Happy Thanksgiving!

Welcome brothers and sisters!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Faith Recovery Fellowship!  May we look to the Lord for all our needs and live ever grateful, giving thanks for who He is, and all He has done.  Let us continue to remember Christ Jesus our Lord and the great gift He has bestowed upon us by His own blood.

Saturday night we jumped right into Hebrews 13:1-6, which is a beautiful section, for it covers what it looks like to love in brotherly fashion.  We pray you watch, share and of course be sure to check all things according to the scriptures.  Be sure to contact us for anything we may be able to help with in your Christian walk.  Let us walk together, sharing the Gospel at every opportunity.  We pray you enjoy Thanksgiving with friends and family, and hope to see you Saturday night for worship, fellowship and a meal afterward.  Below is a synopsis from Saturday's sermon and a good course to study by:

The book of Hebrews is a letter written to Jewish Christians who were facing persecution and temptation to abandon their faith. The author of Hebrews encourages them to hold fast to their confession and to look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of their faith. In the last chapter of the letter, the author gives some practical instructions on how to live as followers of Christ in a hostile world. One of the main themes of this chapter is the importance of love.

Hebrews 13:1-6 says:

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

In these verses, we can see four ways to love one another as brothers and sisters:

Love by showing hospitality. The word for hospitality in Greek is philoxenia, which literally means “love of strangers”. The author of Hebrews reminds us that by welcoming strangers, we may be entertaining angels without knowing it. This is a reference to the story of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18, who received three visitors who turned out to be the Lord and two angels. Hospitality is a way of showing love to those who are different from us, who may be in need, or who may be messengers of God. Hospitality is also a way of imitating God, who welcomed us into his family through Christ.

Love by remembering the persecuted. The author of Hebrews urges us to continue to remember those in prison and those who are mistreated, as if we were in their situation. This is a way of showing solidarity and compassion to our fellow Christians who are suffering for their faith. We can remember them by praying for them, by supporting them financially or materially, by visiting them, by advocating for them, or by joining them in their suffering. Remembering the persecuted is also a way of identifying with Christ, who was imprisoned and mistreated for our sake.

Love by honoring marriage. The author of Hebrews affirms that marriage is honorable and that the marriage bed should be kept pure. This is a way of showing respect and fidelity to our spouses, who are our partners in life and in ministry. It is also a way of showing reverence and obedience to God, who created marriage and who will judge the adulterer and the sexually immoral. Honoring marriage is also a way of reflecting Christ, who loved the church and gave Himself up for her.

Love by being content. The author of Hebrews warns us to keep our lives free from the love of money and to be content with what we have. This is a way of showing gratitude and trust to God, who provides for our needs and who promises to never leave us or forsake us. It is also a way of showing generosity and kindness to others, who may have less than we do or who may need our help. Being content is also a way of relying on Christ, who is our helper and who gives us the courage to face any challenge.

These are some of the ways that we can love one another as brothers and sisters, according to Hebrews 13:1-6. By doing so, we will not only please God, but we will also strengthen our faith, encourage our fellow believers, and witness to the world. Let us therefore keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters, for this is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus.

We love you beloved and until we meet again, lets go serve our King!

FRF Team