Today's Devotional Thought
April 23, 2013 by Rachel Piferi
Sweet Fellowship
Tonight, we start a new Bible Study at our church. We finished our study of the book of Nehemiah a few weeks ago and then traveled to see Beth Moore two weekends ago and now, after a brief break from Bible Study, we are starting up again.
And I could not be more thrilled.
I can honestly say that there are few things I love doing more than studying the Bible with a group of eager, hungry, and devoted sisters in Christ. The group of women that I have been privileged to study with in our small country church has been nothing short of spectacular. And in the three years that I have been a part of this group of precious Bible study ladies, we have seen our group grow in ways that only the Lord could accomplish.
It actually makes me sit back in amazement when I think about what the Lord has done in the three years that I have been with this group. He has doubled us in size, brought sweet women from other churches and other towns into our group, and he has even brought a couple of cooing, smiling babies our way!
As I think about the group that will be coming tonight, I smile at the thought that we will be welcoming three new sisters to our group. Oh how I cannot wait to get to know them more as we dive into God's Word together.
I just love Christian fellowship. For all of its imperfection, you simply cannot beat a group of Christian brothers and sisters coming together to worship, study, and grow in the Lord together. I know our group {and our church for that matter} is not perfect. But we serve a perfect God and I sure do love getting together with my imperfect sisters and learning more about Him.
It is a critical piece of my Christian walk. A piece that encourages me, spurs me on, and holds me accountable. Without my brothers & sisters in Christ, I simply would not be the Christian woman I am today.
So often I hear others say that they don't need a church family. They just need their Bible and Jesus. And while we should never elevate the church to the level of Jesus in our lives, I do believe that a fellowship of believers is necessary to our journeys of faith. In fact, I think we see evidence of the necessity of a fellowship of believers in the emergence of the first century church immediately after Jesus' death and resurrection. We see a committed group of believers living life together and encouraging each other to keep believing and telling others about Jesus. And we see God bless it and grow it.
And the same is true today.
Friends, if you are not involved in a church or in a Bible Study, then I urge you to find a group of faithful believers that you can join. We all need others on this journey of life. We all need to be part of a committed group of believers who are living life together and encouraging each other to keep believing and who are telling others about Jesus together.
It is with such joy that I start another Bible study tonight with my committed group of sisters who are doing life together. I pray that each of you have that too. And, if you don't, then please search for it and join one. I promise you, you will receive such joy from it and you will wonder how you ever did life without it!
Have a wonderful Tuesday and to all my Bible study ladies, I will see you soon!
December