Day 19 - Cultivating Community

**Pastor's Message to come**

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The Purpose Driven Life - Finding Your Purpose


CHAPTER 19 - CULTIVATING COMMUNITY


Community requires commitment.

Only the Holy Spirit can create real fellowship between believers, but he cultivates it with the choices and commitments we make. If you're tired of fake fellowship and you would like to cultivate real fellowship and a loving community in your small group, Sunday school class, and church, you'll need to make some tough choices and take some risks.

Cultivating community takes honesty - You will have to care enough to lovingly speak the truth, even when you would rather gloss over a problem or ignore an issue. Often we know what needs to be said to someone, but our fears prevent us from saying anything.

Cultivating community takes humility - self-importance, smugness, and stubborn pride destroy fellowship faster than anything else.

Cultivating community takes courtesy - courtesy is respecting our differences, being considerate of each other's feelings, and being patient with people who irritate us.

Cultivating community takes confidentiality - having a safe environment of warm acceptance and trusted confidentiality

Cultivating community takes frequency - You must have frequent, regular contact with your group in order to build genuine fellowship.

Point to Ponder: Community requires commitment.


Verse to Remember: "We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave his life for us. That means we must give our lives for other believers." 1 John 3:16 (GWT)

Question to Consider: How can I help cultivate today the characteristics of real community in my small group and my church?