I’m not sure who said it first, but there’s an old quote that says, “One can acquire everything in solitude except character.”To develop character, we need one another. We need interaction. We need the opportunity to love, serve, grow, share, learn, and forgive. None of these Christ-like character traits can be developed in isolation. We need one another.Last year I was talking with a good friend of mine.  His also an accountability partner of mine.  I mentioned to him that I want to keep God’s Word on my mind.  To think about it more, to meditate on God’s Word.  I mentioned to him that I wanted to start memorizing more Scripture.The next month we talked again and he asked me, “so how’s the Scripture memorization going?”  I said, “yah, that’s something I’m wanting to do.”A few weeks later I talked to him again and he asked, “so how’s the Scripture memorization going?”  I realized that either I’m going to take action, or I’m going to have to start looking for a new friend.  He’s going to keep asking the same question.  It was getting embarrassing.  But it was what I needed.  Community helps provide the accountability we need.Think for a moment of how much you have grown spiritually because of the people in your life. God has used both the positive and negative experiences to cause you to grow to be more like Jesus.God’s plan for the church is that we would be together. I love the story of the early New Testament church. After the Day of Pentecost the Bible says in Acts 2:44 - “All the believers were together and had everything in common.”You have to understand this about Jesus: Community was his plan to change the world.  When he ascended to Heaven, he didn’t leave behind any financial resources.  He didn’t’ leave behind a big infrastructure – no budget, no buildings, no connections – any of the things we think are so crucial for an organization or a movement.He just left behind a small group.  That was it – just twelve ordinary people – a circle of friends.  And two thousand years later, we are here as Christians because of what happened through them.  Jesus left behind community and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Both of these were critical to the growth of the Gospel.  Today they are both still critical.Look at the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”To demonstrate and grow in most of the fruit of the Spirit you have to be in the context of community.  Love, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – these all require us to be with someone else.They continued in fellowship: The Greek word for fellowship is the word koinonia. It has the idea of association, communion, fellowship, and participation; it means to share in something.But it goes deeper than having common beliefs and core values – this is a profound regard for one another’s spiritual and physical well-being.  God doesn’t give up on us – we can’t give up on each other.Christian psychologist, Henry Cloud said, “God created us with a hunger for relationship – for relationship with Him and with our fellow people.  At our very core we are relational beings.”  He goes on to say, “The soul cannot prosper without being connected to others.Today’s Challenge: Since spiritual growth happens in the context of community., Let’s decide today to be intentional. Let’s encourage one another – pray for one another – love one another – live in harmony with each – be devoted to one another – and be compassionate to one another.

Ver todos los episodios