Go All In: Four Levels of Church Community

A new year opens with the reminder that God’s steadfast love and new mercies invite a genuine fresh start. With gratitude for 845 baptisms and a Christmas attendance that fueled multiple Dollar Club gifts—blessing grieving families, repairing a home, advancing Bible access for the Deaf through Pioneer Bible Translators, and feeding and discipling children in Madagascar—the call is clear: go all in with Jesus and with God’s family. Rooted in Acts 2, the biblical pattern for spiritual flourishing is relational, practical, and sacrificial. Four deepening levels of connection invite a wholehearted life: membership, friendship, partnership, and kinship.

Membership means choosing to belong—moving from anonymous attendance to a clear identity in Christ and His people. The “five‑finger” response crystallizes the step: believe, repent, confess, be baptized, and obey. Baptism is not only personal; it is a family moment where the church says, “We’ve got you,” and the Spirit launches a new life. Friendship is learning to share life at an unhurried pace: worshiping, eating, praying, and opening homes; sharing experiences and even wounds so that real healing occurs through embodied presence. Heart habits reveal life loves, so reordering time—forming the habit of gathering and joining a group—creates space for Acts 2 community.

Partnership turns community into mission. God has prepared good works in advance; each part of the body is essential. Serving isn’t filling a slot but fulfilling a calling, and joy comes when service is offered to Christ rather than to human approval. Finally, kinship is the deepest level: loving one another like true family. This is where unity is protected, grace is given, preferences are surrendered, and a watching world recognizes authentic discipleship—not by buildings or programs, but by love.

The invitation is simple and urgent: belong, connect, serve, and love. Say yes to Jesus and baptism. Commit to gathering three out of four weeks and join a group. Step onto a team where gifts meet real needs. Refuse consumer Christianity; embrace family. New mercies are here, and a Spirit-empowered way of life awaits those who go all in.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Membership: Choose to belong Belonging starts with Jesus, not self-improvement. Believe, repent, confess, be baptized, and obey—entering a new identity and a new people. Baptism marks you as “in,” and the church commits to walk with you. Attendance can hide isolation; belonging defeats it. [53:23]
• 2. Friendship needs unhurried shared life Acts 2 community cannot be microwaved. Deep friendship grows through presence—sharing meals, homes, stories, and even grief until healing surfaces. God often meets us in the faces and voices of His people, not merely in private inspiration. Prioritize time that relationships require. [60:07]
• 3. Habits reveal your deepest loves “Heart habits reveal life loves” is a diagnostic: your calendar and attention tell the truth about devotion. Form the habit of gathering—three of four weeks—so your loves are shaped by worship and community. Join a group not as an add-on, but as obedience to how God designed growth. [62:41]
• 4. Partnership: Do your part joyfully Each believer is a Spirit-gifted part of the body with work prepared in advance. Serving for Christ—not for human applause—turns irritation into joy and mission into worship. Your yes makes room for salvation, formation, and care in others. Fulfillment grows where contribution replaces consumption. [70:07]
• 5. Kinship: Love like true family The unmistakable badge of discipleship is love. Real family love protects unity, extends grace when preferences aren’t met, and refuses consumerism’s easy exit. The world recognizes Jesus among a people who forgive, bear with, and sacrifice for one another. [77:03]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [33:45] - New mercies, fresh start
• [34:57] - Celebrating 845 baptisms
• [35:53] - Christmas attendance and Dollar Club gifts
• [38:03] - Reaching the Deaf with Scripture
• [41:43] - Go all in; open Acts 2
• [47:12] - Level 1: Membership—choose to belong
• [54:18] - Level 2: Friendship—share life deeply
• [57:21] - You can’t microwave community
• [62:41] - Heart habits reveal life loves
• [66:05] - Join a group—three clicks
• [67:13] - Level 3: Partnership—do your part
• [70:07] - Serve for Jesus, not people
• [75:33] - Level 4: Kinship—love like family
• [79:24] - All-in call: belong, connect, serve, love

Bible reading

- Acts 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Observation questions

1. In Acts 2:42-47, what four practices did the first church devote themselves to, and what repeated phrase shows how often they practiced them?
2. What are the four levels of connection named and defined: membership, friendship, partnership, and kinship? [47:12]
3. Name two concrete ways needs were met: one from Acts 2 and one from the modern Dollar Club stories shared. [36:23]
4. What weekly rhythm was recommended as a “habit” that shapes our loves, and why was that number given? [01:04:10]

Interpretation questions

1. Why would daily, unhurried presence be necessary for real community? What is meant by “You cannot microwave friendship”? [57:21]
2. If baptism is not only personal but a family moment where the church says, “We’ve got you,” what does that imply about identity and responsibility inside the church family? [53:23]
3. “Heart habits reveal your life loves.” If that is true, what might a person’s calendar and budget reveal about what they love most? How should that shape their approach to gathering and group life? [01:02:41]
4. What does it practically look like to serve “for the Lord, not for men”? How would that change the way someone handles hard or thankless tasks? [01:09:41]

Application questions

1. New mercies mean a fresh start is available today. What is one clear “yes” you need to give Jesus right now—repentance, confession, baptism, or a step of obedience? [53:58]
2. Where are you in the “five‑finger” response—believe, repent, confess, be baptized, obey? Which finger is your next faithful step, and what would taking it this week look like? [51:13]
3. Friendship grows where homes open. Who could you invite to your table in the next two weeks? What simple plan (meal, prayer, story‑sharing) will you use to make space for unhurried presence? [58:05]
4. What would it take for you (or your household) to shift from attending 1.4 times a month to “three out of four” as a habit? Name the obstacles and the concrete adjustments you will make. [01:04:10]
5. Will you join a group this week? If yes, when will you text “groups” to 57321 and which group type will you click first? If no, what’s the honest barrier, and how can the group help you overcome it? [01:06:05]
6. Where will you serve this season so that friendship turns into mission? What team best fits your gifts, and when will you text “serve” to 57321 to start the conversation? [01:14:50]
7. Loving like family protects unity and surrenders preferences. Where do you sense God inviting you to lay down a preference to strengthen the family’s unity? What action will you take this week? [01:17:54]