The holidays are over. Maybe you made a resolution to get into shape, go gluten-free, reduce your debt load or get back to church. All of these are excellent areas of focus for 2014. But, secretly have you wondered why you may be tempted to wander away from church or give up on your relationship with Jesus altogether? Did the good feelings of connection you once had fade with time? Has reading your Bible become dull? Is your prayer life reduced to simply going through the motions?
Almost everyone I know has experienced a disconnect from church, the Bible, prayer and even Jesus at some point of their spiritual journey. If you haven't felt it yet, trust me, be prepared to experience a spiritual separation at some point during your faith walk. I found an interesting post I think may be helpful here.
Maybe you've thought about ending your relationship with Jesus. You are not alone. Throughout our next Sunday morning series we will explore some of the reasons Christ followers may experience a faith disconnect. You've probably heard the popular phrase, "I'm just not feeling it." This phrase happens to be our series title and one of the most popular break-up lines used when ending a relationship. It's like saying, "it's not you, it's me" or "we're just growing apart" or "we're just different people today than we were back then."
One sure-fire remedy to the spiritual disconnect is being connected to a trusted group of dedicated Christ followers. The New Testament is full of great stories about how regular people develop a long-lasting relationship with Jesus. The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to a small group of Christians in Philippi. The letter, also called an epistle, includes four chapters we will study together. We're even going to challenge you to memorize Philippians 3:12 and add it to your spiritual repertoire! Faith in Jesus lived out in community becomes a powerful catalyst to experiencing God in our everyday lives. Check out what small groups are currently available or connect with other people and create your very own group. You could be a vehicle of eternal hope and reconciliation Jesus works through to change the world!
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12 NIV
-Pastor Jen