Photo is that of our youngest granddaughter, Eliana Beth Garcia, in an outfit that Grandma and Grandpa bought.
Jesus Should Be Central to Who We Are
From 1 Corinthians 3: 10According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 16 Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. 18 Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, you should become fools so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," 20 and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." 21 So let no one boast about human leaders. For all things are yours,22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.
Is your life thriving? Is your church thriving? Who or what is at the center of your life? Who or what is at the center of your church's life? The answer to the third and fourth questions will answer the first two. Think about it. What/Who do you live for? And is there still passion and intensity about that person/thing? It is the visible and tangible passion you show about the persons and things in the center of your life that will either attract or repel others to you. The same is true about our churches. A recent conversation that I read between a UM bishop and a church growth consultant talked about thriving churches and what makes them so. The first reason is an excitement and joy about what Jesus can do and is doing in their lives and in the life of the church. These are churches that demonstrate the need to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and as a result others come to faith because of that invitation. Interesting second thing is that the folks who make up a thriving church have discovered the need to go from being simply members to disciples. Do you notice the difference? A member has joined, may attend, listen, then go home. Nothing really has changed in his or her life; the card has been punched and after 2 more punches they earn a Sunday off. A disciple is one who cannot get enough of Jesus and tells others about the blessings that come through faith in God through Jesus Christ. Paul talks about this in this passage in two ways: Jesus should be our foundation, and we should let God build upon that foundation both in our lives and in the life of our church. The second thing that Paul stresses to the believers is that we should know that our bodies are special and belong to God. More importantly, in our bodies lives the Holy Spirit. Speaking to those fearful for their lives because of persecution Paul reassures them that they would not die even if this temple (body) was destroyed. If we see ourselves as being holy and special to God, no one nor nothing can destroy us.
Jesus should be the source of unity in our relationships, especially within the church. The church in Corinth as we discussed sometime ago, had a division as to who baptized who and which of these baptizers was more important than the other, and Paul said they were missing the point. It is Christ Jesus who matters and we should be all about Jesus. Period. And we belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God. Anything else is either extra or a distraction.
PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for making me special and holy through Jesus Christ. I thank You for the relationship Jesus makes possible with You. Let my life be centered and focused on Jesus so that I may help grow the Church. Grant me wisdom and the words with which to bless You and Yours. This I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
