Supporting Your Local

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Supporting Your Local Church
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1. I commit to growing in my RELATIONSHIP with
God. Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD
and whose trust is the LORD. For he will be like
a tree planted by the water, that extends its
roots by a stream. And will not fear when the
heat comes but its leaves will be green, and it
will not be anxious in a year of drought, nor
cease to yield fruit. Jeremiah
177,8   For example . . . By studying His
Word regularly. . . . By spending time with
God in prayer. . . . By pursuing discipleship
opportunities as they become available.
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2. "I commit to protecting the UNITY
of my church. Therefore I, the prisoner of
the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy
of the calling with which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
showing tolerance for one another in love, being
diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace. Ephesians
41-3   For example . . . By acting in love
toward other members. . . .
By refusing to gossip. . . . By following the
leaders.
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Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they
keep watch over your souls as those who will give
an account. Let them do this with joy and not
with grief, for this would be unprofitable for
you. Pray for us, for we are sure that we have
a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves
honorably in all things. And I urge you all the
more to do this, so that I may be restored to you
the sooner. Hebrews 1317-19   Do not
receive an accusation against an elder except on
the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who
continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all,
so that the rest also will be fearful of
sinning. 1 Timothy 519,20
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Elders have responsibilities as well Luke
2224-27 Also a dispute arose among them as to
which of them was considered to be greatest.
Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles
lord it over them and those who exercise
authority over them call themselves Benefactors.
But you are not to be like that. Instead, the
greatest among you should be like the youngest,
and the one who rules like the one who serves.
For who is greater, the one who is at the table
or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is
at the table? But I am among you as one who
serves.
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1 Timothy 31-7 Here is a trustworthy saying
If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he
desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be
above reproach, the husband of but one wife,
temperate, self-controlled, respectable,
hospitable, able to teach, not given to
drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not
quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage
his own family well and see that his children
obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not
know how to manage his own family, how can he
take care of God's church?) He must not be a
recent convert, or he may become conceited and
fall under the same judgment as the devil. He
must also have a good reputation with outsiders,
so that he will not fall into disgrace and into
the devil's trap.
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Titus 16-9 An elder must be blameless, the
husband of but one wife, a man whose children
believe and are not open to the charge of being
wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is
entrusted with God's work, he must be
blamelessnot overbearing, not quick-tempered,
not given to drunkenness, not violent, not
pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be
hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is
self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.
He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as
it has been taught, so that he can encourage
others by sound doctrine and refute those who
oppose it.
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2 Timothy 224-26 The Lord's bond-servant must
not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to
teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness
correcting those who are in opposition, if
perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to
the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to
their senses and escape from the snare of the
devil, having been held captive by him to do his
will.
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. . . By resolving conflicts by using Matthew
18 principles. If your brother sins against
you, go and show him his fault, just between the
two of you. If he listens to you, you have won
your brother over. But if he will not
listen, take one or two others along, so that
'every matter may be established by the testimony
of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to
listen to them, tell it to the church and if he
refuses to listen even to the church, treat him
as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Matthew 1815-17
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3. "I commit to faithful INVOLVEMENT with the
weekly Worship and Discipleship
opportunities of The River Church. And let us
consider how we may spur one another on toward
love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting
together, as some are in the habit of doing, but
let us encourage one anotherand all the more as
you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 1024,25   For example . . . By
attending weekly worship/celebration services
regularly. . . . By inviting the
unchurched to attend. . . . By warmly
welcoming those who visit. . . . By
participating in small groups.
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• "I commit to SERVING the Body through active
  ministry.
• And He gave some as apostles, and some as
  prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as
  pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the
  saints for the work of service, to the building
  up of the body of Christ
• Ephesians 411,12
•  For example
• . . . By discovering our gifts and talents.
• . . . By being equipped to serve by our
  pastors and spiritual
• leaders.
• . . . By developing a servant's heart.

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5. "I commit to GIVING of my resources to the
Lord. Remember this Whoever sows sparingly
will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously. 7Each man
should give what he has decided in his heart to
give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for
God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to
make all grace abound to you, so that in all
things at all times, having all that you need,
you will abound in every good work. 2
Corinthians 96,7   For example . . . By
offering my time. . . . By utilizing my
talents, skills, and abilities. . . . By
giving financially my tithe according as
God has blessed me.