Blog

This week, we’re in Practice #4: Grow in Community. Pastor Aaron Armstrong helpfully coached us through the HOWs of community that God desires for His children. When we look at the way Jesus led and loved, we see that He intentionally focused on commitment, truth-speaking, vulnerability, and prayer & care.

Today, let’s consider how we speak and receive truth in our communities. Some helpful questions:

• How does your community center itself on the reading, teaching, and sharing of God’s Word? How could that be changed or improved? How could you lead in this area?
• Is growth in holiness one of your goals? Do you have people in your life who speak God’s truth to you both to encourage and to challenge you in your growth? Who are those people? How do you do the same in other people’s lives?
• Jesus pointed to Himself as “The Way, The Truth, and The Life.” Does your group help point one another not to man-made solutions but to Jesus? Brainstorm ways you could help your group begin doing this.

Each day this week we’ll close with five intentional minutes meditating on John 15:9-17 (NET).

But, first, it’s good to be reminded what it is to meditate on Scripture. Gail Pitt, in her book “First We Were Loved,” describes the process like this: “Read through the Scripture three times, out loud if possible. Notice any word or phrase that seems to stand out. When this happens, stop and just stay with the word or phrase and see where your heart goes. See where He leads you. Pay attention to your feelings and be honest. He desires honesty and nothing is a surprise to Him. He is sturdy and can handle anything you have to say.”

Here we go:

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

Father, make this true of us. Amen.