Building A Healthy Community Sharing Life in the Spirit of Jesus Christ

The Call of the Lord I am the vine; you are the branches... -John 15: 5 Now, you are the body of Christ... -I Corinthians 12:27

The Call of the Lord....the family of believers. -Galatians 6:10...members of God’s household....a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. - Ephesians 2:19, 22...you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood... -I Peter 2: 5

The Body of Christ The Church—the Body of Christ—is: A Connected Community A Caring Community A Committed Community To Christ To Each Other To the World that God Loves

Building A Healthy Community The Nature of Commitment A Commitment to Love A Commitment to Holiness A Commitment to Grace

Building A Healthy Community Knowing and Being Known...I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. -John 15:15 As the Body of Christ, we have the privilege and responsibility to enter into a loving, caring relationship with others in the Body.

This is my command: love each other. -John 15:17 By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. -John 13:35 Building a healthy community begins with our obedient response to the Christ’s call to love. That love leads us to an attitude and practice of knowing and being known.

Serving and Trusting Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. -John 15:13 How can we lay down our life—set aside our self- interests—for others, and build trust? Building A Healthy Community

Serve one another in grace and love: be willing to both give and receive Express acceptance and forgiveness Be transparent: share your story Develop a genuine interest in others: truly love Maintain confidentiality—put away gossip!

Agape Divine Love Self-sacrificing Love Earnestly desiring God’s best for another The love commanded in Matthew 22:34-40 Building A Healthy Community

Being the Body of Christ in Service Service “Together” Combining our gifts, talents, and abilities for the sake of the Kingdom Mutual accomplishment for Christ’s Honor and Glory

The Great Commission All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. -Matthew 28:18-20

The Great Commission is not first fulfilled by groups or committees or through programs and promotions. It is first fulfilled by persons who are so in love with Jesus that they will do whatever they can to introduce other people to Him and walk with those people as they develop as faithful disciples of Jesus.

The Great Commission is, first and foremost, relational, not methodological.

Discipleship is, first and foremost, the building of healthy, God-centered, Christ-focused, Holy Spirit-inspired relationships, not a program to be fulfilled.

The Growing Child of God Community-A healthy Christ follower grows in understanding the dynamics and values of a healthy Christ-centered community, recognizes individual and corporate responsibility to Christ as head of the church, and works to cooperate fully with God and God’s chosen servants in the fulfillment of the mission of Christ in the world.

Hallmarks of Health and Growth My relationship to God My connectedness to the Body of Christ in love My knowledge and understanding of God, His Word, and His Will My vision of what God is doing in the world and how I am to be involved My ability to influence others in their relationship to God The care of my body—the temple of the Holy Spirit

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider other better than yourselves.

Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ. -Philippians 2: 1-5

Fulfilling Our Calling as the People of God -Fall Deeply In Love With Jesus -Share Your Story -Commit to A Life of Growth and Maturity -Seek to Live in the Spirit and Attitude of Christ -Introduce Others to Jesus

Growth Through Connection