The Purpose of the Church Family (by Sandra Poplin)

A church family will help keep you from backsliding. None of us are immune to temptation. Given the right situation, you and I are capable of any sin. God knows this, so he has assigned us as individuals the responsibility of keeping each other on track.

The Bible says, “Encourage one another daily … so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13 NIV).

“Mind your own business” is not a Christian phrase! We are called and commanded to be involved in each other’s lives. If you know someone who is wavering spiritually right now, it is your responsibility to go after him and bring him back into the fellowship.

James tells us, “If you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back” (James 5:19 MSG).

A local church also provides the spiritual protection of godly leaders. God gives the shepherd leader the responsibility to guard, protect, defend, and care for the spiritual welfare of his flock (Acts 20:28-29; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Hebrews 13:7). We are told, “Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God” (Hebrews 13:17b NLT, second edition).

Satan loves detached believers, unplugged from the life of the Body, isolated from God’s family, and unaccountable to spiritual leaders, because he knows they are defenseless and powerless against his tactics. Don’t let him get a foothold in your life! Stay connected to your church family.

Talk It Over:
What kind of relationships will you have to develop if you want accountability with people in the Body of Christ?
How should you pray for your church leaders?
What do you need to do to reconnect with your church family?
Who do you know that needs to be brought back into your church family?

If this has inspired you, please share it!

Be a Good Neighbor, and Spend Time with Your Family on September 28!

On Monday, September 28, it is National Family Day. We, at God Inspires, encourage each of you to spend time with your families today.

Have dinner together around the supper table. Talk about what concerns you as a family and how you can grow closer to one another through-out the year.

Or, plan an outing together. Take the family to a movie, (The War Room is playing!) or a picnic in the park...just you and your family. Just because. Build good and lasting memories.

And, don't forget: make sure you pray together! After all, the family that prays together, STAYS TOGETHER! Make sure you include God in your plans. After all, without HIM, you would not be blessed with the family you have!

And, while you are celebrating, make sure you do something nice for your neighbors! Mow his yard for him without asking. Take them a rose bush to plant by their porch (better yet, plant it for them!) Paint their fence. Bake them a cake. Do something to show them that you appreciate having them in your lives. National Family Day is also National Good Neighbor Day!

Be a Good Neighbor. Jesus Christ is there!

Too Blessed to Be Depressed...

I started attending 1st Bikers Church of Texarkana in 2007, when there was a little over 25 people attending, holding service in Brother Gary's garage, where they had been since 2000. I owned a bar at the time, and I was helping a "girl of the streets" try to straighten her life out. (Still praying for her...) She is the one who introduced me to the church. If they could convince HER to attend, what WAS this church about? I wanted to see for myself.

I have never experienced such Agape Love as I have experienced from the moment I walked in. I FELT the Spirit of God there the whole service! I wanted more, so I attended again....and again.

They became family.

In 2008, I found myself homeless, but the church (1st Bikers Church) continued to teach and strengthen my resolve, they held me up with their love and their prayers. They supported me spiritually and encouraged me. They were my family.

Finally, Brother Gary said, "Shonda, when are you going to join our church and be a member?" Without hesitation, I said,

"Right now."

I watched and experienced the joy and happiness and tears and pain and heartbreak all of our members experienced when Brother Paul (My Boss is a Jewish Carpenter) joined our church and became an associate pastor, and Brother Matthew preached his first sermon (that was funny...) and went from being lead guitarist to ordained associate pastor. Me and my son who was visiting got to witness his ordination. A couple of years later, Brother Gary baptized my son.

Then the church became an official church and we grew so much that Brother Gary couldn't get us all into his garage. So we found the church we are in now.

It was a remnant of Hurricane Katrina. The old church had been gutted and junked out so bad that there were some who said it wasn't worth it. But, Joshua and Caleb's spirit prevailed in our church, and we decided to chance it. Brother Paul, a carpenter by trade, set himself to work.

During this time, we painted, threw out junk, tore down walls, and prayed. As we started rebuilding and restoring the beauty of the old church, Brother Trask, our air conditioner guy was up in the rafters putting our air system together and had a heart attack and died. This was a few short months after his conversion, over which a few weeks later he had said, "Someone oughtta put a warning label on this Christianity thing!"

Just a month later, Brother Paul when outside to test the water lines and was hit by a drunk driver and killed.

Satan was trying so hard to stop our work. We cried. We wailed, We prayed. We loved and we held each other up. We were family.

And, we didn't stop.

For the last few years God has blessed us. Even though I wasn't able to attend for about two years like I wanted, my church family was still VERY important and close to my heart. When I finally started attending again, it was like coming home to my family.

Now, Brother Gary has moved on, and Matthew C. Butler has been our Pastor for seven years. Brother Danny has just been taken from us as an AWESOME Associate Pastor. And, this experience is still ongoing. But, the love, the joy, the tears we share gives a testimony that should make all other churches jealous. I love my church family dearly.

Today, we are praying God's will for a bigger Church Building. Our church is once again busting at the seams.

I wouldn't trade them for the World. (and I mean that literally!)