God's Amazing Body by Scott Miller

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:12

But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
1 Corinthians 12:18

Barely a week goes by that someone doesn’t ask me if I know some individual who attends Big Valley Grace. Often I don’t recognize the name. This surprises people, because they do not realize the size of the body of Christ at Big Valley Grace.

Yet, according to these verses in 1 Corinthians, God places people into His body, the church, exactly where he wants them. That’s an amazing and mysterious truth.

When a person walks onto our campus or calls for information, he is doing so by God’s grace and intention. My hope, prayer and responsibility, as the new Pastor of Connect, is to help people connect into deeper relationships with God Himself and with members of the body who represent Him. The word we use to describe this process is assimilation.

It is my prayer that you are well connected–or assimilated–in your church. If not, I pray that you will get excited about what it would mean for your life, remembering God Himself intends for you to be connected.

The Bible says, “A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment” Proverbs 18:1 (NKJV). In other words, it is selfishness that causes us to remain disconnected. We find it easy to rationalize that being disconnected is safe. We think, falsely, that if people don’t know us, they can’t hurt us, or, if they DID know us, they would not love us. Scripture tells us this is selfish and unwise thinking.

The opposite is actually true.

The benefits of being connected are too numerous to list, but here are two. First, to be connected is to find God’s will for your life–His perfect place for you in His body. Second, it is within the body that you find the real love of Christ.

Today, it is my prayer that you will consider your life and your connection at Big Valley Grace. If you admit you are not connected and would like to be, call me so we can talk about the opportunities God has planned just for you. Like me, you will find His plans amazing and mysterious!