Good morning friends!
Yesterday pastor Gary's sermon was on why we need each other. He listed community as God's remedy to a number of problems: fear, loneliness, fatigue, despair, and defeat. Fear is probably the one that I need to most help with.
Let me add one more problem that true community addresses: PRIDE. Community is God's answer to PRIDE. Think about the word 'community' and 'communication.' There is a 'give and take' nature to communication (which can become really hard, though really necessary when preaching!). True communication helps us get into the other person's shoes and to see from another perspective. Seeing from other perspectives increases my humility because I realize that I don't know everything (I know that's not very surprising to anyone in this email!). Maybe some can relate that after I have listened really well to another's perspective, I become more cautious when speaking. If I know they are listeners, I don't become afraid to speak, though. I just become more cautious--more humble--in what I say and how I say it. Community (and the communication that happens there!) is God's answer to pride.
Any other thoughts on the sermon? Thoughts on my thoughts above? Any other problems that community is God's answer to?
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3 comments:
Pride, that's a good one Aaron. So my question is...
What problems are there that God can't answer with community?
I like to think about the early church and the thousands of people who turned to Jesus. Those believers sold everything they owned, not just a few things they had, and gave to the church.Didn't these people worry about a dry, warm place to sleep or food on the table? Not at all because God provided everything they needed for this community. And thousands of other people came to know Jesus because of what God was doing in these communities.
I hope that someday all of the triple cities will be filled with these types of communities. AND TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
What problems are there that God can't answer with community? Good question...perhaps all the problems that communities create? ;)
[Joking around now...] There is a poster that says, "None of us is as smart as all of us." Very true. Of course, it's also true that "None of us is as dumb as all of us."
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