Sharing All Things
by Sharon W. Betters
TODAY’S TREASURE
In our Today’s Treasure verse we see a practical application of the power of Christian community. In response to the teaching of the Word, early Christians committed to doing life together. They live out Jesus in their daily lives and they did this by depending on one another. It was in this community that they learned how to forgive, serve, and love. They experienced contentment (they received their food with glad and generous hearts) that led to generous sharing with others.
Chuck would often say that during a worship service he thought that if he wore suspenders and someone cut them, he would just fly up to heaven. The power of worshipping the living God with other believers filled his heart with such great joy, he experienced a taste of heaven. These new believers experienced a taste of heaven (awe came upon every soul) through living life with their “community group.”
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
Doing life together broke them out of a selfish mindset, showing them the power of living life together as God’s people. A Jesus centered small group creates an environment that encourages our sanctification and helps us to mature as a Christian. Note how Paul explains that God gave gifts for the purpose of helping Christians to grow:
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
Ephesians 4:11-16 ESV
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If your heart’s desire is to “no longer be a child, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes”, then intentionally commit to doing life in the context of a Christ-centered community. Attending once is not a life-long commitment. Check out different small groups in your church, i.e. a Sunday School class, a “life group”, a weekly family night Bible study. Prayerfully consider the best match for you and commit to regular attendance.
Are there other women in your life who could benefit from a daily dose of encouragement? Forward this email so they can click on this link to Subscribe to Daily Treasure to be better equipped to walk by faith on the pathway God has marked out for them.
Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.