Embracing Relational Commitment in God's Family

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "I think everyone can agree their benefits to attending church even even when I was not trying to follow God every time I went to church I felt better there I could I I had no intentions of changing my behavior I knew it I had no intentions of of Sur surrendering my life to Christ but my mother I I love my mother and I didn't want her to smack me upside the head so I got up and I went to church and I'm telling you no matter what I was doing in life even though I was doing the some of the wrongest stuff every time I went to church I felt better but you know what attending church and being a member of God's family are two different things with one you get the full benefit everybody say full benefit I want to talk to you about the full benefit today attending church and membership in God's family are two different things." [03:33] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "The rights and privileges of God begin with us accepting Jesus into our hearts and in our lives just like a a humbling ourselves like a little child Jesus Come into my heart come into my life come into all that I am as a person I submit my life to you I Surrender myself to you come in and help me to live for God all the days of my life that's the the prayer that we would do in children's church but each and every one of us have to come to the point where we accept Jesus that we we we receive the gift that he is the the the highest example of of God's love that he could possibly give us and and and if if we don't do that we're not a member of God's family." [10:56] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "Without Christ we are estranged from God no matter how spiritual or religious we think we are do you know there was a very spiritual and religious group of people when Jesus came on the scene Jesus when he came he took two groups of people those who thought they were very close to God and those who were far from God and he brought them together Ephesians 2:1 17-19 says this let's read it he said he came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near for for through him we both have access to the father by one Spirit consequently you are no longer foreigners and strangers but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household." [12:20] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "A church of committed members is uniquely positioned to demonstrate God's love to the world especially with with how divisive and contentious the world is today the world needs to see love the world needs to see togetherness the world needs to see commitment and as the world sees a church that becomes a place where people of all backgrounds races and social statuses can coming together in unity to bless others as the world sees that unity and genuine love of God's family it becomes harder to deny the existence of An Almighty God that is filled with love that's the big deal." [31:18] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


### Quotes for Members

1. "At the heart of this value is a desire to see everyone fully benefit fully benefit from the special love relationship we have as God's family there's some benefits to being a part of God's family and and we want everyone to benefit fully everybody say fully fully now I think everyone can agree their benefits to attending church even even when I was not trying to follow God every time I went to church I felt better there I could I I had no intentions of changing my behavior I knew it I had no intentions of of Sur surrendering my life to Christ but my mother I I love my mother and I didn't want her to smack me upside the head so I got up and I went to church and I'm telling you no matter what I was doing in life even though I was doing the some of the wrongest stuff every time I went to church I felt better but you know what attending church and being a member of God's family are two different things with one you get the full benefit everybody say full benefit I want to talk to you about the full benefit today attending church and membership in God's family are two different things." [02:47] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


2. "It's a commitment to grow toward spiritual maturity every parent wants to see their children mature all the parents said amen come on we don't want our children to be immature when when an adult is immature that's not a good thing and in the same way uh God made provision for his children to become mature God gave us Jesus and Jesus gave us spiritual leadership to ensure that his children reach the highest measure that they can reach Ephesians 4 11-13 let's read it it says so Christ himself gave the apostles the prophets the evangelists the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the son of God God and become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ come on God wants us to be made like our elder brother to become in in the fullness expression of Jesus Christ that we can possibly be it's spiritual leadership in addition to our relationship with Christ that helps us to reach our full potential." [20:42] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


3. "Every member a minister well here's a new saying every person a member every member a minister and every Minister maximize for God's glory that's what Jesus wants and I was thinking about this how does this happen it happens when when every person gets to the point where they say you know what I want to be a committed member and then that committed member says you know what I actually want to be a minister I want to start making a difference and that that person starts to make a difference not out of convenience but out of conviction and let me tell you there is a difference as I was watching that video this morning about the snur I saw the examp example of serving under conviction and not convenience because they stepped up and listen they they said it was it was unnatural for them to separate themselves to start serving but that they were serving out of conviction even then and because they were willing to serve out of conviction There Rose up a group of people that said you know what we need to help them out so that they can fulfill God's call on their life and IM Scar and and and Christina fedak and other people said let's start a a a children's special needs Ministry and they began to serve out of conviction and not out of convenience and and because of that guess what Carl is able to help with production now to make our services the best that they can be and jeie she's she's overseeing all of our connect groups so that people can have genuine genuine Fellowship one with another and and together they're able to fulfill their call and reach their Highest Potential in Christ that's how it happens every member every person a member every member a minister every Minister maximize for God's glory." [28:41] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


4. "God works through spiritual leadership I remember when Pastor Charlie called me I got the phone call I was at Bush Gardens enjoying myself and he called me he said Pastor Mike I think we need you to be the head of our school what me come on sometimes following spiritual leadership takes trust but really our trust is in who our trust is in God spiritual leadership we end up becoming mature we end up becoming all that God wants us to be number four it's a commitment to fulfilling our most fruitful role within the family of God our most fruitful role within the family of God how many of you in your your household everybody has chores everybody has something to do the Bible uh also speaks of the family of God analogy that it uses or a metaphor that it uses is a body a body just like parts of a body every family every family member is desired and needed to serve its designed purpose." [24:52] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)


5. "Listen God God speaks to us through our relationship with Christ he speaks to us through the Holy Spirit but God has ordained spiritual leadership Jesus gave gifts to the church spiritual leadership so that we would all become mature I want you to read I want to read Our Community Church what we call Our Community Church team member agreement this is for people who who step on to saying you know what I've been so blessed here at Community Church I now want to become a part of the team that makes Church happen for others let's read this it it just says I will continue to take next steps of growth in my relationship with Christ as prompted by the Holy Spirit and the prayerful guidance from my spiritual leaders at Community Church do you know I was thinking where would I be if it wasn't for Spiritual leadership do you know it was a pastor who said you know I really think you should go to Community Church and just try it for 3 weeks and see what you think 25 years later what would have happen if I have said I don't I I just I got Jesus he'll tell me what to do and then I thought where would we be if Pastor Arley Whitlow our founding Pastor didn't listen to his Pastor do you know his Pastor Bishop MIRS called him one day and said pastor I think the Lord told me that you need to go to Lowden County from belon South Carolina to Lowden County and start your church and Pastor Arley said something like uh uh I don't know and Bishop Mir said will you just stay there in Belton and die but I want a pastor that tells speaks to me nicely well are you how many of you are glad that Pastor Arley listened to his spiritual leadership how many of you think Bishop MIRS was wrong he could have gone elsewhere but I'm so glad that Pastor Arley came here somebody say spiritual leadership we all need spiritual gu." [22:12] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)