Thursday - "Church is the Real Thing"

John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Once in awhile, I'll receive an envelope in the mail with a key in it. It is usually a local car dealer challenging me to come to their dealership and "try" my key in a new car's ignition...if it starts the car...I'm a winner! If not...I go home disappointed and empty-handed. Frustrating, right? I've never even gone to one of those dealerships with the key in hand because I figure "what's the use? I'm probably just wasting my time."

How many people feel that way about church? How many people finally get the urge to get up on a Sunday morning and try out church again only to find out that what they thought was going to be the real thing...wasn't. As we talked about yesterday...it isn't the building's fault. The church is the people. It's us...it's our responsibility to be the real thing...

What does that mean? When you're here on the Internet Campus or at a local church...be yourself. Genuinely care about people...stop and pray for them if they need it. Give of your time to help. Live life on Monday like you talk about on Sunday...worship as if God were right there next to you (and He is...).

Christians are often called hypocrites or judgmental...let's be a church that defies those tags...let's make a decision today to show others that we truly are genuine followers of Christ...that we are real people that make up the church...and that we love one another as proof that we follow the resurrected Lord.

We can do it... I'm praying that we will...

Pastor Brian