Unity in Community: The Power of Collective Faith

Devotional

Day 1: The Strength of Communal Prayer

In the journey of faith, the power of communal prayer cannot be underestimated. When believers come together in prayer, they create a spiritual synergy that invites divine intervention. The miraculous healing of a church member's wife serves as a testament to this truth. It is a reminder that when we unite our hearts and voices in prayer, we open the door for God's miraculous work in our lives and the lives of others. This collective act of faith not only strengthens the bonds within the community but also serves as a powerful witness to the world of God's love and power. [05:06]

"Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." (Matthew 18:19-20, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your community needs prayer today, and how can you join with others to lift them up in faith?

Day 2: Faithful Support for Missionaries

Missionaries like Alfredo exemplify unwavering faith and dedication to spreading the gospel, even amidst financial constraints. Their commitment challenges us to consider our role in supporting their mission. Despite the challenges of funding, the church's collective heart for missions is evident in its generous contributions. This generosity not only supports those on the front lines but also aligns with God's provision for His mission. As we support and pray for missionaries, we participate in the global mission to share the gospel and bring hope to the world. [07:12]

"And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'" (Romans 10:15, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively support a missionary or mission project this week, whether through prayer, financial support, or encouragement?

Day 3: Generosity and God's Provision

The church's experience of giving away a million dollars to the Children's Hunger Fund and receiving unexpected financial blessings is a powerful illustration of God's provision. When we prioritize God's work over our financial concerns, we witness His miraculous provision. This act of faith and generosity not only met the needs of others but also resulted in the church's longstanding debts being paid off. It challenges us to trust God with our resources, knowing that He provides abundantly when we align our priorities with His kingdom work. [14:19]

"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." (Proverbs 3:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your finances where you can step out in faith and trust God to provide as you give generously?

Day 4: Embracing Our Collective Identity

The Bible emphasizes that believers are part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. This collective identity is crucial for displaying God's glory to the world. As members of the body of Christ, we are called to be a unified community, working together to manifest God's presence on Earth. Our faith journey is not just individual but communal, and our collective actions and love for one another serve as a powerful testimony to the world. Embracing this identity helps us fulfill our mission to declare God's excellencies and bring His light into the darkness. [29:25]

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively contribute to the unity and mission of your church community this week?

Day 5: Anonymity in Giving and Serving

The principle of giving and serving anonymously allows God to receive the glory rather than seeking personal recognition. This aligns with the biblical principle of humility and encourages us to focus on lifting God's name high above our own. By choosing anonymity, we demonstrate a heart that seeks to honor God and serve others selflessly. This approach not only reflects Christ's humility but also inspires others to do the same, creating a culture of genuine service and love within the community. [22:43]

"But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: What is one way you can serve or give anonymously this week, allowing God to receive the glory?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound concept of community within the body of Christ and the importance of collective identity over individualism. We began by celebrating the miraculous healing of a church member's wife, attributing her recovery to the power of communal prayer. This led us to reflect on the significance of missions and the role of our church in supporting missionaries like Alfredo, who, despite financial constraints, is committed to spreading the gospel. We acknowledged the challenges of funding missions but emphasized the importance of a collective heart for missions, as demonstrated by our church's generous contributions to the Children's Hunger Fund.

We shared the incredible story of how our church, despite financial challenges, managed to give away a million dollars to the Children's Hunger Fund in just nine months. This act of faith and generosity resulted in unexpected financial blessings, allowing us to pay off longstanding debts. This experience underscored the power of collective giving and the miraculous ways God provides when we prioritize His work over our financial concerns.

The core of our discussion centered on the biblical concept of community. We examined passages that highlight the collective nature of the church, emphasizing that we are not just individuals but part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. This collective identity is crucial for displaying God's glory to the world. We are called to be a unified body, working together to manifest God's presence on Earth.

We also discussed the importance of anonymity in giving and serving, allowing God to receive the glory rather than seeking personal recognition. This aligns with the biblical principle of humility and the desire to see God's name lifted high above our own.

Finally, we encouraged everyone to embrace their role within the community, recognizing that our collective actions and love for one another serve as a powerful testimony to the world. We are not just individuals on a personal spiritual journey; we are part of a larger mission to declare God's excellencies and bring His light into the darkness.

Key Takeaways

1. The Power of Collective Prayer and Support: The healing of a church member's wife highlights the strength found in communal prayer and support. When we unite in prayer, we invite God's miraculous intervention into our lives and the lives of others. [05:06]
2. Faith in Action Through Missions: Despite financial limitations, missionaries like Alfredo demonstrate unwavering faith by pursuing their calling. This reminds us that God provides for His mission, and our role is to support and pray for those who go out to spread the gospel. [07:12]
3. Miraculous Provision Through Generosity: Our church's experience of giving away a million dollars and subsequently receiving unexpected financial blessings illustrates the principle that when we prioritize God's work, He provides abundantly. This challenges us to trust God with our resources. [14:19]
4. The Importance of Collective Identity: The Bible emphasizes that we are part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation. This collective identity is essential for displaying God's glory to the world, reminding us that our faith journey is not just individual but communal. [29:25]
5. Anonymity in Giving and Serving: By giving and serving anonymously, we allow God to receive the glory. This aligns with the biblical principle of humility and encourages us to focus on God's name being lifted high rather than seeking personal recognition. [22:43]
** [22:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:36] - Community Prayer and Healing
[05:27] - Supporting Missionaries
[06:55] - Faith and Provision
[08:24] - Heart for Missions
[11:40] - Generosity and Miraculous Provision
[14:19] - Debt Paid Off
[16:19] - Children's Hunger Fund Impact
[18:31] - International Outreach
[21:00] - Anonymity in Giving
[23:36] - Collective Identity in Christ
[26:36] - Manifesting God's Presence
[29:25] - Chosen Race and Royal Priesthood
[35:22] - Purpose of Community
[41:18] - Embracing Our Role in the Body

Sermon Clips

"you know like Mike and uh Misty in their in their little community in their neighborhood a few families go down and help that church and what's cool is this is one of several churches that different communities like different neighborhoods have kind of adopted and it's just kind of cool that there are all these different little Partnerships going on and we want to give you one example of that but we know many of uh you guys go down regularly to Mexico with some of your friends and bring supplies to some of our churches over there" [00:10:06]

"and it's cool because it's just something we do together it's not one individual doing all of this it's just like this neighborhood from SEI Valley is going to this neighborhood in insat and then another neighborhood's going to this neighborhood here in Tijana and this one's over in DTI and and and really no one gets the glory for this except for the body of Christ and all they know is there's some body of Christ that you guys will never meet them they'll never meet you you know these people but they just know you know what God is providing for us" [00:10:39]

"and we are going to support them they got missions going on they're they're a very missions minded church and and uh and sometimes we we want to be tempted to just say you know what I'm going to go up to him individually and give him a check and there's nothing wrong with that but there's something cool about the anonymity too you know like last service people just said you know I'm just put a little extra in the offering can you guys give them more and so it's just kind of the body of Christ is blessing them rather than me as an individual you as an individual" [00:11:11]

"and that's kind of what we've been doing this year um I I had some good news children's hunger fund if you remember about nine months ago as we changed our whole philosophy on giving and money and we said we're going to give away half of everything that comes in and let's give an extra million dollars to Children's hunger fund over this year and N9 months ago we made a commitment to give children's hunger fund a million dollar over the the next year and now it's 9 months later and we just wrote the last check and a quar million dollar so it's a million dollars that we gave" [00:11:39]

"them it's just good to stop and not say okay what are we doing next but just go you know what Lord thank you we were able to give a million dollars in N months you know and I'm going to tell you some of the things that we were able to do with that money with that million dollars that we gave the children's hunger fund um but I got to tell you some other good news about this cuz it's been crazy I don't know if you remember the journey on this but every time we had to write a check for A4 million dollar it was amazing how God provided" [00:12:10]

"you know first time you know we had the funds there and we gave it and second time we were really low on money no one knew but coincidentally you know the offering that Sunday before we were going to write our check was $251,000 you know on that one Sunday and none of you knew about it it just happened to be like the craziest you know week ever you know and then our next check was due around December and we're think ah with the recession and everything and Christmas but that became our biggest month of giving in the history of Cornerstone and you guys gave a million dollars that month again not knowing" [00:12:48]

"I was like what in the world so this week we write our last check right we write our last check and go ah we did it we were able to do the whole million dollars and 9 months and I sat down with the um the finance committee and I and I wanted to give you report of where we were in our debt because for like the last 10 years we've been trying to pay off this debt last 10 years we've had about a million dollars that we' owed um you know up and down and every year it's like okay we're going to pay it off we're going to pay it off we're going to pay it off" [00:13:34]

"and I want to tell you guys where we were because we got to do the building thing in a in a couple months and um so we added up the the total debt was $1.46 Million that we owed and after writing the check to Children's hunger fund I said okay so what do we have in the bank right now $148 million is that crazy you guys that is so insane every year we're thinking we're going to pay we're going to pay the de we're going to pay the debt and we're like man why is this thing still lingering we got to paid off paid off then the one year where we don't think about the one year where we go let's just go nuts and let's just give give away as much as we can" [00:14:19]

"let's give away at least half of everything that comes in let's let's give a million dollars at Children's hunger fund that year when we don't think about it and we have $1.46 million of debt that on the week that we make our last check it just it just randomly happens to be 1.48 left in the bank and when they when we added up those numbers in that room I just started crying I I literally I just couldn't you know I don't I don't like crying in front of people but I just started balling because I God that is that's insane that is just that is just so far beyond what we would have thought I mean that doesn't make any sense" [00:15:36]

"how can a healthy church have this debt for 10 years and try to pay it off and not be able to pull it off and then one year we're not even thinking about it and we're just giving like crazy that we happen to have that exact amount you know plus another 20 grand left over once we pay off our debt that's that's only God and if you can sit here and listen to this story of how God's blessed this church over the year through the giving and you can listen to that and go I think it's coincidence I just have to look at you and say shut up you know there is no way you know there's just no way" [00:16:39]

"man it has been such a great year and and I you know a lot of us have experienced that personally right you know those years when you just say you know I'm just going to give to this I'm going to give to this and then at the end of the year you go this doesn't make sense how did everything work out how was I able to pay for everything but there's nothing like collectively now with these huge numbers saying we all got to experience this together and with children's hunger fund let me just give you a snapshot of what we're able to do and understand um one of the one of the things that children's hunger fund does and what I love about it is they've set up these Mercy networks" [00:17:11]

"and how this happens is we here in America you know we as Cornerstone Church we pack up boxes you know sometimes we say hey fill these boxes with supplies for people um and so that we could send them over over to the churches over there and go hey supplies you know here's a here's a that's stupid okay and uh here's here's a bunch of boxes and then the churches they set this is called a mercy Network where they get the churches in Cambodia or Peru and Africa they receive these boxes and then they go to the poorest of the poor and hand deliver these boxes and let them know this is coming from the body of Christ in America and they begin relationships with them" [00:18:31]

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