Newsletter March/April/May 2024
Recently, I renewed my GAC card. This is the Golf Advantage Club card to use at the Lake Marion and Santee Cooper Resort golf courses. Included in the membership is one free round of golf anytime, one free round of golf for your birthday (anytime use), unlimited range balls any day, special rates for rounds, and other benefits, all for one annual fee. But to get this deal, I had to go to the club house and pay for the renewal which entitled me to all the benefits. But I also need to follow their guidelines to enjoy these benefits offered with the membership
Church membership also has benefits as well as responsibilities. God has placed specific people in specific churches to serve, care for others, pray for leaders, learn, teach, give, and in some cases, die for the sake of the gospel. The benefits are fellowship and support from other believers as well as eternal benefits that come from faithful service.
But what is a healthy church member? You go to a doctor for health checkups, tests, results, and treatments as needed.
So, what are the signs of a healthy church member?
1.  Follows the command that Jesus gave in John 13:34-35 “Love one another as I have loved you”. This is done with words and through actions.
2.  Attends regularly (Hebrews 10:24-25)
3.  Seeks peace for all in the church (Romans 14:9; James 3:18)
4.  Edifies/builds others up (1 Corinthians 12,14; Ephesians 4:11-16). Mark 10:45 gives us the example of Jesus “I have come to serve, not to be served”.
5.   Warns and admonishes others if they are going in the wrong direction and/or participating in destructive lifestyles that endanger their physical and spiritual lives.
6.  Pursues reconciliation. We are reconciled to God through Jesus
(2 Corinthians 5:18-21) so we should patch things up as quickly as we can with others in our church (Matthew 5:23-24).