Day 16 – Living Boldly: Your Local Church

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One of the most essential places for your spiritual growth is the local church. Outside of your home, the local church is the dearest place on earth for a believer because it’s where God’s people gather to worship, grow, and serve together. The church is not a building but a body of believers, whether it’s two gathered for fellowship or two thousand in an auditorium.
Rick’s 31-Day Devotions
Now you are the body of Christ and individually
members of it (1 Corinthians 12:27).
The Bible’s timeline for your sanctification starts at regeneration (new birth) and ends at glorification (a new body). Your local church plays a vital role in this process. To experience daily, ongoing change, you must be actively engaged in the life of your church. Here are three key factors to help you mature through this means of grace:
- Affection: Do you love your local assembly? A high view of the church is essential for transformation. Your local church is a visible manifestation of Christ’s body, and your affection for it is directly tied to your spiritual soundness. Do you value and prioritize your church, or is it just another part of your schedule?
- Training: Does your church provide the resources and training you need for sanctification? This might include preaching, small group studies, mentoring contexts, or service projects. The purpose of these is to help you grow in your relationship with Christ. Are you taking advantage of the training your church offers? If not, what’s holding you back?
- Community: Christianity isn’t a spectator sport. You can’t grow in isolation. The church is a community where believers actively encourage and sharpen one another (Hebrews 10:24-25). Serving others not only helps them grow but matures you in the process. Are you an active participant in your church, or merely attending without engaging?
Sustained Change Takes Time
Transformation happens in time. It’s a lifelong process of work and dependence on God’s grace. Consistent growth requires being part of a biblical community. If your current church isn’t helping, you have two options: Become a catalyst for positive change by serving and encouraging others, or find a church that fosters discipleship.
Before leaving—if you must, seek advice from trusted mentors to ensure you’re making the right decision.
Avoid Isolation
Don’t be a silo Christian who detaches from the life of the church. Relationships in real-world contexts are essential for growth. Cyber-communities can supplement your faith, but they can’t replace the accountability, fellowship, and encouragement found in face-to-face relationships within the body-to-body ministries of a local church.
Time to Reflect
- Is your church the right disciple-making context for you? How do you know? If you’re considering leaving, have you sought wise counsel first?
- Rather than an exit strategy, how can you help your church become a better disciple-making community? If your church is already strong in discipleship, how can you contribute to making it even better?
- Take time to pray for your local church, its leaders, and its members. Ask God how He wants you to serve, grow, and help others within your church family.
Let’s live boldly, loving and engaging with the local church as God’s chosen means for our growth and His glory.
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Rick launched the Life Over Coffee global training network in 2008 to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. His primary responsibilities are resource creation and leadership development, which he does through speaking, writing, podcasting, and educating.
In 1990 he earned a BA in Theology and, in 1991, a BS in Education. In 1993, he received his ordination into Christian ministry, and in 2000 he graduated with an MA in Counseling from The Master’s University. In 2006 he was recognized as a Fellow of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).