2025
Shared Life in Christian Community
Passage: Acts 2:41-47; Ephesians 2:19-22
“The Didache, an early Christian document that functioned as a kind of early “rule,” called people to the practice of daily fellowship with other Christians. “Every day you should seek out the company of the saints so that you can be helped by their conversation.” Maybe that’s where you begin, if you aren’t yet practiced in the habits of Christian community. A text, a call, a breakfast, a coffee, a walk. You tell your story, let your Christian friend tell theirs. Before you know it, you’re praying for each other, then praying with each other. Soon, you’re confessing your sin. You don’t know it, but you’re building a habit of faith that will serve you and bless you: when you face a crisis, when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, when you simply can no longer tell the real from the unreal.” – Jen Pollock Michel
During this sermon series Trellis & Vine: Habits of Healthy Christian, we are considering the following practices:
- Silence and solitude to pray
- Fasting to pray
- Listening to God’s word
- Community in sabbath & corporate worship
- Community in small groups & friendships
- Generosity with money
- Generosity with time
Sermon Outline:
- Define community
- 3 Themes of community
- You are the temple of God
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What comes to your mind when you hear of Christian community? What has shaped your understanding of Christian community or friendships?
Read Acts 2:41-47 and Ephesians 2:19-22. What challenges, encourages, or sparks questions for you in these passages? What phrases stand out to you that help shape your understanding of God’s character and your identity as a member of God’s family?
Community is defined as sharing something in common. What do a few of the communities you belong to share in common (i.e. location, hobby, skill)? There are many factors that can push again a sense of belonging, how do you experience an anti-social pull in your life generally? What challenges sharing something in common with others?
Like survivors meeting in remembrance of their shared survival (look up miracle on the Hudson River), Christians gather in community because of their shared experience of deliverance from death. As Paul writes in Ephesians 2:19-22, when Christians gather it is not as foreigners and strangers, but united as fellow citizens of God’s kingdom, joined together and being built together as the dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. How does this identity shape your motivation in engaging in community and friendship because of Christ?
In Christian community and friendships, we all have our own story to share, and find in common Jesus as the hero of every story. What has it looked like to share your story in friendships, community groups, and at church? What are other ways you could share your story and hear others’ stories of faith in Jesus? What is challenging and what is helpful in this practice of sharing our stories of faith? (Please email Kennerly kking@covenantsd.org with ideas that come from this discussion!)
In Acts 2:42 the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. Paul adds in Colossians 3:16 “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” These verses bring together several of the spiritual practices we’ve discussed. We have a shared responsibility to growing and sharing our understanding of God’s truth. What has this looked like in your life? How have you benefited from others sharing their understanding with you? In what ways are you teaching, admonishing, and expressing gratitude with others in this season?
What hinders you from engaging in face-to-face life together with others at Covenant? Are there ways you could help others belong more fully at Covenant?
What from these passages and this discussion is something you want to put into practice or be more aware of this week?
PRAYER
Share with your group how they can be praying for you: what is weighing on you from this past week? What are you praising God for from this past week?
John 15:5 / “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”