In this series we look to build a strong healthy church by asking the question “What does it mean to be a church member?”

Week 5 – Pastors and teachers are called to serve and work in the gospel ministry on behalf of God’s people. But no one has more impact on the faith of children than their parents and family. As members of the body of Christ, we are also one Christian family. How are you, even if you don’t have kids, modeling what it means to be a Christian? What are you teaching others, family members and friends, concerning priorities in life and what it means to be a member of the church? How do you speak about the church and other members? Parents are God’s representative to your children. Love is caring for each other with compassion, time, and support. True love also involves sharing law and gospel and helping those we love to know they are loved by Jesus. While God’s Word causes division in the world and families, Jesus tells us that faith in him is what will matter when everything else is gone.

Conventional wisdom says that joy is a direct result of circumstance. Our disposition is nothing more than the product of the events, conditions, and relationships of which our life consists. Therefore, it would seem that for our disposition to change, our circumstances need to change. But Jesus offers a joy that is superior. It is not a product of circumstance; it’s a product of Easter.

Easter proves that God can take what normally causes people to weep and turn it into what causes people to rejoice. Sin, death, and shame went into Jesus’ tomb. Forgiveness, life, and glory came out. Our risen Savior gives us a joy that remains constant in the highest of life’s highs and the lowest of life’s lows. Because he lives, we have deep and lasting joy.

The Believer Has Faith… Don’t Just Stand There Welcome to worship today at Morrison Zion… read more