Angie and I met a lady in a restaurant last week. Our conversation turned to spiritual matters rather quickly. She indicated that it was hard for her to find a church family. I asked her, “What are you looking for in a church?” She said, “I really need female friends.” That conversation stirred my heart. Is it easy to establish friendships in our church family?
It’s a sad day when a believer feels that he or she is walking the pathways of life alone. God created you and me for community. He wants us to relate with other people. As disciples, the church matters.
You and I need friends that will walk with us in all seasons of life; we need friends that will ask us hard questions; and we need friends that will speak the truth to us in love (Eph. 4:15).
John Wesley was a disciple and Christian leader who knew the importance of having people in your life. His intimate relational network focused on truth, righteousness, holiness, and maturity. As Wesley met with his friends, the following questions were commonplace. I give them to you and welcome you to consider asking them to people in your relational circles.
- Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
- Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
- Do I confidentially pass onto other people what was told me in confidence?
- Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
- Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
- Did the Bible live in me today?
- Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?
- Am I enjoying prayer?
- When did I last speak to someone about my faith?
- Do I pray about the money I spend?
- Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
- Do I disobey God in anything?
- Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
- Am I defeated in any part of my life?
- Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
- How do I spend my spare time?
- Am I proud?
- Do I thank God that I am not like other people, especially the Pharisee who despised the publican?
- Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward, or disregard? If so, what am I going to do about it?
- Do I grumble and complain constantly?
- Is Christ real to me?
Those are challenging questions. Do you have people in your life that you can ask those questions to, and in return, they can ask them to you? If so, you’re a blessed person. I pray you establish deep and personal friendships among your church family.
Tom Cooney, several student leaders, and many students are at Daytona Beach this week. Let’s continue to pray for their personal safety, relational connections, spiritual development, and open hearts. May the Lord speak and draw them near to Him this week!
In a few weeks, our first mission team leaves for the Dominican Republic. We’re sending two mission teams, consisting of twenty-five people to the DR. Our goal is to make disciples that love upward, inward, and outward. I’ll list for you specific ways to pray for the teams in the coming days.
As you and I talk with people, let’s be quick to invite them to attend Sunday school and worship, or let’s encourage people to connect with Bradfordville online at bradfordville.org. I love to encourage people I meet to check us out online and to watch the live stream each Sunday. What a great way to proclaim Jesus outside the walls of our church facility!
Your invitation could be what God uses to change a life!
Thanking God for Faithful Friends,
Pastor Ronny
Galatians 6:2