“God . . . has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God's own family.”1 Peter 1:3(TLB)
A church is not a place you go, and it’s not an event you attend. The church is a spiritual family you belong to—and it’s the most important thing on earth.
Why is the church so important? Because it’s God’s family. In fact, the greatest privilege in life is to be part of God’s family—to be able to say, “I'm a member of God's family. I'm a child of God.”
The Living Bible paraphrase says, “God . . . has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s own family” (1 Peter 1:3).
When you were physically born, you immediately became part of the human race. That wasn’t your choice. But you do have a choice about your spiritual family. When you choose to accept Jesus as your Savior, you are born spiritually, and you become a member of God’s own family.
One of the benefits of being born into God’s family is found in 1 Timothy 3:15: “[God's] family is the church of the living God, the support and foundation of the truth” (NCV).If you live in an area where there are earthquakes, you know the value of a good foundation. In the same way, when you have the support of a church family, you won’t crumble when life’s earthquakes inevitably happen.
Everything on earth will eventually crumble—except the church. No business, school, government, or nation will last forever. Only the church is unending, because it is built by Jesus, and he’s focused on building a family to spend eternity with.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (NLT).
In a world that’s full of uncertainty, choose to build your life on the only foundation that is guaranteed to last: the secure foundation of God’s family.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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