Devoted to Fellowship

Do not forsake the fellowship... How many times have I, myself, used this verse to admonish a Believer who was not showing up to enough scheduled services each month?  How many times have I wielded this verse against people who believed that they could obey all the church Scriptures just by getting together regularly with fellow Believers and loving each other through life?  For my entire life, I have understood and used this verse to mean, "Don't you dare miss church services!"  It was preached that way.  I was taught that way. And I felt strongly that my understanding of that particular Scripture could help people see the value in what we were doing at church.  Then, one Sunday during a church service, I stood and worshiped with a sweet sister in Christ.  We belted out verses together and raised our hands together.  Over the music, we tried to communicate about an upcoming small group series that my husband and I were leading, but because of the no...

What do I really know about Jesus? Have you ever sat down and tried to have a conversation about the Lord, His church, His Word or His purposes without using sermon illustrations, quoting pastors or talking about other people's wisdom and experiences? Imagine coming into a season of questioning- of wanting to know deep truths no matter what they required of you and realizing how MUCH you knew of popular culture, marketed theology, and the American church, but how LITTLE you actually knew of the Lord Jesus and His heart! That was me.  Sadly and with much conviction, I had followed the crowd for decades in my walk with the Lord.  I didn't know that I was doing it.  I didn't realize I was being a disciple of men, but nonetheless, I found myself struggling to get through a conversation without spouting off a sermon series, quoting a favorite author, or repeating the taglines that were dreamed up behind closed doors in an attempt to bring something new, relevant and powe...

I have believed in Jesus since I was 12 years old.  I feared Him before that, but around that age, I decided that I wanted what my preacher said He was offering.  I raised my hand to tell Jesus that I knew I was a sinner destined for Hell without Him and that I wholeheartedly chose Him over that.  Right then and there, I decided that I needed to be a " good girl " for Jesus. And oh, did I try.  Awkwardly, but fervently, I tried to reject the bad and embrace the good.  This started a decades-long season of chasing a forever moving line that divided " right " and " wrong ." For the next twenty years, I followed along with passion as I learned so many conflicting " truths " about the Bible and how to follow it.  I doubted tongues, I believed in tongues.  I doubted gifts, I embraced gifts.  I watched my mouth religiously, I heard a pastor toss out an "F" bomb in the name of grace and relevance.  I stayed quiet in meetings, I led Bible st...