Friendship

Life In Community

Having a sense of belonging is one of the top needs of every individual. We were created to be that way. After food, water, shelter, and safety, we long to have a tribe of people that accept us, that make us feel as if we belong. The truth is our community often shapes the person that we become. But so often our faith is limited to an hour long on the weekends, and we are never able to belong to a community of people who are going in the same direction we are in our faith. In this weekend’s teaching, Pastor Sean talks about how community is not only vital to your faith and growth, but also to other around you. And when life gets tough, your community is the very thing that can keep you going in your faith.

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MESSAGE NOTES

Bible opens with a problem – Adam was alone.

 

God fixed it and then when sin came, they were both alone.

 

Maslow’s Hierarchy: Food/water, Shelter/Safety, Belonging

 

The most popular TV shows of all time have this in common (Friends, Seinfeld, Office, Parks & Recs)

We want more than family. We want community. We were made for it! Truth is that our community shapes who we become (birds of a feather).

 

Theme in Bible is that following God changes the way you live.

In Matt 16:24, Jesus said we had to deny self, sacrifice and live like him.

  • Causes us to make adjustments in the way we live (inconvenient).
  • 2 Cor 6:17-7:1, there is to be a pilling away and an attaching to a new group of people that God refers to as his sons and daughters.
  • Struggle for us because we look at Christianity as an app we add to our lives rather than a completely new OS.

Galatians 6:1-3 “Others”

vs 1 Help those who are overcome with sin.

  • This is a tough one, messy. Acts 2:44.46
  • Point is we can’t just watch our friends fall away

vs 2 Share burdens (requires transparency).

  • What is the “law of Christ”? Love God and neighbor as yourself
  • Questions: where is this, right now, happening in your life?
  • There’s a reason this isn’t happening.

vs 3 Barriers = <u lofty opinion of myself

  • I’m busy, inconvenient, your life < my life. Waste of time
  • Solution is opposite (Rom 12:3 higher than ought). Phil 2:3
  • We make time for what we want. It’s just true.

 

Galatians 6:4-5 “Myself”

vs4 You work on YOU. You got enough stuff to focus on to keep you from comparing yourself. Measure yourself against where you WERE.

vs 5 You are responsible to God for your actions

 

Galatians 6:7-10 “the grind”

v7, we get out of this what we put in – EFFORT

v8 Focusing on yourself sucks the life out of you. Focusing on the life God is leading you to will ultimately fill your tank.

v9 Barrier = doing the right thing is a grind

v10 Do good to everyone – especially Christians

APPLICATION:

  1. Have you been adopted as a son or daughter, by God, or not?
  2. How long will your faith be confined to a weekend service?
  3. Are you willing to prioritize other followers of Jesus in your church family?
  4. If so, how will you adjust your life to make your role here a greater priority?

Having a sense of belonging is one of the top needs of every individual. We were created to be that way. After food, water, shelter, and safety, we long to have a tribe of people that accept us, that make us feel as if we belong. The truth is our community often shapes the person that we become. But so often our faith is limited to an hour long on the weekends, and we are never able to belong to a community of people who are going in the same direction we are in our faith. In this weekend’s teaching, Pastor Sean talks about how community is not only vital to your faith and growth, but also to other around you. And when life gets tough, your community is the very thing that can keep you going in your faith.

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