๐ช๐๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ฃ
โข Name one person you canโt go a week without seeing. What makes this person special?
โข Do you prefer to stay at home or to go out to meet friends? What are some things you consider when deciding between the two?
โข Who do you turn to for advice? Why can you trust this person?
๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐
๐๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ถ๐ด ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ด๐ช๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ณ ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ๐ด, ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ, ๐ข๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ, ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐บ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ข๐ธ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ.ย ย ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ช๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฌ:๐ฎ๐ฐ-๐ฎ๐ฑย
(Read also ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ช๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฌ:๐ญ๐ต-๐ฎ๐ฏ)
Though the early church continued to grow, it was not without its challenges. Gathering together was difficult because of the threats of persecution, as well as their personal differences. But in light of Godโs design for the church, the disciples were urged to regularly meet each other face-to-face and to live out the gospel together. Even today, with the uncertainties and hindrances we face, we are not meant to walk this life or do Godโs mission alone. We can be the Church with fellow believers because Jesus, our ๐จ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐ฆ๐ด๐ต, builds us together. In this lesson, let us look at how we can continue to be Godโs Church together.
๐ญ. ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ถ๐ฟ ๐๐ฝ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐.
๐๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ก๐๐ฉ ๐ช๐จ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐จ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ช๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ๐ด . . .ย ย ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ช๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฌ:๐ฎ๐ฐ
When we care about someone, giving constructive criticism is just as important as positive feedback. Sometimes, just like the spurs on a cowboyโs boots that urge horses to move, this may be uncomfortable or painful. The disciples were exhorted to stir up or spur one another, toward love and good works. This includes challenging and correcting each other to ensure that everything they say and do reflects Godโs love. Loving others may mean telling them what they need to hear and pointing them to Christ. The manner by which we stir up others is crucial. As we continue being salt and light, our intention is not to hurt but to challenge and encourage others in their faith journey. How has someone challenged or corrected you in light of Godโs love?
๐ฎ. ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ด๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ.
. . . ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ข๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ง, ๐ข๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ, ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ค๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐บ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ข๐ธ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ.ย ย ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ช๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฌ:๐ฎ๐ฑ
Thanks to technology, we have lots of ways to connect to each other. However, meeting in person has one benefit that is crucial for human interactionโbeing fully present. When we meet online, we can get easily distracted. Imagine if you were to give advice to someone while doing other things at the same time. Your attention will be divided and you may miss out on something God is doing. This is why itโs important that we, as a church, gather together physically. When we meet face-to-face, we get to enjoy Godโs presence together. What are some things that you appreciate about physical gatherings that you canโt do online?
๐ฏ. ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ.
. . . ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ต ๐ต๐ฐ๐จ๐ฆ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ๐ณ, ๐ข๐ด ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ต ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฆ, ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ง, ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ด ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ ๐ด๐ฆ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐บ ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ข๐ธ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ. ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ช๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฌ:๐ฎ๐ฑ
Meeting together physically helps us to encourage one another as we patiently wait for Christโs return. Though we may face challenges along the way, we can overcome them together as we continue to live the Christlike life God designed for us. Part of this life is to gather with fellow believers and relationally build each other up. Recall encouragement youโve given or received. How has this helped you grow?ย
๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก
โข Do you have a hard time telling others what they need to hear? In what ways can you overcome this and ensure that you are doing it in love?ย
โข How has someone in your church or spiritual family helped you overcome challenges or mindsets that may hinder you from continually building Godโs kingdom with them? How may you continue to address these in light of todayโs word?
โข Think of one or two people who are in need of encouragement. How can you be a loving example of Christ to them this week?
๐ฃ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฅ
โข Thank God for sending Jesus, the builder and cornerstone of the Church, and people who love you and will help you grow. Ask God for an open heart and mind to receive feedback from these people.
โข Pray that God would lead you to a greater appreciation for meeting fellow believers, especially in physical gatherings.
โข Pray for someone who needs to hear about Godโs love today. Ask God to strengthen and be with them in times of hardship.