Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Taking care of your soul”
Our Bible verse for today: “And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.” Romans 12:5 (NLT)
Our thought for today: “We are to help each other take care of our souls”
One theme the New Testament emphasizes repeatedly is the fact that we need each other. God does not intend for any of us to be “Lone Ranger” Christians. He intends for each of us to be part of a close-knit church family and He intends for us to support, encourage, and help one another.
The New Testament portrays the people of God has a family of believers on a journey through this world on our way to our real home in Heaven. We’re to make the journey together and we’re to help each other along the way. That’s why the Apostle Peter reminds us that we are not of this world (1 Peter 1:1). The writer of Hebrews teaches that the people of God are actually strangers and aliens on earth (Hebrews 11:13-16), and that while we are here we are not to neglect our times of gathering together (Hebrews 10:24-25). Paul tells us that we are actually citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). And Jesus promises that He will have a special place prepared for each of us once we arrive there.
This world can be rough on our souls because we aren’t really designed for life in this world. We’re just passing through but because it can be such a tough and dangerous journey, and since our souls do get weary along the way, God puts us together in little groups called church families so we can help each other.
In the original New Testament Greek, the word that was used to describe the kind of fellowship God wants His people to experience among themselves is “koinonia”. It’s a rich word which includes things like love, intimacy, deep commitment, genuine communication, and a sense of community and belonging. In an environment like that the soul is nurtured and rejuvenated.
This is God’s desire and intent for His people and it is within the embrace and shelter of such a church family, that our souls find nurture, comfort, and restoration. Numerous studies have shown that loneliness is one of the most destructive and unhealthy experiences a person can be faced with. It hurts us mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and it even takes a physical toll. Regular and full participation in the life of a good church family is God’s solution for loneliness. When you connect with a loving community of brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord ministers to your soul in a deep way. If you don’t have that kind of a church family, then I invite you to visit us at Oak Hill Baptist.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 