Theme:   Everyone - Where Everyone is Wanted and Everyone is Needed

Read:  James 1:5-8; 1 John1: 5-7

Think: Attending church can sometimes be like taking vitamins: you may not feel the effects right away, but if you keep at it, it pays off in the long run. Going to church has been a regular part of my life since childhood, and I can’t quite imagine my life without it. I was fortunate to grow up attending a bible-believing church that set a good course for later years, and now I’m doing the same for my kids. In this week’s sermon, I laughed when I heard Pastor Rick say, “Honesty has a seven day shelf life,” because I know exactly what he means. If I’m not weekly seeking out and then applying God’s truth to my life, I start to drift.

Drifting is such a natural part of the human experience. We barely know we are off course without something or someone giving us a course correction. My attitude drifts, my desire drifts, my motivation drifts, my perspective drifts and all of a sudden I’m shocked to find myself so far from my desired destination- Christ’s likeness. James talks about this in the bible as being double minded or being like a wave blown by the wind.

Making church attendance regular, is part of God’s plan to keep me going in the right direction. It keeps me focused on what is important, and resets my bearings when I lose my way. Coming to Timberlake helps me to distinguish truth from fiction, light from dark, and essential from non-essential. It is one of the major influences that takes me from being a wayward child to a spiritual adult.

Taking the next right step may be to build on the positive experiences you’ve had at church and try a growth group. There is nothing that represents Jesus as well as a collection of connecting Christ followers. It’s like spiritual synergy. I once read, “The rate at which a person can mature is directly proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate.” This is totally true. The process of admitting mistakes, laughing at yourself, saying you’re sorry, baring your soul, and sharing life with other Christians makes us strong and wise and more like Christ. John in the bible cuts straight to the point by saying, “But if we live in the light, as God is in the light, we can share fellowship with each other. Then the blood of Jesus, God’s son, cleanses us from every sin.”

Do: If regular church attendance is already a discipline and spiritual exercise, what other spiritual exercise will you do to keep spiritually fit? Regular bible reading, a growth group, service, or giving?

Pray: God, thank you that we get to be a part of such a great church body at Timberlake. Thank you for the people and pastors and people who volunteer and serve You. Help me to connect to the body of believers in a meaningful way and to grow into the person you want me to be.

Think: The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.