July 19, 2026
Family Talk
By Dave Phillips
Doesn’t it seem that at church we have the same conversations with people week after week? If you aren’t careful you might think that this seemingly careless and inconsequential exchange is meaningless. However, most of us use these exchanges as a starting point for further discussions. You may not think that these discussions are important, but there is an unspoken and frequently forgotten value in ‘coming together’ and encouraging one another. Yes, we come together to worship. But one of the benefits of being in the body of Christ is that we communicate with people who have distinctive similarities in faith, struggles in life, and needs for sharing information about themselves. I am reminded of this constantly when I read passages about congregations getting together to worship and build each other up. Acts 2 and Hebrews 10 are only two such places in the Bible. Romans 12 and Ephesians 4 give instructions on how we are to interact. My point is… the fact that we come together and build each other up is not only biblical, it is entirely beneficial.
If you are in a group that ‘tears down,’ criticizes or complains about people and their problems, you know how eager you are to ‘move on from that group.’ One person said they are afraid of not being with that group because they are afraid if they miss, they will be the subject of the conversation.
I’m glad the church is not like that. We gather to worship. We gather to encourage. We gather to meet new people and refresh old acquaintances. We gather to listen. We gather to work together. We gather to be God’s people and share the good news of Jesus Christ.
With many of our families enjoying brief trips together as a family, we are always glad when they return. We miss them when they are gone. We are eager to hear their stories of adventure, mishaps, experiences and fun. May God bless us this summer and may we use this time to recommit to serving God faithfully here at Germantown.
Let’s talk today before and after we worship. By the way, “How’s the weather?”
