We have been so blessed so far as we have unpacked the different biblical aspects of the Faith Church Membership Covenant, and seen how we can incorporate this God-pleasing way of living right here at Vision of Hope as well! Being able to partner with Faith Church and hold the same standards they lovingly hold their members to is a wonderful encouragement and challenge for our staff team and residents alike.
Moving on to another section of the covenant, let’s examine more powerful truths from the Word of God to live by:
I also purpose to maintain family and private devotions; to train my children according to the Word of God; to seek the salvation of my relatives, friends, neighbors and acquaintances; to walk carefully and cautiously in the world; to be just in my dealings, faithful in my engagements, and exemplary in my conduct; to avoid all gossip, backbiting, and unrighteous anger; to abstain from all forms of activity that dishonor our Lord Jesus Christ, cause stumbling to a fellow believer, or hinder the winning of a soul to Christ; to be zealous in my efforts to advance the cause of Christ, and to give Him preeminence in all things.
The first aspect of this section that we will dive into is the aspect of both family and private devotions. Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Likewise, 1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” In Matthew, Jesus declares, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matt. 18:20) Hebrews 10:24 further states, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” There are countless passages such as these which place great importance on the fellowship of believers in the Lord, and so we want to place importance on that aspect as well!
At Vision of Hope, we hold a devotion and prayer time in the mornings with our residents. This is a time in which the residents and interns can share the burdens of their hearts as well as their overflow of praise for the Lord’s work in their lives! Starting the day by dwelling on scripture and then praising God together and praying for each other brings us all together into one body – the body of Christ – and unifies our home in a beautiful way.
Equally as important is the discipline of holding private devotion times with the Lord. Looking at Christ as our example, we see that He “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16) In Psalm 63:6, we see the psalmist spending much personal time with the Lord: “On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.” Christ not only offers fellowship with other believers in Him, but also a personal, intimate one-on-one relationship as well! What a display of His grace.
Every evening at Vision of Hope we have a personal devotion time. The ladies spend time studying the Word and praying to the Lord. This is a time for them to allow the Word of God to penetrate into their souls and to grow personally in their relationship with our Savior. There is no relationship more precious than the one Christ offers to us. Surely, spending time with Him both with fellow believers and privately are vital to a living, active relationship with Him!
Stay tuned for more unpacking of the Faith Church Membership Covenant!