Forgiving The Unforgivable

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”  Matthew 6:14-15.

Louie Zamperini made a prayer while in a lifeboat adrift in the Pacific Ocean that would change his life. He prayed “if you will save me, I will serve you forever.”

He’d been saved from death on the high seas and death at the hands of his tormentors. He’d made it through the endless humiliations and indignities of life in a rat-infested prison camp. He made it through the first part of the prayer, but it was too much to give up revenge against the Japanese soldier, the Bird, who had tortured him. But when Louie accepted Jesus at a Billy Graham crusade all that changed. He lost his desire to kill the Bird.  He no longer hated the guards who’d tortured him.  All the anger and bitterness was gone. He wanted to do the right thing, but could he do it. Could he go back to Japan, to see the people who’d tormented and humiliated him? What if it meant talking with the guards who’d beat and starved him?  What if it meant … forgiving … them?

Louie decided he had to return to Japan and to visit Sugamo Prison. Many of his former guards were serving sentences there. Louis forgave his former captors and during a speaking tour in Tokyo in 1952, Louis had the opportunity to meet with prisoners at Sugamo prison, which was filled with 850 Japanese war criminals. After speaking to the prisoners,  Louis had requested to meet with his former guards personally. “I looked out and saw them coming down the aisle and, of course, I recognized each one of them vividly. I didn’t even think of my reaction—I jumped off the stage, ran down and threw my arm around them, and they withdrew from me. They couldn’t understand the forgiveness. We went in the room and there, of course, I continued to press the issue of Christianity, you see. And all but one made a decision for Christ.”

One former Japanese soldier wondered how he could forgive these men who treated him so badly. Louis responded, “well, Mr. Sasaki, the greatest story of forgiveness the world’s ever known was the cross. When Christ was crucified He said, ‘Forgive them Father, they know not what they do.’ And I said, ‘It is only through the Cross that I can come back here and say this, but I do forgive you.’” Then he responded to the invitation to become a Christian. 

Louis even attempted to meet with the Bird, but he refused. Instead, Louis sent him a letter which expressed his forgiveness. Here are the words that he wrote to The Bird, the man that tortured and dehumanized him as a POW for so many months:

To Mutsuhiro Watanabe,

As a result of my prisoner of war experience under your unwarranted and unreasonable punishment, my post-war life became a nightmare. It was not so much due to the pain and suffering as it was the tension of stress and humiliation that caused me to hate with a vengeance. Under your discipline, my rights, not only as a prisoner of war but also as a human being, were stripped from me. It was a struggle to maintain enough dignity and hope to live until the war’s end.The post-war nightmares caused my life to crumble, but thanks to a confrontation with God through the evangelist Billy Graham, I committed my life to Christ. Love has replaced the hate I had for you. Christ said, “Forgive your enemies and pray for them.”As you probably know, I returned to Japan in 1952 and was graciously allowed to address all the Japanese war criminals at Sugamo Priso.  I asked them about you, and was told that you probably had committed Hara Kiri, which I was sad to hear. At that moment, like the others, I also forgave you and now would hope that you would also become a Christian.”

More than just a tale of courage and resilience, Louis Zamperini’s life is a powerful look at the transforming grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your current impressions of forgiveness? (A one time event? A forgone conclusion? Something you earn? Always available? Something you offer? Impossible?)
  2. What puts you off or draws you in about forgiveness?
  3. Do you think you could forgive the Bird if you were in Louie’s shoes?
  4. Do you believe that forgiveness can also bring healing? 

Broken By Grace

“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”    Romans 3:20-24.

When you watch the movie or read the book, Unbroken seems a fitting title. Unbroken is the journey of a remarkable man, Louis Zamperini. It is a tale of daring, defiance, persistence, ingenuity, and the ferocious will of a man who refused to be broken. In the book and the movie, Louie’s unlikely, inspiring story comes alive. It makes you wonder at what point can a person be broken.

The bullies he faced in high school in the 1920’s couldn’t break him, although they tried. The injustice done to him by other runners as he raced to beat records didn’t break him. The severe homesickness that accompanied his military service couldn’t break him. His plane crash into the Pacific on May 27, 1943 didn’t break him. Some 47 days drifting on a raft in the ocean couldn’t break him. The sharks that attacked him from the water while the Japanese strafed his raft from the sky didn’t break him. Burying a fellow soldier at sea couldn’t break him. A storm that nearly swamped his raft didn’t break him. Surviving on rainwater, fish, and seabirds until he was picked up by a Japanese patrol boat didn’t break him. His Japanese captors who taunted and tortured and nearly starved him for two and a half years couldn’t break him. The mental agonies stirred up by the tortures of “The Bird” haunted him, but didn’t break him. But, eventually, Louie was broken.

On September 1949, at a Billy Graham crusade, Jesus Christ broke him. Billy Graham came to Los Angeles for a three-week campaign to bring the city to Christ. Louie was reluctant to attend but did go and on the second day he came forward to receive Christ. Here is his account: “I dropped to my knees and for the first time in my life truly humbled myself before the Lord. I asked him to forgive me for not having kept the promises I’d made during the war, and for my sinful life. I made no excuses. I did not rationalize, I did not blame. He had said, ‘whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved,’ so I took him at His word, begged for His pardon, and asked Jesus to come into my life.”

Louie’s conversion put his entire life in context. The Lord’s sovereign work in saving Louie—in breaking him with a reality of his sin and turning him toward Christ in faith—made sense of all that had gone before and all that followed.

In short, the story of Louie Zamperini is that of a man unbroken by war, but broken by grace. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does the word “grace” mean to you?
  2. Are there circumstances /events in your life that have led you to where you are now? Or in other words, do you believe God’s grace is transformational? 
  3. Do you have difficulty with the idea of being broken in order to be made whole?
  4. How can I model God’s gift of grace in my life?

Troubled Waters

“The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.” —Psalms 9:9-10.    

Hollywood loves stories where a person faces insurmountable odds and comes through in the end because it is discovered they can handle more than anyone thought possible. That was Louie Zamperini’s story for sure. He was a very promising runner. In his teens, he qualified for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. With an amazing finish there in the 5000 meters, there were many who thought that he would be the first to break the 4-minute barrier in the mile. With so much promise, he was a favorite to lead the U.S. track team into the 1940 Olympic Games. But World War II changed all that.

On May 27, 1943, as Louie and an airplane crew were flying a search mission over the Pacific Ocean, mechanical failure sent their plane spiraling into the ocean. Miraculously, Louie and two other crewmembers survived: pilot Russell Allen Phillips and tail gunner Francis McNamara. Adrift on a pair of life rafts with only meager provisions, the trio spent the next several weeks braving blistering heat, hunger, dehydration and circling packs of sharks. On one occasion, machine gunners from a passing Japanese bomber strafed the airmen, deflating one of their rafts and leaving the other on the verge of ruin. Zamperini and his fellow castaways survived on rainwater and the occasional captured bird or fish, but all soon saw their weight drop below 100 pounds, and McNamara perished after 33 days at sea. Zamperini and Phillips remained adrift for another two weeks before being captured by the Japanese Navy near the Marshall Islands. By then, the men had drifted an astonishing 2,000 miles.

Like Zamperini, you may be feeling like you’re floating in the middle of a vast ocean with no plan at all and no help in sight. You feel like things are going from bad to worse. You wonder if God knows that you exist. You wonder if He even cares. You wonder if He is really out there, if He really is with you. Isaiah 61:1 reminds us: ”The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.” 

All does not go right. Life may never be exactly what you hoped. Sometimes it gets worse when you least expect it. But that is why Jesus came. He came to comfort the brokenhearted, to bring the good news of rescue and help to you. If suffering and pain are breaking your heart today, hear the Good News of Jesus’ healing grace for you. The Savior who died for you and rose from the dead has overcome everything that would cause you to be in troubled waters. He will bring you safely to land. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some good things that can come from going through a difficult or challenging time in your life? Can you think of a time when you realized the meaning of an experience or troubles in your life after the fact? How so?
  2. Was there a time when you went around, over or under a difficult situation instead of going through it? In hindsight, do you think the outcome would have been different if you chose to go through it instead? 
  3. According to Psalm 42:5, what are the two things we can do to help us through tough times?
  4. What can we do this week to be better prepared for the tough times in our lives?

Broken Vessel

“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted. And saves those who are crushed in spirit.” – Psalms 34:18.

Every life has a story, it is just that some are a little more interesting than others. Louis Zamperini, on the other hand is quite a story. That story is told in the movie Unbroken. Unbroken is a World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption.  The film begins with the trouble-making son of Italian immigrants, chronicles his unlikely and meteoric rise to fame as an Olympian, displays some of the unspeakable horrors of war, and highlights the resilience and strength even weak men can have in the face of agonizing pain and unrelenting terror. After a plane crash into the ocean, Louie and two fellow soldiers were trapped on a raft for 47 days before they were captured by the Japanese. The Bird — the military officer who held and mercilessly tortured Louie — is sadistic.

After the war, Louie returned to his childhood home in California. He returned home unable to shake the memories of his Japanese torturer. His life began to spiral out of control. He decided he could only find peace if he killed the Bird. He invested all his family’s money trying to scrape together enough to finance his murderous dream. Bloody vengeance against Mutsuhiro Watanbe had become an obsession.

Everything changed in the fall of 1949. Billy Graham led Louie Zamperini to the Lord. He was not the worthless, broken, forsaken man that the Bird had strived to make of him. In a single, silent moment, his rage, his fear, his humiliation and helplessness, had fallen away. That morning, he believed, he was a new creation. His thirst for revenge was swept away.

Louie visited the prison where so many bad memories were created. He stood there and looked into the eyes of the very men who had tortured him. He was face to face with the men who caused his pain and humiliation. How did he respond? Not the way you, or the Japanese guards expected him to behave. Louie was seized by childlike, giddy exuberance. In bewilderment, the men who had abused him watched him come to them, his hands extended, a radiant smile on his face.  He was different thanks to Jesus and was ready to forgive those who had caused him so much pain. 

The book documents a letter Louie wrote to the Bird: “As a result of my prisoner of war experience under your unwarranted and unreasonable punishment, my post-war life became a nightmare. . . . But thanks to a confrontation with God through the evangelist Billy Graham, I committed my life to Christ. Love replaced the hate I had for you.”

Discussion Questions:

  1. You may know nothing about Louis Zamperini, but based on Sunday’s message, what words would you use to describe him?
  2. Think about a time in your life when you struggled with something you didn’t think you could overcome. How were you able to get through it? Did you see God’s power at work through your situation?
  3. Is there someone in your life that you need to forgive?
  4. Pray and ask God to help you have proper perspective in your trials. Pray that He would be glorified through your struggle, and ask Him for strength to persevere. Thank Him for His faithfulness, even when you cannot see Him working.

Why Did God Allow That To Happen?

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:8-11.

We are looking at the movie The Impossible this week as part of our At The Movies series. No movie can capture or duplicate the devastation of the 2004 tsunami that the film is based on. Over 227,000 people died. Nor can the movie capture the human suffering of hospitals overflowing with the injured. Or the survivors searching for missing loved ones by studying the walls covered with pictures of the hospitalized. And no film can capture the grief when their worst nightmare is realized and they find their loved ones in makeshift morgues. So many families were shattered on that day.

It is easy to look at the carnage of this movie, glance skyward and ask “why would God allow this to happen?” It is hard to grasp that the God of love would be involved in such a horrific natural disaster.  The tsunami happened because God chose to let it happen. The question is why?  I can’t begin to answer that question, but I will say this. Our challenge is to continue to believe God and to trust Him in the midst of horrendous devastation. 

What we need to realize is that God can be trusted, even when it seems as if He is not on our side. We have to point people to the fact that God has intervened in our planet by sending Jesus Christ. There we see the love of God most clearly. The other thing you need to realize is that time is short and eternity is long. Sometimes we reverse that. The values that we have here on this earth, although life is precious, the fact is, earthquakes do not increase death. Everybody is going to die someday. But we also need to remember that God has already dealt with evil – moral and natural (floods, hurricanes) – through the cross and the resurrection. God has acted and evil has been given a death sentence. It’s not as if God allows bad things to happen and that’s his final word.

Let me close this devotional with this illustration. All of Job’s 10 children died in a natural disaster. There was a wind storm that blew down the house. (Job 1:18-19) Job was confronted with the fact that because of a natural disaster, there are 10 fresh graves on the hilltop. So now what is he going to do? His wife tells him to curse God and die. But Job said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”  (Job 1:21) Job shows us it is possible to worship God even without explanations, even when we don’t know all the reasons.

Discussion Questions:

  1. It’s during our “very bad days” that we wrestle with the question of “why does God allow this?”  Why do you think God allows bad things to happen to you?
  2. When we go through difficulties, there is a definite purpose awaiting us down the road. Agree or disagree?  Can a tragedy be a blessing in disguise?
  3. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” The “all things” in that verse means exactly what it says. All things. Do you believe that means bad things as well as good things.
  4. Pray and ask God for the strength to trust Him in times of tragedy and trials.

We Are Not Statistics

“ For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” –   1 Corinthians 9:19-23

The tsunami depicted in the movie The Impossible resulted in approximately 227,000 fatalities. The Belon family very nearly were additional statistics. But those are not just numbers, they are people. 

How do we look at the lost? Are they statistics? Are they simply additional numbers in the total number of people who do not attend church or believe in Jesus Christ? And the still bigger question is, do we treat them as statistics? It is difficult when the total numbers are so large and it seems your efforts won’t make much of a difference. But you can make a difference. It is worth the effort to win one person to Jesus. But it often requires more work than we expect.

You meet someone and after a few conversations – at work, or school or in the neighborhood – you invite the person to church. They explain that they have a lot going on, but thanks for the invite anyway. What they are actually saying is probably something like this: “Since you are not taking an interest in what interests me, how do you expect me to take an interest in what interests you.”

It is great that we invite someone to church but is that as far as our Christian interest extends? It’s almost like we have fulfilled our responsibilities to them. They probably feel like an obligatory target or worse a statistic. Most people will not drop all their beliefs just to accept yours. We need to show an interest in what’s interesting to them instead of expecting them to be interested in Jesus the first time we mention the Savior’s name.   

What was Jesus’ major secret of being effective? He loved sinners. The religious leaders got upset when He was talking and eating with sinners. In Luke 15: 1-7, answering the charges that if He was really spiritual he would not be eating with sinners, Jesus said, “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? …In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”

People matter to God so they should matter to us. They are not statistics. God Himself became a man and left us an example of how we should care for the lost, then exhorted us to follow in His steps. Jesus stated His purpose, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10). We should make His mission our mission.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you view those people you know who are far from the heart of God? How invested are you in your relationship with people you know who are far from the heart of God?
  2. Do you find it difficult to speak to others about God in this day and age? Why or why not?
  3. What has Jesus done in your life that you can share with others? How can you reveal God’s grace and mercy to others?
  4. Pray and ask God to provide you the wisdom to seize on the opportunities and possibilities He provides us with those far from the heart of God.

Lost And Found

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”    Colossians 4:5-6.

The Impossible is a story of survival. The movie barely starts and the fight for survival is on. Swept away from her husband and youngest sons, Maria Belon emerges from the deluge to the screams of Lucas. As the water pushes them inland, Maria swims to Lucas. After the immediate threat recedes, Maria and Lucas climb a tree and take inventory on their wounds. It quickly becomes clear that Maria needs medical attention. But how are they going to get it?  Who will see their predicament and solve their problem? There is no infrastructure. No communication. There is no app for that.

What if we had an app on our phones that measured our engagement with unbelievers? How much activity would it show? And what would we have to show for our efforts? How do we engage with unbelievers? It is always wise to look at what Jesus did.

Jesus’ entire adult life was characterized by a deep concern for the spiritual condition of the nonbeliever. He saw them as desperately lost, and His heart was broken because of that. His compassionate purpose for their well-being was deep-rooted, and He showed this concern specifically in the way He met them where they lived, fed them, taught them, and healed them. (Matthew 9:9-11; Mark 1:33-34; 6:30-42; Luke 5:1-11).

We can build relationships by spending time with those far from the heart of God. If you don’t have a relationship, it will be difficult to talk to people about God. And, if you don’t spend time, you won’t have a relationship. Be sincerely interested in what they’re interested in, even if you find it hard to be interested. Know their struggles. Encourage them. Don’t be distant. Lean in and never give up on any of them. Above all else, pray for them. When that happens, it is easier to talk to them about Jesus.

Pray for the people far from God in your life by name. Ask God to provide you with opportunities to talk to them about God.

I think it’s clear that we, in countless ways and opportunities, can and should reach out to those far from the heart of God. We can show them love by offering them a meal, a job, or friendship, and most importantly, we can introduce them to Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you describe or define evangelism? How do you think evangelism should be done? How do you do evangelism in your life now?
  2. Can I witness to others when I have my own struggles?
  3. Do you regularly pray for those far from the heart of God?
  4. Have you attended the 401 Missions class?

Let Your Light Shine

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. —Philippians 2:14-16.

“The Impossible” is a 2012 movie based on a family’s true story of surviving the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that struck the beaches of Phuket, Thailand. Married couple, Henry and Maria, are separated in the initial wave, caught by the current and dragged apart into a nightmare. The oldest son, Lucas, immediately finds Maria in the midst of the wave. Fearing another tsunami wave, Lucas guides his mother towards higher ground. Maria hears a child crying, and convinces her reluctant son they must find and help that child. “Even if it’s the last thing we do,” we should help others. That is what Maria tells her son before they rescue the crying child.

It’s incredibly easy to turn inward and think of only ourselves during our life’s storms. God calls on us to let our light shine for the world. Compassion is a key characteristic among us as followers of Christ in reaching out for those who are in need. We can pray for those who are hurting, encourage others, send a note, or provide a helping hand. We cannot help everyone in every way, but we can help someone in some way. There are people all around us who need help, and we can be that someone for at least one other person.

While waiting for his mother to recover in a Thai hospital, Lucas found himself helping individuals connect with their families. His efforts brought hope and healing to those who were hit by the wave. God works with us to carry out the impossible to help others. We can be like everyone else and focus on just surviving and taking care of only ourselves, or we can be Christ-like and turn outwards focusing our efforts on helping others who are in trouble.

We are a light that needs to shine before people. In the Gospel of John, Jesus is called “The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone…” (John 1:9). Throughout the New Testament, the followers of Jesus are called to be lights in the darkness. That often means we have to put ourselves out there, because a lamp is meant to be placed on a stand to give light to everything around it. Whether you’re timid or outgoing, you’re called to be a light to the people around you. That’s only possible if you’re taking time to interact with people and cultivate relationships while pointing everyone back to the light source, Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why do you think, or feel, God wants you to help others in times when you are going through your own storms?
  2. How does helping others during your own storm differ from what the world expects of someone experiencing a life storm?
  3. Where, or in what context, do you believe your light shines the brightest? How have you seen God use your “light” in other peoples lives?
  4. Where is God challenging you to let your light shine in a dark place?

The Unexpected Storm

“It will be a shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain.” – Isaiah 4:6.

On December 26, 2004, a massive earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra. The resulting series of tsunamis killed an estimated 230,000 people, mostly in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, and displaced almost 1.7 million. Witnesses to tsunamis report they make a roaring sound as they approach, similar to the sound of a freight train or a jet airplane as the wall of water hits the coast.This is the backdrop for the movie The Impossible.

This movie depicts real life in that sometimes it is sunny and then in the next moment the wind rises, the sky darkens, and we find ourselves in the midst of a terrible storm. Obviously most of us will never experience a storm the magnitude of the 2004 tsunami from the film, but sooner or later we will all experience storms in our lives. Maybe you are in the midst of a storm right now. By that I mean, are you facing some kind of crisis or unexpected tragedy? Maybe you are at your wit’s end. Or maybe you are losing hope. 

I would encourage you to first, trust God. Be confident that in a storm, that Jesus is with us. In a previous stormy trip across the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:35-41), Jesus was with them in the storm. However, this second time He was alone on the land praying. The disciples were left to fend for themselves (or so they thought) against the raging storm. Jesus was teaching them to live by faith.

Many times in difficult situations we feel a closeness to Jesus. However, other times we just feel like He has abandoned us. We feel forsaken. These are times we must trust in His presence. The fact is He will never leave us nor forsake us. He will take us to our intended destination in life.

The other thing to consider, and it is not easy to do in a storm, is to remember that storms can help us see our self and Jesus better. Sometimes God lets us come to the end of our human resources in order to get our attention. Those who quit relying on self, and start to have confidence in God, will discover storms to be more manageable. It is in the middle of the storm that you meet God. Jesus comes in our most desperate moments. If we know that He is personally present with us we can face the storms of life. It is in those times Jesus comes to us, just when we’re swamped and going down and says cheerfully, “Don’t be afraid,”… “Take courage. I am here!” (Matthew 14:27)  As soon as we cry for help, we will feel His hand holding us. 

 Jesus did not promise smooth sailing. But, I would rather be in a storm with Jesus than anywhere else without Him. So, if you are in a storm of life, my advice to you is to remember that Jesus will “get you to the other side.” He will not abandon you or let you down. You have His Word on it. For He Himself has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5).

Discussion Questions:

  1. Describe a time when your life was hit with an unexpected storm. How well did you endure it? What did you do when you felt like giving up? Did you experience God’s comfort during that period?
  2. What have you learned about God and yourself through the storms in your life?
  3. What helped Maria and Lucas make the right decision to help others? How can you change your thinking to let those factors move you to comfort others?
  4. Look around to see if there is someone in your life who is going through a storm in their life, and make a list of actions you can take to be a source of help, encouragement and strength. Then do those things this week.

I Love My Church Because Of The Church Family

“Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. – Romans12:4-5

I can’t say it often enough. I am grateful, blessed, excited, and humbled to be part of what God is doing in and through Northstar Church. Every pastor says this, but it is the church family that supports us completely, prays for us, and enables us to do what we do. I love that our church is highly relational. People who walk through our doors know that nobody’s perfect, anything’s possible and everybody’s welcome. As Christians, when we are rooted together in Christ we are able to withstand a lot of difficulties because we are connected together. People who walk though our doors are not a number, they are people who are a part of a bigger family.

And it is in many ways like a family. There are special relationships formed in church because people who attend church share a common bond. That is because in most cases, casual friends may care about you but very seldom do they care deeply about your soul, will pray for you, will encourage you when you are down, will love you unconditionally, and will care about where you spend eternity.  That type of relationship is often unique to the church.

1 John 1:7 says, “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” Christian fellowship is distinct from other friendships and is different from just spending time with friends. Many people have told me that the church and the relationships within the church has made such a difference in their lives. Because we were not designed to do life alone, life is better when we do life together. 

Certainly, there is no better place to do life with others than in small groups. Where else on earth are you surrounded by a group of loving friends who long for what is best for you and are willing to tolerate all your bumps along the way because they see you and themselves as working out of your salvation in Christ?

I also love that we are a praying church. Prayer is so vital, so central to being a Christian and having faithful partners that are praying for our church and for people far from the heart of God is a joy I never take for granted. Few things encourage me more than hearing how many people are praying for our church.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Do you consider the church a family? Why or why not?
  2. Do you think it is possible to do life alone?
  3. Why do you think it is better to do life together? What differences have other believers made in your life?
  4. Pray this week for your church and your role in it.