Storm Shelter

Note to Self by Joe Thorn is a book that I now use as a daily devotional. Each day I will share the scripture passage and an expert from the book and a few of my own thoughts as part of my blog.

Scripture passage Hebrews 3: 12-13

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Section from the book

So the local church must be more than a weekly event. It needs to be your covenant community and extended family who have the right and privilege to exhort you—to speak into your life when you need it most. From words of encouragement to gentle but needed rebuke, the words of wisdom and insight are all around you. Are you listening?

 Simple thoughts

You don’t need church to become a Christian, God takes care of that. But I do believe that you do need church to survive as a Christian. Christianity is no easy life in fact it is a very hard life and a person needs a family of believers to help get them through it. But there is another but, but when you belong to a church you have to be willing to encourage one another and yes even tell someone that they are wrong. You can’t just sit in the building and take up space. When you are part of a church you need to participate. For some participating in the church life is easy for others it is harder but it is something everyone needs to work at. There is one other thing that may be much harder than encouraging someone or telling them they are wrong if you can believe that. It is actually listening if you are the one being encourage or rebuked. That goes with being part of a church as well. It’s not the church building that is a shelter in the storm it’s the church family. Once you become a Christian storm warnings are in effect and remember storms don't just come on Sunday's you need your church family the other six days of the week as well.