When we serve each other in love, we find the fulfillment and purpose that God has designed us for.
Reasons to Serve:
Serving kills our selfish nature.Serving helps us find and live in our passions.
Serving is investing in the spiritual growth of others.
Serving has tangible physical and mental health benefits.
We can study and know about God, but if we want to experience the abundant and life changing love of God in tangible ways, we have to move beyond knowledge and into an intimate relationship with God. It's impossible to have an intimate relationship with God without prayer. Prayer is communicating with God, sharing with Him what is going on in our lives, and learning to listen as God speaks and guides us closer toward Him.
Everyone desires community where they can belong and be known. Belonging meets our need to be part of something bigger than ourselves, and when we are known by others we feel valued and cared for. God gave us these desires for belonging and being known because he designed us to live in relationship with others and with Him.
Our desire is to be a church where everyone can be known. Part of how we achieve this is through serving together (more on that in 2 weeks) and by being in life groups.
Following Jesus and attending a church can feel complicated, but our relationship with God doesn't have to be complex. We're starting this year by focusing on simple things everyone can do to follow Jesus.
In Part 1, we began by talking about how Everyone Can Grow. God desires to lead us on a journey that takes us closer to him. This journey always involves spiritual growth.
When it comes to spiritual growth, speed and progress, matter more than distance and position.
