Church is great. I mean, I think so. I hope you think so too! Coming into a beautiful building, feeling the AC on your skin, seeing smiling faces, sitting on a comfy pew, listening to good music, slowing down enough to pray and contemplate, and listening to an uplifting message. You often leave church feeling invigorated, like God has poured into your life some strength to go and do great things that week. I love church!

       Here’s the thing though, that pouring into we receive at church, means somebody else did some pouring out. Somebody else spent time that week and that day practicing their music. Somebody else chose to get up and help pass the communion, spent the night before working on a devotion, or is on stage fighting their anxiety in front of a crowd to share updates about our awesome church. There’s a lot of people who pour out on Sunday for the sake of others.

       But, and here’s the crazy thing about church, the reason those people pour out on Sunday is because they were poured into at church. The Christian life is this circle of being blessed by God to go and bless others. There’s never at time when we sit still and just receive. It’s always a blessing we receive to go and be a blessing to others. Paul sums this up in Ephesians 2:10, “10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” God creates us into a masterpiece, makes us new in Jesus, so we can go and bless others.

       Thank you so much for pouring into others this weekend. There are people who will be powerfully moved at church this Sunday. God is going to do some awesome things in the hearts of those who show up. A decision to follow Jesus for the rest of one’s life could happen this weekend. Thank you for being a part of the pouring in process in their lives. Thank you for being God’s masterpiece, for having received the goodness of church and now working to bring that goodness to others!