Authentic Community

Harris Creek

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Authentic Community

Life Together

March 6, 2022 • Scott Kedersha • 1 John 1:5–10, Proverbs 29:25, Romans 8:1, James 5:16, John 8:12

Have you ever collected or owned something that you thought was valuable, only to later realize it was inauthentic and fake? As we start our new series, Life Together, Scott Kedersha teaches our first building block of community: authentic.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

-The bigger we become as a church, the smaller we must become so that everyone can be known and cared for. We do this through life groups.

-To be authentic means to be real, genuine. To be who you say you are.

-John repeats the idea that “Jesus is the light” all throughout his teaching. Without Jesus, we won’t see things on this earth clearly. He is the light we need to see things as they really are.

-Authenticity starts by addressing our sin.

-God hates when we minimize our sin.

-Authenticity is necessary for fellowship.

-These three words & questions are a great way to build authenticity in your life group: 1) Input - How are you feeding your soul? 2) Output - How are you feeding others? 3) Confession - How have you fed your flesh?

-Going to life group and not confessing your sin and not being authentic is a terrible hobby and use of time.

-Authenticity is necessary for forgiveness.

-Is there a part of your life that you don’t want other people to see? Bring it into the light!

-How to confess: Confess early. Confess at the thought level. Confess at the temptation level before it even becomes sin.

-How to confess: Confess often. Confess everything you don’t want others to know.

-How to confess: Confess in detail. Share 100%, not 98%.

-The 30-seconds after someone confesses are extremely important. Your response to their confession will dictate whether they share more or they hide. Thank them, listen to them, ask them questions, pray for them.

-What are you keeping from others? What are you hiding? What are you afraid to share?

-The goal is not to be the most authentic person in the room. The goal is to become more like Jesus.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

-Scripture to study: 1 John 1:5-10; John 8:12, 9:5, 12:46; Proverbs 29:25; Romans 8:1; James 5:16; Proverbs 28:13

-Sermon: Authentic (sermon series: Fresh Start)

Committed

March 20, 2022 • Trent Horner • Romans 12:9–18, Romans 12:1–2, Matthew 22:37–39, John 13:35, Hebrews 10:24–25

What are you committed to in life? Work, kids, material possessions, money, friendships, family? Are you overcommitted to any of them? As we finish our series, Life Together, Trent Horner teaches the third value of community, committed, by studying Romans 12:9-18. KEY TAKEAWAYS -The first two community core values are authentic and biblical. Go back and watch those sermons if you missed them. -If you are an informed sports fan but you don’t know God’s Word, that’s a problem. -A commitment to community is based on love. -In order to love others you must be a student of them and learn what’s important to them. -Do you know the the story of the people you are in life group with? Their fears, insecurities, past, goals, dreams? -Go make a memory and have fun with your life group. Be intentional about creating unique shared experiences. -A commitment to community is a test of endurance. -As christians, we are always on mission and at war. Always. -The closest and most meaningful relationships are often just that because they’ve stood the test of time. -What if you approached your life group with a long distance, marathon mentality? -You will encounter conflict and difficulty along the way. If you don’t acknowledge and embrace this reality, you won’t make it in a life group. -When you encounter difficulty, share, practice hospitality, and be present with one another. -A commitment to community is a fight for unity. -We are prone to division and if we don’t proactively fight against it it will take us out. -If you want to change your life group, draw a circle around yourself and fix everything inside the circle. -As christians, we don’t judge obedience by the outcome. We strive to be faithful no matter the results. -Our greatest disappointments come from unspoken or unmet expectations. Share and discuss your expectations with one another. -We don’t want you to check a bunch of boxes as it relates to being in a life group; we want you to follow Jesus and become more like Him, and one of the best ways we know how to do that is to encourage you to do life with other people in a life group. MENTIONED OR RECOMMENDED RESOURCES -Suggested Scripture study: Romans 12:9-18; Romans 12:1-2; Matthew 22:37-39; John 13:35; Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Peter 5:8 -Sermon: Biblical -Sermon series: Conflicted

Biblical

March 13, 2022 • Jon Green • 2 Timothy 3:14–17, Proverbs 11:14

Where do you find community: work, fitness, sports, kids activities, church…where is it for you? What characteristics mark that group of people? As we continue our series, Life Together, Jon Green teaches through 2 Timothy 3:14-17, teaching our second building block of community: biblical. KEY TAKEAWAYS -All Scripture is God-breathed. -Theology simply means “what you believe about God”. -Does everyone in your life group elevate Scripture in the same way? -Every time you read Scripture, ask God, “What do you want me to learn today?” -Observation: What do I see? -Interpretation: What does it mean? -Application: How does it work? What do I do? -All Scripture is useful. -Are you teaching each other using Scripture? -Rebuking: calling or pointing out sin based on Scripture. Correcting: giving a solution based on Scripture. -Training in righteousness can look like processing decisions based on Scripture (“Hey group, I’m thinking about _____, what do you guys think God and Scripture would have me do?”) vs. reporting decisions after the fact (“Hey guys, FYI, last week I did _____.”) -You can get well-intentioned yet horrific advice. If advice doesn’t align with Scripture, it’s bad advice. -In general, the more you want something the less you should trust yourself. -All Scripture prepares us. -If you think your knowledge of Scripture is for you, you have missed the point. The goal it to take what you learn and build up other people around you. -You will be a better disciple of Jesus if the people around you are reading their Bibles. -It will take time and effort to learn the Bible better, and that is OK. Start where you are today, and commit to growing 24-hours at a time. -When people in your group give counsel ask them to back it up with Scripture. -If you want to grow in your consistency of reading the Bible, you need three things: a time, a place, and a plan. MENTIONED OR RECOMMENDED RESOURCES -Suggested Scripture study: 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Proverbs 11:14 -Sermon: Authentic Community -Resource: Bible Reading Plan http://(www.biblereadingplan.orghttp://www.biblereadingplan.org)