Notes of Faith July 12, 2025
The Summer Retreat: God’s People
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25
The intricacies of the human body are complex, but this we know: The parts are all interconnected—they “talk” to one another so as to maintain balance and health. And since the Bible uses the human body to illustrate the Body of Christ, there is a lesson for us: The more we “talk” with other members of the Body, the healthier the Body will be.
It’s natural for Christians to gather in familiar groups based on relationships made in church. But the summer months provide an excellent opportunity to expand our relationships with fellow Christians we may not normally interact with. Opportunities abound for cookouts, picnics, recreational gatherings, day trips, and the like. Gathering together with others, especially those we may not know well, is an opportunity for God to broaden our perspectives and deepen our relationships.
When getting together with familiar friends this summer, broaden your plans to include some new acquaintances in anticipation of God building up your life and theirs.
Christianity is all about relationships with God and with others.
David Watson
The true body of Christ is not just those who attend your church rather it is all believers in and followers of Christ. Spend time on vacation in church, wherever you happen to be, worshipping, praising, and expecting God to speak to your heart, even though it is not your usual pastor, teacher. Wherever God’s Word is spoken you should expect to be blessed, challenged, encouraged, disciplined, given hope for today and the future. Pray for opportunity. God will bring people into your life that you do not know are coming and they will be an incredible blessing. Seek to be a blessing to them also. Read and study the many one anothers in your Bible. Your gifts are wonderful and necessary, but they are meant to be used for others in the body of Christ, not to bring pride and boasting into your heart and mind.
The spiritual gifts given to each individual member of Christ’s body are for the benefit and edification of the other members. If we do not exercise our gifting the body suffers because they are missing the edification that comes from God’s gift to us. Know yourself well enough to be used by God wherever and whenever. You will be abundantly blessed now and in glory when you meet your Lord and Savior face to face!
1 Cor 12:21-26
21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; or again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." 22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Gal 6:10
10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Pastor Dale