• The nuclear family is God’s design for humanity!

• The church is a family.

• The church is not LIKE family; it IS family. (Dhati Lewis)

• The church isn’t an event you show up to. It is a family you belong to.

• You may be a very ordinary person, but in Christ, you acquire an immense new value because you belong to God and are possessed by him.

• Unconditional love is assumed, as exampled by our Father.

• Grace is extended, as exampled by our Father.

• Serving one another is our way of life, as exampled by our Lord. Serving one another is not a chore to be tolerated but a privilege to be enjoyed!

• Forgiveness is extended without restraint (!) as exampled by our Father.

• Humility is the language of family, as exampled by our Lord.

• The church is to be a place of ethnic diversity.

• The church is to be the place that embraces and reflects the many colors and ethnicities of God’s beautiful, creative design!

1. How has your church been a family to you?

2. Candidly, why is it hard to love some people more than others?

3. In this culture, what kinds of people would benefit most from a loving church family?

4. What kinds of elements in our our own lives sometimes inhibit us from seeing the value of the church?

5. How can we improve on practicing the virtues of God’s family?

• This week I will pray for my church to be more and more the kind of family that my unchurched friends and family would attend.