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Dear Saddleback Family,

In last weekend’s message, Pastor Rick taught the importance of building strong connections within your church family. As you go through your week, use the Message Action Plan below to help put the things you’ve learned into practice.

If you missed last weekend’s message, click here to watch it online.

YOU’VE GOT TO BE CONNECTED!
Built Strong – Part 4

Being Connected as a Church Member

Take a few moments this week to write down a personal journal of how you have benefited from the gift of being connected to the Church in the four areas Pastor Rick taught us this weekend. If you’ve never been connected to a church, write down your hope of how these connections would change your life.

1. It Connects Me to God’s Eternal Temple
   
   Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
   1 Corinthians 3:16 (NLT)
   
   We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.
   Ephesians 2:21
   
   And in Christ, you are being built together to become a dwelling place in which God lives by his Spirit!
   Ephesians 2:22 (NIV)
   
   Write down how you have benefited from the SUPPORT & STABILITY that come through being connected to the church.
   
   
2. It Connects Me to Christ’s Body
   
   God has put everything under the authority of Christ, and God gave him this authority for the benefit of his church, which is the Body of Christ.
   Ephesians 1:22–23 (NLT)
   
   In Christ’s Body we’re all connected to each other . . .
   Ephesians 4:25b (Mes)
   
   Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s Body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.
   Romans 12:4-5 (LB)
   
   Write down how you have benefited from the LIFE & GROWTH that come through being connected to the church.
   
   
3. It Connects Me to the Power of Jesus
   
   Jesus said, “I am the Vine and you are the branches! If you stay connected to me and I am connected to you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
   John 15:5 (NIV)
   
   “A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me.”
   John 15:4 (GW)
   
   Write down how you have benefited from GOD’S POWER TO CHANGE that comes through being connected to the church.
   
   
4. It Connects Me to God’s Family
   
   God’s Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God’s children.
   Romans 8:16 (TEV)
   
   I want you to know how people who are members of God’s family must live. God’s family is the church . . .
   1 Timothy 3:15 (GW)
   
   Love your brothers and sisters in God’s family!
   1 Peter 2:17 (NCV)
   
   Write down how you have benefited from the LOVE & ACCEPTANCE that come through being connected to the church.