Fresh Start With GodSample

As you're laying the foundation in your new life with Christ, one of the most important things to do is find a life-giving local church and get connected through attending and serving each week. One of the reasons I'm so passionate about this is that the local church has played a huge role in my personal journey as a Christian. It was through getting planted in a local church that I began to understand what it really meant to be a Christian, grow in my relationship with Christ, and get a vision for my life. I love the local church. I love going to church. I love building the local church. Nothing makes me happier than when I see other people fall in love with the local church and watch their lives begin to flourish.

Another reason I'm passionate about the Church is because God is passionate about His Church. It's His treasure, His pride and joy. In Ephesians, Paul draws the parallel between Jesus' love for the Church and the love a husband has for his bride. We can't say we love Jesus but don't really like the Church. Jesus loved the Church so much that He gave His life for it. Jesus established His Church and there is no institution, no government, no social justice movement or political regime that can replace the role of the Church in our world. "...Upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it" (Matthew 16:18 NLT).

What we find in God's House are God's presence, God's protection, and God's provision. God's House is full of "good things." We build relationships, have opportunities to make a difference, receive encouragement and support, grow spiritually, and find contentment knowing that we are living a life of purpose! There is no equal to the blessings, both tangible and intangible, that come into every area of our lives through God's House. His heart toward you overflows with good things and He wants to position you to be able to receive them from Him. So how do we receive all the benefits of God's House in our lives?

We find the answer in Psalm 92:12-15: "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.'"

We experience the blessings and good things that come from God's House when we are planted there.

What it means to be planted in God's House - To be planted means to set in the soil for growth; to set firmly in position; to establish; to fix firmly. The analogy used here is that of a garden or a field. Your life is like a seed and the local church is like the ground or the soil. God wants you to be planted in the local church for your spiritual growth!

Without the seed, the soil is pretty much insignificant. Without the soil, the seed is fairly insignificant as well. Together, however, they can produce a crop that can be enjoyed and even used to produce more crops! It is when they come together that they produce something significant that neither could produce on their own. The same is true about our lives and the local church. When we plant ourselves in the local church, it produces something beautiful, productive, powerful and influential.

Think about the spiritual analogy and how that applies to our lives. The seed represents me and you. We are the seeds, packed with potential and life. God puts it inside of us. He also gives us a divinely implanted sense of purpose. Deep in the core of our being, we yearn to be significant and make a difference with our lives. That sense of significance is put within us by God.

The soil represents the environment and atmosphere of the local church. Remember, the soil holds the seeds and allows it to have sustained growth. It's also the source of the key ingredients that are necessary for growth. Just like the soil provides the seed for what it needs to grow, a healthy local church provides us with what we need to grow and mature as believers: God's presence, His Word, good relationships, the Holy Spirit, and more. In the same way that a seed needs soil in order to grow and produce fruit, we need a local church to grow and become all God wants us to be.

Just like the soil, a local church should be strong enough to hold and sustain us, flexible enough to allow us to grow roots and blossom, and receptive enough to allow God to have His way, moving in the lives of the people, breaking down that outer wall so that life can spring forth. Joining a church, planting your life in a church, is really a powerful thing. In fact, it's the thing that is going to draw that potential, purpose, and significance out of your life.

When we truly get planted in a great church, we experience life and church the way God intended. We're rooted in a healthy, loving House, surrounded by a family of believers, growing in a positive, encouraging environment.

Reflection Questions

1. What areas of your life could benefit and grow as a result of being planted in God's House?

2. What mindsets or thoughts have you had that may have prevented you from being planted in a local church?

3. What is your next step when it comes to getting planted in God's House?