Monday, January 26, 2009

Day 19 - Cultivating Community

Cultivating Community

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DAY 19

Point to Ponder: Community requires commitment.

Verse to Remember: "We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave his life for us. That means we must give our lives for other believers." 1 John 3:16 (GWT)

Question to Consider: How can I help cultivate today the characteristics of real community in my small group and my church?


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4 comments:

  1. This was a good read for me. I will be re-reading this one. Here are several points that I've learned.
    -Authenticity is sharing true feeling, being yourself.
    -Honesty is being frank (not rude) when you know a friend needs it most. Honesty is spoken when you know your friend would be worse off if you didn't.
    -“God hates gossip, especially when it is thinly disguised as a “prayer request” for someone else.” pg. 150. We can cover gossip by acting religious. We qualify our gossiping by saying these words at the end of our conversation, "We need to pray for them".

    Answer to question: By being "authentic" and real. Being honest with myelf and towards others. Invest time. Ask if they have any needs and pray for them. This always brings a closeness between a brother and sister in Christ.

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  2. We don't have a small group yet but, we are trying to be open and honest with this blog, which is in itself a community. We try to be authentic at church and make attempts to reach out to others, which does not always feel as if it is reciprocated... however, it is not about us.

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  3. haahaa..."J dub x2" Love it!

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  4. I can help to cultivate today the characteristics of real community in my small group and church by 1. joining a small group. Jeff and I haven't found one yet at our new church (there's only 2) that fits in with the need of babysitting. 2. Making sure that I accept people for who they are and try not to get annoyed by others "quirks". I enjoyed reading about the 9 characteristics of biblical fellowship. It sets out great guidelines.

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