Faithbase

Hey faith-based family blessings you today. Hope this message finds you well I was praying this morning just about what I would like to share and I feel like the Lord laid on my heart just to address maybe you have Hurt from the church. Maybe you feel Frustrated with the church and I want to just validate that feeling when I moved back from the mission field in 2022 I Told the Lord Lord, I love you and I'll do whatever you ask me to do but please don't ask me to work in a church again at that time I'd served in church for over 25 years and I Was feeling a little frustrated with the church and maybe a little wounded Well Lord lovingly to really wooed me back into it and I'm grateful that he did and I love it but I say that to say Put language to what you're feeling about the church without blaming without projecting Offer forgiveness where you need to offer forgiveness Maybe ask forgiveness where you need to ask forgiveness But I want to encourage you with this is that if you read 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 Paul has this long list of sufferings Maybe you remember being shipwrecked in danger of bandits without food beaten over and over again But he ends it by saying on top of all of it. I have my daily concern for the church You see Paul's deep love for the church, which is the body of believers But that same concern resonate in our hearts. It's pretty kind of Oh Gripping to think about in Ephesians 5 how we're called the bride of Christ as the church So I just want you to say I have validate hurts and frustrations and a hunger for more We want to encourage you to be committed to a local body Have those relationships don't neglect Gathering together as believers. It makes it clear in Hebrews that this is part of what we're invited to do And it's it's in our best interest Hopefully that conviction is deep in our hearts that the Lord's Plans for us through his expressed through his scripture or in our best interest. He wants his best for us So again, I validate any hurts I validate frustrations I validate a desire to see the church do things differently and be better, but don't let your faithfulness be contingent Upon anything, but the Lord's love for you. Did you catch that? Don't let your faithfulness be conditional Our faithfulness can't be continuing upon someone else's faithfulness can't be continuing upon how the church treaches someone else I was reminded of this last week and I was getting really grumpy I was on a phone call with a customer service representative Maybe you've experienced this and I noticed that my My attitude was getting worse and worse But again, our faithfulness can't be contingent upon anything God's unwavering love for us and we know that will never change so blessings to you Or Lord encourage you when you refresh you, but when we renew our love for the church We'd be committed to see it be what the Lord invited it to be just pure and blameless. Have a great day