galatians 4:6-7 “Since you are God's children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and the Spirit cries out, "Father." So now you are not a slave; you are God's child, and God will give you the blessing he promised, because you are his child.”
Romans 8:14 “The true children of God are those who let God's Spirit lead them.”
1 John 3:2 “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and we have not yet been shown what we will be in the future. But we know that when Christ comes again, we will be like him, because we will see him as he really is.”
We as a body of believers need to realize we are all family. We all need to love each other, reach out to each other and be there for one another. When the church is a family, it is then that it feels like home. How do we become more like a family? LOVE! Love every person in your church as if they were the most cherished member of your family. If everyone did this, the church would be a place people could not get enough of and it would definitely be home. It is time to stop judging others, and accept and love others no matter what they look like, no matter what their age, not matter what job they have or how much they make. It is time to realize we all have the same Father, and come together as the family he intended us to be. And for all of you prodigal sons out there, we are your family and we are just waiting for you to come back home, we will welcome you back with open arms, and open hearts.