Do you want to know if our church is healthy? Here are a few diagnostic questions that I posed to our church on Sunday (plus a few more). I urge you to ask these questions, recognizing your walk with Christ contributes to the faith, hope, and love of your whole local church:
1. Look at where we put our faith:
Do we put it in earthly measures of “success”? Or do we put it in the power of our risen and reigning Lord Jesus?
Do we work in our own power? Or do we desperately pray for God to work?
Do we tolerate idols in our heart?
Do we long for and rely upon the nourishment of God's word?
2. Look at how we love one another:
Do we truly care about one another?
Is our love toward ALL the saints (see Eph. 1:15)? Or is our love just toward those who are easy to love?
Do we forgive each other when sinned against?
Do we forbear differences of opinion and minor annoyances?
Do we speak truth to one another and point one another to Jesus?
Do we actually prioritize spending time together?
3. Look at where we find our hope.
Do we talk about the Kingdom of Heaven more than we talk about how worried we are about the politics, policies and events of this world?
Do we sing and speak of heaven with great joy and anticipation?
Do we point one another to a hope that is untouched by flesh and blood… and uncorrupted by Satan, sin, or death?
Do we courageously bear witness to Jesus Christ, recognizing that this world is not our home?
A church that is healthy will bear this kind of fruit in increasing measure. Is your walk with Christ bearing this fruit and contributing it to our church? Once you investigate for this type of fruit, thank God for the ways you see it in our church, and ask him to produce more! In addition to that, take time to tell someone in our church about how thankful you are for their faith, hope, and/or love.
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