Daily Devotional: A Family, Not a Show
The early church didn’t gather around personalities or performances; they gathered around Jesus.
I’m Aaron Joseph Hall, a pastor in Lower Alabama. Mark Batterson once said, ‘I do not type on a keyboard. I worship God with the 26 letters of the English alphabet.’ That’s what I’m doing here—worshiping God through the words I write. Every post is an act of worship, every sentence written for His glory. My desire is to be obedient each day to whatever God has called me to do. I’d love for you to join me on this journey.
🔥 Word for Today:
Church isn’t about consuming—it’s about belonging.
If we choose the church we plant ourselves in based on how good the pastor preaches or how great the worship is, we are missing the point of gathering. I’ve seen many posts on social media asking about churches and sharing a list of personal requirements—almost as if Church were something we pick and choose based on our preferences. But the Church gathering isn’t about us, our comfort, or our preferences. It’s about Jesus.
Church was never meant to be a spiritual event we attend—it’s a spiritual family we belong to.
The Bible reminds us, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27, NIV). That means the church is not a building, not a brand, and not a program—it’s us, the people of God. And just like a body, every part matters. Each of us has a role to play, and together we reflect Christ in the world.
When we gather as the church, it’s not just about what we receive but also what we give. We encourage one another, pray for one another, serve one another, and bear one another’s burdens.
Hebrews 10:24–25 (NIV) exhorts us, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
The early church didn’t gather around personalities or performances; they gathered around Jesus.
Acts 2:42 (NIV) says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Their focus wasn’t entertainment but devotion. They came together to grow in God’s Word, to share life, and to live on mission.
A Church isn’t meant to be a show we attend—it’s a family we join, a body we build up, and a mission we carry forward. When we shift our mindset from attending church to being the church, everything changes. We stop asking, “What can I get?” and start asking, “How can I love, serve, and strengthen the body of Christ today?”
Reflection Questions:
Do I view church more as an event I attend or a family I belong to?
How am I actively using my gifts to build up the body of Christ?
Who can I encourage or serve this week as part of my church family?
Prayer:
Lord, help me to see Your church the way You do. Keep me from treating it as a place of entertainment or convenience. Teach me to love, serve, and build up my brothers and sisters in Christ. May my life reflect that I belong not just to a service, but to a family and to Your mission. Amen.
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Amen to all that
This is very good!
Another level/layer is that, Jesus, this is Your Family not mine. Not mine or ours as a distinctive from other “churches”.
As a matter of fact, scripture never makes reference to “A church “ in the way our current structure allows. The plural, “churches” is distinctly in reference to “THE” church at various geographical locations.
To really bring this home, one might ask the question, if I were to write a letter to the church in your city in Alabama, where would I send it ? To whom would I send it?
It seems that we do not really think of ourselves as one… our Father does…