Stay Connected

 By Eric Hutchinson, Fellowship Bible Church Celebrate Recovery ministry TEAM Training Coach, 1/6/2021

I recently read a story about a pastor who went to visit a man in his congregation.  The man had been absent from attending services for a long while and the pastor went to check on him.  It was cold and snowy outside and there was smoke rising from the chimney of the man’s house.  The pastor knocked on the door and the man answered.  He invited the pastor into the living room where they sat around the warming glow of the fireplace.  After the normal greetings there was a long pause and it became awkwardly silent as they stared at the crackling fire.  After some time had passed the pastor stood up and grabbed the fireplace poker and stirred the fire.  When he did an ember fell from the fire and the pastor moved the ember to the right, away from the burning flames.  

At first, the ember continued to burn but it didn’t take long for the flames to die and the ember cooled into a smoldering trail of smoke.  After a few moments the pastor took the poker and moved the dying ember back into the main body of the fire.  Immediately the ember caught fire and began to burn again.  Then the pastor thanked the man for seeing him and went to the door.  The man followed him and understood the message that was silently given to him by the pastor.  He thanked the pastor for coming and said, “Pastor, I’ll see you on Sunday.” 

I love this story because it so vividly expresses what happens when we become isolated from the body of Christ.  Hebrews 10:25 says, “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another…”  I’m not sure whether you are in a good place or not this holiday season but let me encourage you to stay connected.  Don’t isolate yourself from our Forever Family.  Go to meetings, draw near to people who love you and accept you.  Jesus never intended for us to go through life alone.  I hope this message finds you doing well, but if not, call your sponsor or accountability team and come to Celebrate Recovery where we all need each other.  May God bless you the Christmas season and may you stay connected to Jesus and to our Forever Family!

Click HERE to listen to "Together" by For King and Country (feat: Kirk Franklin and Tori Kelly)

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