Read
1Continue to love each other with true Christian love. 2Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! 3Don’t forget about those in prison. Suffer with them as though you were there yourself. Share the sorrow of those being mistreated, as though you feel their pain in your own bodies.
4Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
5Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said,
“I will never fail you.
I will never forsake you.”
6That is why we can say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper,
so I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?”
Reflect
I’ve been asked many times - Why is it important to go to church? I think our reading today really captures one important reason why we should gather together on a regular basis. Look at the attributes that are listed there: Love, Hospitality, Suffering, Empathy, Honor, Faithfulness, Morality. This is just a short list of what a Christian community provides us. If we remained on our own without the fellowship of other believers, we would be left to defend ourselves against all of the negativity and the stress that is life.
Isn’t it much easier to have others that we know we can depend on?
Respond
Why is fellowship with other believers important to a fruitful Christian life?
Who do you turn to when you feel down?
Take five minutes today to call a friend to encourage them and build them up.
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