STRONGER TOGETHER

“Though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” -Ecclesiastes 4:12

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When I talk to my friends who do not attend church, they usually take an ambivalent attitude toward church, although some have negative feelings about it. To them, church is irrelevant to life as they know it, and churches may even be viewed as harmful. My friends who attend church also seem to have a weak view of its importance. We tend to think of church as a place we go or an activity we do. So, we say things like, “I went to church yesterday.” But these views are inadequate. Church is bigger than a worship service we attend. Church is a faith-filled community. Church is a hospital for the broken. Church is a family. Church is a team striving toward a goal. This Summer, we will see that [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#strongertogether”]the church exists because we are stronger together than we are on our own.[/inlinetweet]

In spite of her imperfections, church is a gift from God. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#strongertogether”]A healthy church functioning as God designed is a place of joy, encouragement, challenge, comfort, and deep relational connection.[/inlinetweet] Ever wonder why the Bible includes the names of seemingly insignificant people like Euodia, Epaphroditus, Priscilla, Aquila, Syntyche, Clement, John Mark, Barnabas, and others? No one in this group would be described by us as a history maker, yet they are forever remembered through their inclusion in God’s word. They are included because they helped make the church stronger by their presence and their participation.

In this series, we will look at some of these unique people in the New Testament, and we will learn from them how we can be stronger together. 

-jdl