Do You Have a Safety Net?

[Do You Have a Safety Net?]( Current Teaching Series [Better Together]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [Do You Have a Safety Net?]( By Rick Warren — 07/23/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” 1 Peter 3:8 (NIV) As a pastor, I have seen so many situations that nobody should ever have to go through alone. Nobody should ever have to wait in the hospital while a loved one is in life-or-death surgery. No woman should ever have to wait alone for the lab report on a high-risk pregnancy. Nobody should ever have to stand at the edge of an open grave alone. Nobody should ever have to spend the first night alone when their spouse has just walked out. Life’s tough times and tragedies are inevitable. Each of us will face them—but we don’t need to go through them alone. We need God’s safety net to help hold us up through these difficult times. What is God’s safety net? It is a group of other believers, a handful of people who are really committed to you. We call this kind of group a community. Here is God’s plan for community: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26 NIV). Community is God’s answer to despair. Romans 12:15 expresses a similar idea: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (NIV). The first part of that verse is easy. When something good happens to someone, it’s often easy to join in on the party. But when someone is having a tough time, it can seem more difficult. But, really, it’s simple. When you’re going through a crisis, you don’t want advice. You just want somebody to be there to sit with you, hold your hand, put an arm around your shoulder, or cry with you. As Paul tells us, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). Encouraging someone doesn’t always mean giving a pep talk or words of wisdom. Sometimes the best kind of encouragement is just being present, sitting in silence, and weeping with a friend. Do you have a safety net—a group of fellow Christians you know you can count on in life’s toughest times? If not, go out today and be intentional about building those friendships. The hard times in life are inevitable, but you don’t have to go into them unprepared. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - What is the difference in being part of a Bible study and being part of a community? - Who is a part of your safety net? How do you build community with people and reach that level of commitment? - What are the practical ways you can provide someone with a safety net? The post [Do You Have a Safety Net?]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get the God's Power to Change Your Life book when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( People want to change—but they often feel stuck. They don’t know how to make the changes they want to see in their lives. But getting out of your rut won’t happen until you apply the truth of God's Word, by the power of his Spirit. That’s why Pastor Rick wrote God's Power to Change Your Life. In this inspiring book, you’ll find the tools and the encouragement to: • Become a more joyful person • Cultivate a peaceful life in this uptight world • Be a kinder, more gracious individual • Replace self-indulgence with self-control • Experience what "the good life" is all about [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 6 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series Better Together. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: Why We Need Each Other Message 2: Reaching Out Together Message 3: What Destroys Relationships and What Builds Them Message 4: How We Help Each Other Grow Message 5: Serving Together Message 6: Living a Generous Life [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [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.]( Rick Warren is the founding pastor of [Saddleback Church]( one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller [The Purpose Driven Life](. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created [The PEACE Plan]( to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States