Save Yourself Some Pain
Ten Tips for New and Growing Christians
6. Fellowship—Flutter by Butterfly
Pray about where you should fellowship. Make sure the place you are going to call your church home calls sin what it is—sin. Do they believe the promises of God? Are they loving? Does the pastor treat his wife with respect? Is he a man of the Word? Does he have a humble heart, and a gentle spirit? Listen closely to his teaching. It should glorify God, magnify Jesus, and edify the believer. One evidence that you have been truly saved is that you will have a love for other Christians (1 John 3:14). You will want to fellowship with them.
The old saying that “birds of a feather flock together” is true of Christians. 
You gather together for the breaking of bread (communion), for teaching from the Word, and for fellowship. You share the same inspirations, illuminations, inclinations, temptations, aspirations, motivations, and perspirations—you are working together for the same thing, for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God on Earth. This is why you attend church—not because you have to, but because you want to.
Don't become a “spiritual butterfly.” Send your roots down. If you are moving from church to church, how will your pastor know what type of food you are digesting? The Bible says that your shepherd will have to give an account to Him that has entrusted you to him (Hebrews 13:17), so make yourself known to your pastor. Pray for him regularly. Pray also for his wife, his family, and the elders. Being a pastor is no easy task. Most people don't realize how many hours it takes to gather a fresh sermon each week. They don't appreciate the time spent in prayer and in the study of the Word. If the pastor makes the same joke twice, or shares something he has shared before, remember, he's human. So give him a great deal of grace, and double honor. Never murmur about him. If you don't like something he has said, pray about it, then leave the issue with God. If that doesn't satisfy you, leave the church, rather than divide it through murmuring and complaining.
A woman once spread some hot gossip about a local pastor. What he had supposedly done became common knowledge around town. Then she found that what she had heard wasn't true. She gallantly went to the pastor, and asked for his forgiveness. The pastor forgave her, but then told her to take a pillow full of tiny feathers to a corner of the town, and in high winds, shake the feather out. Then he told her to try and pick up every feather. He explained that the damage had already been done. She had destroyed his good reputation, and trying to repair the damage was like trying to pick up feathers in high winds.
The Bible says that there is life and death in the power of the tongue. We can kill or make something alive with our words. The Scriptures also reveal that God hates those who cause division among the brethren (Proverbs 6:16). Pray with the psalmist,
Set a watch O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.
Remember the old saying,
He that gossips to you, will gossip about you.
Thanksgiving—Do the Right Thing
Important principles that can save a great deal of pain
Previous…
Feeding on the Word—Daily Nutrition
"A healthy baby has a healthy appetite. If you have truly been “born” of the Spirit of God, you will have a healthy appetite…" [Read more]Faith—Elevators Can Let You Down
"…in a world where we are continually let down, we can totally rely on, trust in, count on His promises…He will never, ever, let you down…" [Read more]Evangelism—Our Most Sobering Task
"You probably have a limited amount of time after your conversion to impact your unsaved friends and family with the Gospel…Here's some advice that will save you a great deal of grief…" [Read more]Prayer—"Wait For A Minute."
"Surveys show that more than 90% of America prays daily…Here's how to be heard:" [Read more]Warfare—Praise The Lord and Pass the Ammunition
"When you became a Christian, you stepped right into the heat of an age-old battle. You have a three-fold enemy--the world, the flesh, and the devil…Let's look at these three resistant enemies…" [Read more]Fellowship—Flutter by Butterfly
Next…
Thanksgiving—Do the Right Thing
"For the Christian, every day should be Thanksgiving Day. We should even be thankful in the midst of problems…" [Read more]Supporting God’s work and workers—The Last Frontier
"It was once said that the wallet is the 'last frontier.' It is the final area to be conquered—the last thing that comes to God in surrender…" [Read more]Troubleshooting: Cults, Atheists, Skeptics
"When cults tell you that you must acknowledge God's name to be saved, that you must worship on a certain day that you must be baptized by an elder of their church, don't panic. Merely go back to the Instruction Manual…" [Read more]
Author: Ray Comfort of Living Waters Publications. From the booklet Save Yourself Some Pain. Edited by Films for Christ. Web page Copyright © 2001, Living Waters Publications, All Rights Reserved—except as noted on attached “Usage and Copyright” page.
