I had a great childhood. I was surrounded by loving parents and an incredible community that encouraged and loved me. In fact, it wasn’t uncommon to find my friends at my house hanging out with my parents even when I was not there.
Looking back, I realize that what my house represented was a family. It was a place where all were welcomed and received. It was a place where you felt love and encouragement. There was a lot of laughter and celebration at our house. What my parents essentially did was adopt many of my sisters’ and my friends. They felt like they were a part of our family.
I see a parallel in this with the community of God. The idea that we are all adopted as God’s sons and daughters is an incredible gift with life-changing impacts. This is was one of the things that drew people to the Christian faith. They knew and understood that when you became a follower of Jesus, you became a part of a family. In many ways, this made life easier for believers. They experienced what I think my friends experienced at my house: a place where you were known, loved, and accepted. You cannot read Romans or the New Testament without seeing this idea of family throughout. It is one of the greatest gifts God has given us. We have been adopted by the King of kings and in doing so he has made us heirs and heiresses.
We live in a time when many feel alone and without any sense of family. If you feel this way, I want to challenge you to join a Sunday morning Belong community or participate in some of the many ministries we offer under our Become ministries here at Peachtree. There are numerous ways to experience and be a part of this family. I encourage you to step toward being a part of this family. Live into this idea of being adopted into the family of God because we were never meant to live this life alone. We were meant to be a family of all generations coming together to grow and learn in the ways of Jesus.