Episode Transcript
[00:00:07] Speaker A: Welcome to the weekday podcast of Sugar Hill Church, where we desire to help you know God and discover your purpose, whether you're exercising, driving, meditating, or just hanging out while you tune in with us today. Thanks. We hope these next five minutes help you feel encouraged and inspired for your day.
[00:00:22] Speaker B: Hi, everyone, and welcome to the weekday podcast. I'm your host today, Pastor Chuck Allen. And I'm so glad that you're here. Have you ever felt alone in your faith journey? I mean, like, just kind of weary, kind of alone? Nobody's in this with me. I mean, maybe you've walked into a church and felt like you're just another face in the crowd. I mean, you just. Is there any difference? But what if I told you that the church isn't just a building or a gathering? Jesus designed his church to be a family. A real, living, breathing family where you belong. In Acts, chapter two, beginning in verse 42, there's a beautiful picture being painted of what the early church looked like and what the church today should model. It says all the believers devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship and to sharing in meals, including the Lord's Supper and to prayer. They worshiped together at the temple each day. They met in homes for the Lord's Supper and and shared their meals with great joy and generosity. They weren't just showing up on Sundays and going through the motions. They were doing life together, eating, praying, sharing, supporting. I mean, encouraging. They weren't just members of a church congregation. I mean, they were genuinely like the Bible describes, joint heirs with Jesus, that is brothers and sisters. Listen, when we call people brothers and sisters, I think the world gets totally freaked out. I know I do. But the concept behind it all is the simple fact that as followers of Jesus, we have so many things in common, most of which is the fact that the church is what binds us, and the church is our faith in Christ Jesus. You see, in this world of social media and endless distractions and digital, you know, just division, it's pretty easy to feel disconnected. But God designed us for community. He placed us in his church so we could encourage uplift and carry each other's burdens. Communion, friends is a reminder of that. It's a family meal that brings us back to what matters, our connection to Jesus and each other. So let me ask you, who's walking alongside you in your faith? Who are you sharing meals with? Who are you praying with? Who are you encouraging? And if you don't have a church family, maybe today is the day to seek one out. Because life's way too hard to do it alone. Now I know that there's no such thing as a perfect church. I mean, the minute we found one, I would join it and mess it up. But the truth is, we serve a perfect Savior and when we keep our eyes on him, it's less about the people around us and we find it so much easier to encourage them and live with them. So thanks so much for joining me as we talk about the local church being a real family, one that disagrees, one that finds a way, one that sees the bigger picture, and one that embraces and welcomes one another in the name of Jesus. I'm so glad you joined me today. God bless you. Have a good day.
[00:03:34] Speaker A: Thanks so much for joining us today for the weekday podcast. Our prayer is that the encouragement you just heard would help you live more like Jesus today. We would love to see you at Sugar Hill Church for one of our gatherings each Sunday at 9, 15 and 11, and we're always streaming live at Live Sugarhill Church. Thanks again for joining us today. As always, if today's message encouraged you, share it with friends and family by tapping the share button. Have an awesome day.
