Winning Ways: W-A-R-M-T-H

We use the terms “warm” and “cold” to describe the feel of a group. We are so blessed with a warm fellowship at Hillcrest. How do we keep that going? Make sure you are doing the following six things. You can remember them with the acronym “WARMTH”—

W: Work. Have you ever noticed that those who row the boat don’t have time to rock it? The Bible says, “A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church” (1 Cor. 12:7, NLT). So identify how God has gifted you for service at Hillcrest.

A: Attach. Get connected, especially to a small group! Following the worship service, find a Sunday School class or Common Ground group where you can start building relationships. It’s one way to live out Romans 12:5 (NLT), “And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.”

R: Respect. We read in 1 Peter 2:17 (NLT), “Show respect for everyone.” Other scriptures especially call for respect for those who serve in leadership.

M: Motivate. Hebrews 10:24-25 (Msg) says, “Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.” So, stir each other up to live the Christian life!

T: Testify. Share with each other about your experiences with God. One of my favorite verses is Romans 1:12. Paul had been a believer for perhaps 30 years when he wrote the letter to the Romans, yet he was humble enough to say (NCV), “I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you.” There’s always something you can learn from or contribute to other people.

H: Heal. Through prayer and ministry, heal the hurts of each other. As Galatians 6:2 puts it (NLT), “Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.”

How are you doing at contributing to the wonderful W-A-R-M-T-H at Hillcrest?

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Each Wednesday I post my article from "Winning Ways," an e-newsletter that goes out to over 950 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "Winning Ways," sign up here.