Deepening Family Bonds

Matthew 12:49-50; Hebrews 10:24-25

Who are the people you would say know you most completely? For most of us that is our family, whether the family we grew up in, our spouses and/or children or the “families” we have created out of our friends. We often use family descriptors for those people such as, “he is like a brother to me,” “she is my second mother,” etc. Jesus uses the language of family when he talks about his followers, calling them brothers, sisters, and mothers. He expects the church to function as a family. Part of being a family involves spending time together and knowing each other well. Jesus calls us to sacrificially work alongside each other to bring the good news about him to the world. It is difficult to really give sacrificially alongside others without first building a foundation of love and trust with those we are working with. Developing those relationships requires time and energy, but that time and energy will be well spent. Just as with the other “family” relationships in our lives, we will find that we often receive back much more than we give.

Questions for further thought:
1. Who can I name that I would consider close members of my church family?
2. In what ways am I working to develop deeper relationships with my church family?

​Challenge: If you are not currently involved in a small group setting find a group you can participate in. On the church center app you will find a variety of small groups such as Bible studies, fellowship, and service groups where you can get to know other church members on a deeper level.