You’re Not Alone; You’re Part of a Family

[You’re Not Alone; You’re Part of a Family](?CID=DAILYDEVO&hemail={EMAIL}&el=DHDevo-12/09/2021-EN) Current Teaching Series [God's Vision for the Rest of Your Life]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [You’re Not Alone; You’re Part of a Family]( By Rick Warren — 12/09/2021 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( “Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other.” Romans 12:5 (GW) The church not only helps you center your life on God, but it also helps you connect with other believers. God did not put you here to live an isolated life. While you’re on Earth, God wants you to learn to love other people, and he wants you to practice loving others in his family. The Bible says, “Christ makes us one body and individuals who are connected to each other” (Romans 12:5 GW). When you become a child of God, you’re connected to other believers as their brother or sister.  The Bible says you’re part of a body. What is this body? Romans 12:5 says, “The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much” (The Message). Your spiritual life does not amount to anything if it’s disconnected from the family of God. If I cut off my finger, it’s not just going to stop growing, it’s also going to die. For my finger to live, it has to be connected to my body. In the same way, you need to be connected to other people in the body of Christ if you want to grow spiritually and fulfill God’s purpose for your life. A study on mental health revealed that if you isolate yourself from others and don’t develop close friendships, like those in a small group, you are three times more likely to die an early death. You’re four times more likely to suffer emotional burnout. You’re five times more likely to be clinically depressed. And you’re 10 times more likely to be hospitalized for an emotional or mental disorder. During the last couple of years, when it’s sometimes been necessary to isolate physically, people have learned to connect in all sorts of creative ways. Whatever situation you’re in today, find ways to connect to other believers. Become part of the family of God. Join a small group. Get connected. As Ephesians 2:19 says, “You are members of God’s very own family . . . and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian” (TLB). [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>](20) Talk It Over - Why do you think God wants you to practice loving other believers here on Earth? What is it practice for? - How does the meaning of your life change when you understand you’re part of the body of Christ? - How have you grown spiritually since being connected to the body of Christ? God wants you in his family God made you to love you, and one of the places you see that most clearly is on the cross. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God made it possible for you to become part of his family for eternity. No matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been, you’ve got a place in God’s forever family ready and waiting for you. The invitation is wide open. Just believe and receive. Are you ready? Here’s a prayer you can start with: “Dear God, I know when I die, I’m going to give an account of my life to you. I know I have sinned against you, and I have lived by my plan, not yours. I want that to change, starting right now. I want to turn away from my sins and toward you. “Thank you for sending Jesus to die for all that I’ve done wrong so that I don’t have to pay the penalty. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I know only your grace can save me, Lord. I could never be good enough to get into a perfect place. “Jesus, thank you for loving me so much that you took all my guilt on yourself. You made me acceptable for heaven, and I humbly ask you to save me. I believe in you, Jesus. And I believe you will keep your promise to save me instantly, certainly, completely, and eternally. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus. The post [You’re Not Alone; You’re Part of a Family]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](). [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email]( [Get the brand new Daily Hope Prayer Journal when you give a gift to support Daily Hope]( God has an adventure for you—and every day is an invitation to say ‘yes’ to his plans. We want to help you hear from him, follow his lead, and see his hand at work in your life with the brand-new Daily Hope Prayer Journal—our way to say thanks for your gift below. And thanks to a generous $100,000 Matching Grant, your gift will be DOUBLED to bring the hope of Jesus to even more people! This soft, vegan leather prayer journal features... - Beautifully designed pages filled with stunning artwork - Inspiring Bible verses to encourage you each day - Special sections to help you keep track of your prayers It’s the perfect way to connect with the Lord through a consistent daily prayer time. [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 6 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series God's Vision for the Rest of Your Life. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Choosing Your Future Message 2: Learning to Live Wisely Message 3: Embracing the Vision Message 4: Why You Need a Church Family Message 5: Enabling the Vision Message 6: How to Get Ready to be Used by God [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]([Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( As the founding pastor of Saddleback Church with his wife Kay, Dr. Rick Warren leads a 30,000-member congregation in California with campuses in major cities around the world. As an author, his book [The Purpose Driven Life]( is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in publishing history. It has been translated into 74 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the century. Rick also founded [The PEACE Plan]() to address five global issues—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. 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