WATCH LIVE
EVENTS
NORTHSTAR
GIVE
“Dependability…the problem is that many people approach church attendance with less and less commitment. When Sunday morning rolls around, if there is a perceived better option than attending church, many people take it. And this puts a lot of pressure on pastors. If your pastors are like many other pastors, they probably deal with the pressure of building a church and creating momentum. Your pastors love the city and want to reach it. They want to create a church that is thriving and growing and that feels alive when people visit. However, they are continually competing with so many other challenges: summertime weather, sunshine, a game on TV, a special event in town, kids’ sporting events, the call of the river or the beach or the mountains. We as pastors want it to be warm enough for you to come to church but not so warm that you go somewhere else and not so cold that you stay home. Funny as this sounds, it is true. I totally understand getting away… but the frequency of church attendance is changing, and it’s not changing for ‘the good.’ Our commitment to the body of Christ is lessening, and it’s not what God intended for His family. He desires for us to be committed to Him and to the spiritual family that we call the local church. He is looking for us to be the type of people who are dependable in this commitment. God rewards and honors our dependability with our worship times together. It may go unnoticed by others, but it never goes unnoticed by God.” – Excerpt from Quit Church, by Chris Sonksen
1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV) says,“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” What does it mean to you when you think of someone as steadfast? The dictionary defines it as “resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering.” Synonyms include committed, devoted, dependable, reliable, stead and faithful to name a few.
Paul is urging us to be steadfast. He is calling on you to be reliable. You need to be steadfast in the roles God has called you to fulfill in His church. God is asking you to be so dependable that people lean on you, counting on the fact that you will always be there to help keep things together. And when events occur that shake up everyone’s world a bit, God wants people to look to you as one who isn’t easily excited, shaken, or affected.
The obvious question is “can God depend on us?” What do you see in your life that others would consider you a faithful person? Are you reliable, trustworthy, dependable and one that others can count on? “Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is truly reliable?” (Proverbs. 20:6)
Discussion Questions:
- Where in your life have you shown dependability, and where do you need to start showing more dependability?
- How have you done with being someone your church family can depend on each week?