Following Jesus is not a solitary journey but one designed to be walked out together in the richness of community. The early believers understood that faith gains its depth and meaning within the context of relationships, where accountability, encouragement, and spiritual growth flourish. When we try to go it alone, we often falter, but in community, we find strength, support, and the love needed to persevere. You are not meant to carry your burdens by yourself; God has placed you in a family of faith to walk alongside you, pray for you, and help you grow. [01:12:13]
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Reflection: Who in your church community can you reach out to this week for prayer or encouragement, and how might you invite someone else to walk alongside you in your faith journey?
Jesus’ declaration that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life is not just a theological statement but a radical invitation to a new way of living. In a world that offers many paths, Jesus alone provides access to the Father, and following Him means embracing a transformed lifestyle together with others who are on the same journey. This truth unites us as a people who walk in His direction, obey His teachings, and carry His mission into the world. [01:15:19]
John 14:6 (ESV)
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
Reflection: In what area of your life do you find yourself tempted to look for fulfillment or direction outside of Jesus, and how can you realign your steps to follow Him more closely today?
Drawing near to God is an act of intimacy that is best fostered within the context of community. When we devote ourselves to God together—through prayer, Scripture, and fellowship—we find assurance, encouragement, and accountability. Isolation leaves us vulnerable to discouragement and wavering, but in the company of believers, we are reminded of God’s faithfulness and are strengthened to keep going, even when we feel weak or want to give up. [01:32:25]
Hebrews 10:22-23 (ESV)
"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."
Reflection: Is there a trusted friend or mentor you can invite to pray with you or speak truth into your life this week, especially in an area where you feel weak or discouraged?
God calls us to actively encourage, exhort, and even “spur” one another on toward love and good works. This sometimes means offering strong encouragement or gentle correction, always in love, to help each other stay on mission for Jesus. We are to care enough about one another to keep each other focused on loving well and serving faithfully, never withdrawing our love or presence from the community, even when relationships are challenging. [01:39:35]
Hebrews 10:24 (ESV)
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,"
Reflection: Who in your life needs encouragement or a loving nudge to keep going in their faith or service, and how can you reach out to them in a way that is both truthful and full of grace?
The church is not just a gathering for itself but a life-giving community sent into the world to make a difference. Each of us is called to be a light in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and families, carrying the love and mission of Jesus wherever we go. As we gather and encourage one another, we are also sent out to be difference-makers, ready for Christ’s return and eager to see others experience His love through us. [01:49:48]
Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Reflection: What is one specific way you can bring the love and hope of Jesus to your workplace, neighborhood, or family this week?
Today, we gathered as a family in the presence of God, reminded that none of us are meant to walk this journey alone. We began by praying for one another, sharing our burdens and blessings, and recognizing the deep need we have for community. In a world that often encourages isolation and self-sufficiency, we are called to something radically different—a life-giving community rooted in Christ. Our differences—backgrounds, stories, gifts—are not obstacles but the very fabric that God weaves together to form His church. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we have been made one people, a new community, and given direct access to God. This is not just a theological truth but a lived reality, meant to be experienced together.
Drawing from Hebrews 10, we explored the call to live as a “life-giving community.” The early believers understood that following Jesus was never a solitary path. Their faith was forged and deepened in the context of community, where accountability, encouragement, and love were not optional but essential. The author of Hebrews addresses those tempted to withdraw from the local gathering, reminding us that isolation leads to wavering and spiritual vulnerability. We are exhorted to “draw near” to God together, to “hold fast” to our hope, and to “consider how to spur one another on” toward love and good deeds.
Community is not always easy. Sometimes, loving those closest to us is the hardest task. Yet, we are called to keep loving, to speak truth with grace, and to never withdraw our presence or affection. The ministry of “spurring” one another is not about irritation for its own sake, but about strong encouragement—sometimes uncomfortable, always necessary—to keep each other on the path of Christ. As we see the day of Jesus’ return approaching, our gathering becomes even more urgent. We are preparing one another to be ready, to be found faithful, and to carry the mission of Jesus into our neighborhoods, workplaces, and the world.
Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Whether in large gatherings or small groups, in person or online when necessary, let us be intentional about being present, noticing one another, and building up the body. The world needs the light and love that only a life-giving community can offer. May we be that community—rooted in Christ, united in love, and sent out on mission.
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Hebrews 10:19-25 (ESV) — 19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,
20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,
21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God,
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Following Jesus was never meant to be a solitary path. This is actually a pandemic of sort, an epidemic, at least in Christianity from a Western civilization standpoint, where somehow or another we believe that you can follow the Lord by yourself, you can follow the Lord outside of communion. In fact, it's just this relationship is a personal one. So that's why it's important to understand, as these Jewish folks, new believers in Jesus, what did they understand? They understood that this journey wasn't a solitary one. It's a journey designed to be lived within the richness of community. [01:11:25] (60 seconds) #JourneyInCommunity
You see, this faith that we ascribe to gets its depth and its meaning. The teeth of the faith are found in the context of community. In fact, you could probably go as far as to say that it's going to be really difficult to grow outside of the community of faith. I mean, just think about it from a rational standpoint. How can we hold ourselves accountable? I mean, try that. In fact, we do try it. Every year we swear that we're going to eat different. And when we don't submit ourselves to some level or degree of accountability, we often, what, fail. Because we are lousy at holding ourselves accountable. Why are we lousy? Because we weren't wired that way. We weren't wired to hold ourselves accountable. We were wired to walk this journey with other folks. [01:12:27] (86 seconds) #FaithGrowsTogether
This deeply and theological rich designation reveals how the earliest believers saw their relationship with Christ as a transformed lifestyle, radical departure from the norm, a mission and a path to be lived out together. That's how it was always understood then, and that's how it's to be understood now. It is directional life, that is a missional life, very intentional to be lived out, walked out together. [01:18:47] (49 seconds) #MissionalLifeTogether
Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we now have direct access to God as a community of believers. We don't need a high priest to go to God on our behalf. We can go to God ourselves. You know the story when he was crucified, the veil of the temple was torn from the bottom up. And it wasn't a thin sheet, it was a thick piece of cloth that was literally ripped. Simultaneous to this, this crucifixion story, symbolizing. Now you have access, you are a royal priesthood, a priesthood of believers with one high priest and his name is Jesus. [01:24:48] (71 seconds) #RoyalPriesthoodAccess
When we say yes to Jesus today, we are part of a new community. It's what binds us together. And when one is not feeling well, we all don't feel well. I said, when one is not doing well, we all are not doing well. And when one is doing well, we all are doing well. We mourn with those who are sorrowful and we rejoice with those who are glad. That is the nature of a new community. That's what we have been grafted in through by what Jesus did. [01:26:42] (56 seconds) #BoundByOneSpirit
You know, when we choose to take a couple steps back again, we find ourselves alone, we find ourselves isolated. And guess what comes next? The wavering, the wavering, the doubting, the inconsistency, whatever is the fruit of wavering, that's what comes next. Have you ever wondered why that is? Anybody ever thought about that? We find ourselves wavering because we are alone. We are entertained by our own thoughts. And sometimes our own thoughts aren't good company, right? I mean, just sit in your own thoughts. It's not good company always. [01:28:43] (66 seconds) #AloneBreedsDoubt
When we cut off the community, it's like cutting our lifeline off. Now, access to the Lord was already there. It was always there, and he would always speak. But I was left to myself to hold Myself accountable to walk it out. And we already know how that goes. Amen. He says, draw near. We need the beloved. We need the ecclesia. We need the community to help us keep going on this path, to be able to speak truth into our life. Even when we don't want to hear truth. Does truth sometimes hurts? But we need folks in our life. [01:35:32] (59 seconds) #LifelineOfCommunity
Now we can be honest, but we have to be loving. Did you hear me? Jesus came full of what grace and truth. Never will you hear those words reversed. He came full of love, but he always told the truth. And so as we are encouraging one another, don't feel like we're sacrificing truth, but just make sure it's full of love. [01:41:41] (37 seconds) #EncourageReturnToCommunity
The gathering of the ecclesia in this life giving community is about making sure that we all are ready for that day. That's why we do this, because we don't want anyone to miss out. We don't want anyone to be deceived in any way. We want you to receive all that Jesus has for you when he comes back. [01:46:30] (35 seconds) #KingdomFocus
Let it not be so that we would leave and walk by someone without saying hello just because we don't know them. Because we are the body of Christ. We are the family of God, man. [01:51:19] (17 seconds)
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