Embracing Community: Joys, Pains, and Christ's Call

Devotional

Day 1: Guarding Your Heart Shapes Your Life

The condition of your heart determines the direction of your life, as everything you do flows from it. When you intentionally shape your heart to reflect Christ’s values—truth, generosity, authentic love, second chances, and community—your actions and words naturally align with God’s purposes. You may be able to control your behavior for a while, but ultimately, what is inside will overflow into your relationships and daily living. Guarding your heart is not about building walls, but about cultivating Christlike character so that your life is shaped from the inside out. [10:45]

Proverbs 4:23 (ESV)
Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Reflection: What is one area of your heart that needs intentional shaping to better reflect Christ’s love and values today?

Day 2: Jesus Chose Community Despite Hurt

Jesus experienced deep hurt from both those closest to Him and those He tried to reach, yet He still chose to engage in community. He invited Judas to the table, washed his feet, and poured into all the disciples, even knowing they would betray, deny, or misunderstand Him. Jesus also faced rejection and hostility from outsiders, but He continued to reach out, teach, and love. His example shows that community is worth the risk of pain, and that true engagement means loving others even when it’s hard. [27:10]

Matthew 26:25, 33-34 (ESV)
Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.” … Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

Reflection: Who in your life has hurt or disappointed you, and how might you follow Jesus’ example by choosing to engage with them in love anyway?

Day 3: We Were Created for Community

God designed us to live in community, not isolation, and to build relationships that encourage, support, and sharpen one another. From the very beginning, God declared it was not good for man to be alone, and throughout Scripture, we see the importance of having companions who share our faith and help us keep our eyes on God. True community is not just about knowing people from a distance, but about sharing life, burdens, and faith together, so that we can lift each other up and point one another to Christ. [44:47]

Genesis 2:18 (ESV)
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

Reflection: Who are the people of faith you can intentionally draw closer to this week, and how can you invest in those relationships?

Day 4: Community Is Risky, But Worth It

Engaging in community is risky because relationships can end, people can disappoint, and seasons of life change, but the richness of shared experiences and support far outweighs the pain. Even when friendships fade or hurt occurs, the memories, encouragement, and growth that come from being in community are invaluable. Sometimes, the only thing you may have in common with someone is Jesus, but that shared foundation can sustain deep, lasting relationships that bless your life in unexpected ways. [52:08]

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV)
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

Reflection: Is there someone you’ve drifted from or hesitated to reach out to because of past hurt or busyness? What is one step you can take to reconnect or invest in community today?

Day 5: God Will Never Disappoint—Engage Courageously

While people will inevitably disappoint us, God never will, and He calls us to courageously engage in both our faith community and the world around us. Even when sharing your faith or reaching out feels daunting or leads to rejection, you can trust that God is working through your efforts and will not let you down. The Holy Spirit gives you the courage to initiate, to invite, and to love, knowing that God’s faithfulness is the foundation for every risk you take in building community and sharing the good news of Jesus. [55:41]

Galatians 6:2 (ESV)
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Reflection: Who is someone in your life who needs encouragement or to hear about Jesus? How can you take a courageous step to reach out to them this week, trusting God with the outcome?

Sermon Summary

Life’s greatest joys and deepest pains are found in our relationships with others. From family to friends, from our church community to the broader world, people are both the best and hardest part of our journey. This truth is not just about ministry, but about life itself. We are shaped by those we walk with, and our hearts are formed in the context of community. That’s why being engaged in community—both within the church and in the world around us—is a core value for followers of Jesus.

Scripture shows us that community is God’s design. From the very beginning, God declared it was not good for man to be alone. We were created for connection, for relationships that sharpen us, support us, and help us carry our burdens. Yet, community is never without risk. Even Jesus, who gathered disciples and reached out to outsiders, experienced betrayal, misunderstanding, and deep hurt. The early church, too, faced pain from both within and without. Still, they chose to engage, to love, to serve, and to proclaim the good news.

In our modern world, it’s easier than ever to avoid the messiness of community. We can isolate ourselves, have everything delivered, and keep our distance. But in doing so, we miss out on the richness of life as God intended. We are called to dive in, to form relationships rooted in Christ, to be vulnerable, and to risk disappointment for the sake of something greater. Our closest friends should share our foundation in Jesus, so that in every season, we are pointed back to Him.

Engaging in community is not just about our own growth; it’s about carrying the hope of Christ to those who are searching. People try to fill their lives with all sorts of things, but only Jesus truly satisfies. We are sent to share this good news, even when it’s hard, even when it doesn’t seem to make a difference right away. God is always at work, often in ways we can’t see until much later.

We will disappoint each other, and we will be disappointed. But God will never let us down. The only way to build the kind of community that changes lives is to step in, to initiate, to reach out, and to trust God with the results. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit for courage to engage, to love, and to be the community God has called us to be.

Key Takeaways

1. Community is both a source of our greatest joy and deepest pain, but it is essential to the Christian life. God designed us to live in relationship, knowing that while people will sometimes hurt us, they are also the means through which we experience His love and support. Avoiding community may protect us from pain, but it also robs us of the fullness of life God intends. [10:45]
2. Jesus Himself modeled engagement in community, even though He knew it would lead to betrayal and suffering. He invested deeply in His disciples, welcomed outsiders, and continued to reach out even when rejected. His example teaches us that the risk of hurt does not outweigh the call to love and serve others. [28:10]
3. Our closest relationships should be rooted in a shared faith in Jesus. While we are called to love and reach out to everyone, those we depend on most should help us keep our eyes on Christ and offer counsel grounded in Scripture. This foundation sustains us through life’s challenges and decisions. [46:30]
4. Engaging in community is not just for our benefit, but for the sake of the gospel. People are searching for meaning and satisfaction in all the wrong places, and only Jesus can truly fulfill their deepest needs. We are called to bring the good news to our neighbors, even when it’s difficult or seems fruitless, trusting that God is working in ways we may not see. [48:37]
5. Disappointment in community is inevitable, but God’s faithfulness never fails. We will let each other down, but God will not. The courage to keep engaging, to keep loving, and to keep reaching out comes from the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to build the kind of community that reflects Christ to the world. [55:41]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:10] - The Best and Hardest Part of Life: People
[04:30] - Shaping the Heart: Our Core Values
[07:45] - Why Community Matters
[10:45] - The Double-Edged Sword of Relationships
[14:20] - Engaged in the Local Church and Beyond
[18:05] - The Pain and Promise of Community
[22:30] - Jesus’ Experience of Hurt in Community
[28:10] - Jesus’ Engagement with Outsiders
[32:50] - The Early Church’s Struggles and Perseverance
[38:15] - Is Community Still Worth It?
[44:47] - Created for Community
[48:37] - The World’s Search for Satisfaction
[51:13] - The Challenge and Reward of Making Friends
[55:41] - Disappointment and God’s Faithfulness
[59:00] - Communion and the Courage to Engage

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

In Genesis 2:18, what does God say about being alone, and what does this reveal about His design for people?
According to Proverbs 27:17, what happens when people are in relationship with each other?
In Galatians 6:2, what are believers commanded to do for one another, and what does this accomplish?
The sermon mentioned that even Jesus experienced hurt and betrayal from those closest to Him. What are some specific examples from Jesus’ life that were shared? [[20:00]]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think God designed us for community, even though it can bring both great joy and deep pain?
The sermon said that Jesus continued to engage in community, even knowing He would be hurt. What does this teach us about the risks and rewards of relationships? [[28:10]]
The pastor shared that our closest relationships should be rooted in a shared faith in Jesus. Why is this important, especially during difficult seasons? [[46:30]]
The early church faced pain from both inside and outside their community. What can we learn from their example about perseverance in relationships? [[32:50]]

Application Questions

The sermon pointed out that it’s easier than ever to avoid the messiness of community by isolating ourselves. In what ways do you find yourself tempted to withdraw from others? What is one step you could take this week to move toward deeper connection? [[44:47]]
Think about a time when you were hurt by someone in your church, family, or friend group. How did you respond? Is there someone you need to forgive or reach out to again? [[10:45]]
The pastor said that our closest friends should help us keep our eyes on Jesus and offer counsel grounded in Scripture. Who are those people in your life? If you don’t have them, what could you do to build those kinds of relationships? [[46:30]]
Jesus and the early church kept reaching out to others, even when it was hard or seemed fruitless. Is there someone in your life who needs to hear about Jesus or experience His love through you? What’s one practical way you could reach out to them this week? [[48:37]]
The sermon reminded us that disappointment in community is inevitable, but God will never let us down. How can you remind yourself of God’s faithfulness when people disappoint you? [[55:41]]
The pastor challenged us to be initiators in building community. What is one specific way you could initiate a new friendship or deepen an existing one in the next month? [[57:29]]
When you hear someone say, “Life is just so hard,” or “I’m trying so hard and it just seems like life keeps hitting me down,” how could you respond in a way that points them to Jesus? [[57:29]]

Sermon Clips

The best part about ministry by far is the people. And the hardest thing about ministry by far is the people. And I had no idea how true that would be. In fact, over the last 15 years of ministry experience, I have seen the good and the bad and the ugly. And what I have come to understand about that piece of advice is it's just not advice about ministry. That's advice and truth about life. [00:30:09]

The best thing about this life is the people that we get to do it with. And the hardest thing, the thing that brings the most hurt and the most pain and the most frustration, are the people that we get to do it with. [00:31:19]

Above all else guard your heart, for everything you do, everything you do flows from it. Right? Everything you do flows from your heart. And you know this to be true. You might be able for a short period of time to be really, really cautious about what you say or how you act or what you do, but at the end of the day, what just naturally comes from you is where your heart is. [00:32:24]

If you've been coming for a while, if you've placed your membership here, there's a lot of great churches around, but what you're saying is that I commit to being a part of this body of believers. I'm choosing to be engaged here in this community. I'm choosing to be involved in a life group. I'm choosing to serve here, to serve our community here, to be involved here with this group of believers in this place. [00:33:49]

We see Jesus sending his disciples to go proclaim the good news and proclaim the gospel. We see Jesus telling his disciples to go make disciples. Right? This is central to going out in the community and being the hands and feet of Jesus. [00:34:33]

The problem is, the best part of community is the people, and the hardest part of community is the people. And when we get engaged in community, whether it be here in this place or in the community around us, it's only a matter of time before there's some hurt and there's some pain. [00:34:57]

You do not get out of community without some kind of hurt somewhere along the way at some point. And yet we see this as a value of ours because we see it emphasized so much throughout scripture. [00:35:53]

Jesus knew who it was who was going to betray him, and he still invited Judas to be one of the 12. He still poured into Judas. He still gave Judas a front row seat to see what was going on throughout his entire ministry. Right? He still invited Judas to be at that table. He still washed his feet. He still gave him communion. Right? He still poured into Judas, and yet he went and betrayed Jesus. [00:37:11]

All the disciples at some point or another, the gospels are just littered with places where Jesus says, do you still not understand? Do you still not get it? I mean, after Jesus had poured into the 12, they still lack faith. They still lack understanding. They still don't get what Jesus is here to do, and that's all throughout the gospels. Right? Jesus was hurt by those who were closest to him, and yet he still chose to gather people in a community. [00:38:27]

If Jesus was here today and there's a group of people trying to trap and trick him, we would all advise, like, just don't even engage. Right? Just ignore them. If they have a question before, we just walk away. Just don't give it another thought. And yet over and over and over again, Jesus engaged. He tried to reach them. He tried to still teach. He still tried, and he answered their questions and showed us this third way. [00:40:01]

We were created to be in community. When God created us in his image, when we were formed, going all the way back to Genesis, when he created us, he created us for community. Genesis chapter two says, then the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helper fit for him. [00:44:58]

We were created to be in community with each other and not just know of each other, not just, hey, I recognize you from Facebook or social media. Hey, I think I saw this thing that was happening the other day through social media. How's that? No, no, no, no, no, to be in community, in each other's homes, in relationship with each other. [00:46:22]

I believe strongly that our closest friends, those who we surround ourselves with that we depend on the most, need to be people of a like faith and share our faith in Jesus Christ. We don't have to agree on all the doctrines and all the theology and all those different pieces, but we have to share the foundation of Jesus Christ. [00:46:43]

People may not even realize the depth of hurt and the degree to which they are lost, but they are searching for something, right? People search for satisfaction in things or in jobs or in sports, and all of those at some point will let us down. Things will rust and need to be repaired or replaced. Money eventually disappears and is gone, right? The sports will always be a roller coaster of good moments and bad moments, right? Nothing actually satisfies us except God. [00:48:19]

We have to take that message to those in our community and we have to engage in community knowing that it's not always going to be easy, knowing that it's going to be hard and that there will be hurt, but it's how we were created to be and it's what God has called us to do. [00:49:15]

Every single time I look back on all the relationships, all the people I've met along the way, friends from Bible College that we don't really talk to anymore, I end up not regretting a single one of them. And I wouldn't change those moments for anything. Because the best part of my life is the people. It's the experiences. It's the conversations. It's the way people were there for me. [00:51:35]

What's most fascinating to me is that there's a couple people in particular that have become some of my closest friends that I'm not sure we have literally anything in common except Jesus Christ. [00:52:08]

At the end of the day, we will let each other down because we're human, but we still must engage in community around us and trust and know beyond a shadow of a doubt God will never disappoint us. [00:56:19]

Jesus, who knew how things would end, still chose to engage in community. Paul, who was hurt over and over again, still chose to engage in community. We have a rich history of church fathers, of the church, who still, after hurt and pain over and over again, still chose to engage in community. [00:56:36]

The only way we build community that we can reach others in our community for Jesus, the only way we do that is just by diving in. The only way we shape our heart to be engaged and form the community around us is by forming community. [00:56:56]

Be the initiator when you hear people who say things like life is just so hard. Hey, let me tell you about Jesus. Right? Be the initiator when you hear people in the community saying I'm trying so hard and it just seems like life keeps hitting me down. Can I tell you about Jesus? Can I tell you about what he's done for me? And choose over and over and over again to engage in community. [00:57:29]

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