Christianity is a Team Sport!

"Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body.


The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”  On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."  1 Corinthians 12:15-26 NIV

As a first-generation Christian, I was not raised in a Christian home or ever heard the name of Jesus until I was 22 years old.  But at the age of 22, Praise the Lord, someone shared John 3:16 with me and I RAN TO JESUS and gave Him my LIFE and accepted ETERNAL LIFE!♥  My life has NEVER been the same since that day 7/21/85! 

Before I gave my life to Jesus, there were little gods in my life, lost people look like lost people and they fill the voids of their lives up with whatever they can to find temporary fulfillment.  One of my gods, growing up as a lost person, was sports.  I searched for fulfillment & purpose through the involvement in sports.  I saturated my life in one sport after another, therefore I clearly remember the process of becoming a part of a team.  I remember how teammates were picked, usually the most popular or strongest athlete was chosen first and then the process would continue until all the people going out for that specific team sport was placed on a team.  The saddest thing to me was the people that remained unchosen or unpicked until the very end of the team building process.  I remember how I felt about the process of choosing a team.  Those that were left out until the end were often looking down, with an ashamed downcast look on their face.  I felt sorry for those left out.

Today, as a growing Christian that is striving to know God, share Him, and lead others to do the same, God has brought many women to cross my path that have shared with me their feelings of being left out, looked over, or are still waiting to be chosen to be a part of a team at church/the body of Christ/Christianity.  This should never be!  There should be a plan in place so that everyone has the opportunity to be a part of God's Team because as we read above from 1 Corinthians 12:15-26, there is not one member of the body of Christ that we can say to them, "you are not needed"! 

Being a Christian is a Team Sport, everyone is needed, and there is no "I" in the word TEAM.  Being a Christian is a Team Sport and there should not be a spirit of competition between Teammates.  Today's encouragement is to remind us all that everyone is a special, unique, and important part of the body of Christ!  When anyone is left out or looked over, the body of Christ, is not complete and there will be dysfunction because God has a special plan and purpose for every believer!  When the same people are chosen over and over it sends the wrong message to those that are hoping to be included!

• Look for those that are Left Out!  Open your circle to new members! 
• Look out to those that are Left Out!  Come alongside of those that need to be included!
• Look for ways to include those that are Left Out!  Create a plan of action to do away with rejection!
• Look for opportunities to serve the Lord on a growing Team so that no one is Left Out! 

There are many people all around us that need the Lord.  They are seaching for belonging, purpose, and a team/family that is forever.  As Christians, we have the answer to what they are searching for, and His name is Jesus!  What a joy and privilege it is to share Jesus with those that need Him, it is the passion and purpose of my life!  HeartCall and Gifted2Go are some of the powerful evangelistic tools that have been created to help us share Jesus with those that need Him!  As His evangelistic leaders, we are here to encourage you and equip you as you share Jesus with others.  Please always feel free to message us or e-mail us with any questions you may have or encouragement you may need as you follow God's Plan for your life.  As Christians, we are all on His Team and everyone is needed!
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAWeHo8E70E  (If We Are The Body-Casting Crowns)