"...that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery..." Colossians 2:2

Following Sunday's service our family was heading out with another for some fellowship at Tijuana Flats here in Casselberry.  When we initially arrived and started placing our order it seemed like a great place to get some time to chat and catch up.  By the time we had finished ordering the line of people was out the door... and we knew almost everyone in line!  Somehow we had beaten the rush, which is unusual for our family but we enjoyed the thought of getting extended time with our friends.

Seats claimed, orders in we sat down and began to talk, general things; work, school, activities, life!  All the while the din in the restaurant grew.  I began to ask a question: how can we be praying for you?  One of the young ladies leaned in: what did you say?!  The noise in the place had grown where there was so much fellowship it was hard to fellowship, at least where any form of listening would be necessary.

I loved seeing it happen, others in the restaurant did as well... and Tijuana Flats management didn't seem to mind either!  There were a stream of comments about us taking time to knit together and encourage one another as Aron Osborne had just spoken about in his message on Colossians 2:1-5.

It's wonderful to be a part of an experience like that, where in an unexpected way you are in a place to see in a practical way how the church is working to apply God's Word to our lives.  But the opportunities don't end with a meal following the service, rarely do they just fall together either.  

Aron provided several ways that the church can work to be "knit together in love" and strive to "encourage one another":

• Practice hospitality
• Pray for one another
• Serve a need
• Communicate your desire to practice genuine fellowship
• Study together – HG, Ladies studies, men's meetings
• Do something fun together

This takes practical, and more than that, strategic steps on our part: Will you take advantage of or create opportunities in your home this week?  Remember there's a specific reason for doing this: "... that their hearts may be encouraged..."