𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣
• Do you like receiving letters or physical notes from people who are close to you? Why?
• When was the last time you were with a large group of people? What were the things you did and how did being with them make you feel?
• What was the longest time you didn’t see a loved one? Tell us about the reunion and how you felt when you finally saw each other.


𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘐 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥'𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶—𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩, 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟭:𝟵–𝟭𝟮

𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘬. 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦. 𝟮 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟭𝟮

In these passages, both Paul and John expressed their longing to be together with other believers. Something happens when the church gathers together face-to-face to fellowship, pray, and encourage one another. In the last few years, technology has given us new ways to see each other and build connections online. Although this has been helpful, especially when physical meetings were challenging, technology cannot fully replace the connections at physical and personal gatherings. Today, we will look at what happens, according to Scripture, when we meet face-to-face.

𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲-𝘁𝗼-𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱.
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 . . . 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟭:𝟭𝟭

Paul knew the importance of spending time with the churches he was ministering to. He knew that they needed to be strengthened in their faith, and the best way to do it was to go to where they were so that he could impart spiritual gifts to them. In the same way, we need to receive spiritual gifts that can equip and strengthen us to do what God has called us to do. Why do you think gathering face-to-face is important to receive impartation? What is it able to accomplish that online methods cannot?

𝟮. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲-𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵.
. . . 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩, 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝟭:𝟭𝟮

Paul’s longing to visit the church in Rome was not merely to give or impart to them, but to receive as well. Paul knew that in their mutual faith, the believers also had something to give to him. God designed human relationships to be mutually beneficial. When people see God’s work in our lives, they are encouraged, just as we are by their lives. We spur each other’s faith. How has someone’s faith encouraged you to keep believing in God?

𝟯. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲-𝘁𝗼-𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘆.
𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘬. 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦. 𝟮 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟭𝟮

John knew the value of seeing people face-to-face even if there were other ways to communicate and challenges with travel and physical gatherings. We can relate with John when he said that being together will make their joy complete. We look forward to get-togethers and reunions with those we love because life is designed to be shared. Even simple experiences become meaningful when shared with others. When was the last time you were in a gathering with your church community? How did being there give you joy?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
• Do you interact more with people online than offline? Why? What do you think you need to do differently starting today?
• This week, meditate on Romans 1:11–12 and ask God for insights into His word and for opportunities to connect with your church community.
• Identify some church members and friends that you have not connected with for a while. What can you do to connect with them this week?


𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥
• Thank God for giving you a church community where you can receive impartation, encouragement, and joy. Pray that God will use your church to advance His kingdom in your community and nation.
• Ask God to give you the same longing and eagerness that Paul and John had in meeting other believers face-to-face. Pray that God will continue to deepen and strengthen your ties with your church community.
• Pray for opportunities to minister to those you will encounter this week. Pray that your faith in God will encourage them.