by Matthew Waldrop

Have you ever been sitting in church during a sermon or Sunday school and just felt like the preacher was speaking directly to you? It almost feels like the sermon was just for you and you kind of get that nervous feeling that people are staring at you.

That happened to me not too long ago during a Sunday school class that I was leading. (They must have been desperate to let me lead a class.) Our topic for this particular class was about relationships in the church and how we should have closer relationships with our church family instead of our friends or family outside of church. Initially, I thought that was obvious, but then I really tried to think about it and it became so clear. In Mark 3:31-35, we can see the perfect example of what Jesus calls us to do in our relationships by how he acts during this passage. Jesus was with his “family” and didn’t differentiate between his church family and worldly family. We are all so close with our worldly family because we have endured so many life experiences together, but we as Christians have all experienced God’s saving grace together and that should trump any worldly experience we could ever have.

With that said, my hope is that I will make a change and start really getting to know fellow Christians so there can be at least one less sermon that is “directed” at me. If you know me, see if you can hold me to it.