God's Love and the Church

As I look back, I can see a remarkable difference between my first and second year of being a Christian. The first year was very lonely and discouraging, while the second year was exciting and victorious. I didn't grow during the first year, but I exploded during the second year. I believe the difference was due to the level of support.

During my first year of faith I didn't have any Christian friends and I wasn't able to attend church.  I felt trapped, and worried that I failed God.   Eventually one of my friends helped me get to church, and during that second year I grew a lot. I began to see major changes in my life as I spent time with other believers, and even found myself being mentored by two pastors. These were gifted men who encouraged me to volunteer in the church, and spent time teaching me about God and His plan for people.

God has uniquely designed and gifted each person so they can serve others in the Church, so we need to discover and develop our gifts. I learned that I'm an evangelist, and therefore, need develop the ability to communicate the gospel clearly. I also learned how to start a new ministry by working with a team to discover the needs of a community, and then organizing the team to bring solutions. It was an exciting time, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed being at church.  I saw the person I would eventually become, and had a desire to continue developing. I'm extremely grateful for the support I received from other believers, and the plan God has for His people.

Read about Christian unity in Ephesians 4:1-6 (NLT):

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.

Answer the following questions:

1. What lifestyle should Christians strive for?
2. What reasons motivate Christians to live in a new, godly lifestyle?
3. What does it mean to be united in the Spirit? How do you stay united?
4. When was the last time you disagreed with another Christian? What did you disagree about, and what was the result?