What’s the difference between a home schooled child who is taught by tutors in a home setting and one who attends a public school? Both systems carry advantages, but a public school has various facilities, a school of teachers who specialise in their own fields and subjects, a body of students and teachers and various activities that help to cultivate the social life of your child, etc. In short, the training is holistic. Similarly, a church provides a holistic training for your life which is critical to building a healthy person. Let me explain.

God’s Greatest Desire

God’s greatest desire is that you enjoy His eternal and abundant life, that you live this life victoriously in holiness and wisdom, with joy and peace and live a useful life with eternal benefits. But with so many adversities and stumbling blocks that come from your sinful self, the people around you and from the spiritual world controlled by Satan, it is almost impossible for you to enjoy abundant life. God knows that and it is for this very reason that He builds the church, that is, the corporate body of believers, to provide a holistic training.

The Book of Ephesians

Chapter 1 lists down amazing blessings that belong to every Christian: you can enjoy blessings now and for all eternity that you may be filled with the eternal life of the Almighty God. But how can you enjoy these blessings? Chapter 2 tells you that it is possible for you to obtain the blessings because Christ has opened the door to blessing for you. To help you experience these blessings, God provides a person, the pastor, to shepherd your soul in chapter 3. Chapter 4 tells us that God also gives to different Christians, including you, in a local church (e.g. Tree of Life Christian Church) various spiritual gifts and strengths to build each other up. God also provides this corporate body of believers, the church, to love and care for each other. As Christians learn to live the new life and to live life in submission to one another (chapters 5-6), you will begin to experience victory and God’s abundant life. Finally, as each Christian takes up the armour of God in chapter 6, he will experience victory over the greatest enemy of our soul, Satan. But you can obtain the above mentioned spiritual training only if you are actively involved in church life.

What Must You Do?

A holistic training in found only and only in the life of a church. Hence, it is so important that you are actively involved in church. There are several activities that you must be involved: God speaks and nourishes your life through the pulpit preaching of God’ word. You must not miss worship service. Do not miss the teaching of God’ word through persons endowed with the gift of teaching—the Adult Sunday School teachers. Through the fellowship of Christians, you will receive comfort and care and spiritual guidance to live life. Let us be found in God’s house on Sundays learning His word and fellowshipping with one another. Then you will enjoy God’s blessings, His abundant and victorious life.