Locally Grown: Inward and Upward
Nov 28
God’s desire is to build a family/a nation/a gathering
Psalm 34:3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!
Church = Gathering
Colossians 1:24 I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.
The Gathering matters
Our Christian faith is a team sport
Somethings are better together
Worship is Better Together
1 Corinthians 14:26 What am I saying, Christian brothers and sisters? When you meet together for worship, some of you have a song to sing. Some of you want to teach and some have special words from God.
Prayer is Better Together
Communion Better Together
1 Cor. 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes
1 Corinthians 10:17 And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body.
Become Christlike Better Together
Ephesians 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Colossians 3:12-14 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Somethings are better together
Jesus designed the local church because somethings are better together
What do you love most about the church and what is most difficult about it?
Read Matt. 16:16-18 What do we learn about the church from this passage?
Read Col. 1:24 and remember how Paul was told he was persecuting Jesus when he persecuted the local church. How does knowing this deep connection make you feel differently about the church?
How is worship different together than alone?
Knowing the Lord’s prayer teaches us to pray in community (plural pronouns, Our Father), and Jesus took his friends to pray with him in the garden, how does that expand how you see prayer?
Read Col. 3:12-14 how does being with one another help us grow in Christlikeness?
