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Can’t you hear the voice of wisdom? She is standing at the city gates

and at every fork in the road… Prov 8:1

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer… And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other, selling their possessions and dividing with those in need. They worshiped together regularly at the Temple each day, met in small groups in homes for Communion, and shared their meals with great joy and thankfulness, praising God. The whole city was favorable to them, and each day God added to them all who were being saved. Acts 2:42-4 7

Issues that flow from this decision:

• How I feel about myself.
• How I grow.
• My connection to God.

… Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. Matt 5:16

There’s nobody living right, not even one, nobody who knows the score, nobody alert for God. They’ve all taken the wrong turn; they’ve all wandered down blind alleys. No one’s living right… Rom 3:10-12

(Read this week: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Galatians 6:2, Phil. 2:4, 1 Thess. 5:11 )

Since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. Romans 12:5

Three Metaphors about our connection:

1. It’s like being built into a building.

Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord…part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. Eph 2:20-22

• In buildings, a disconnected frame provides no support.

2. It’s like being joined into a body

…In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. Eph 4:25

Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs all the others. Rom 12:4-5 LB

• In a body, A disconnected part dies.

3. It’s like being born into a family.

I want you to know how people who are members of God’s family must live. God’s family is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 1 Tim 3:15

• In a family, a disconnected member feels unloved.

I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common. 1 Cor 1:10

Connection Group Questions:

These questions also work well for personal time with God.

• This week we looked at the power of community and the importance of being connected. What role has community played in your faith journey?
• Are you in a Connection Group? If not, why not?
• Who are the people that are consistently encouraging and correcting you?
• What is needed to build spiritual community?
• What are the positives and negatives of attending a connection Group?
• Do you think that it is important for everyone in a community of faith to be active in a small group? Why or why not?

Read the following verse: “Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble. And on a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Eccl. 4:9-12

• What does this scripture say to you about our need for others?