To Grow, You Need Other People

July 21, 2023

The number one thing God wants you to learn in life is how to love him and how to love other people.

Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT).

Jesus says the world will know we are his followers not by how much

we read the Bible or go to church… but by the love that we have for one

another.

So, how do you learn to love people better? By spending time with

them. Working through differing views with them. Exercising patience

with them. You can’t learn to do these things in your own little bubble.

You have to put time into relationships with others in order to learn

to love people well.

God wired you so that you have to be connected in his family in order to grow.

If you follow Christ, it’s important to be committed to a specific

group of disciples. This means being intentional and seeking

relationships with other believers, even if you're busy. This means not

hopping around from church to church when relationships get a little

hard. Relationships with people can be messy, but they’re worth working

through. (This isn’t to say you need to keep yourself in a toxic or

abusive relationship. That is different).

“Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another

to show love and to do good. Let us not give up the habit of meeting

together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all

the more” (Hebrews 10:24-25 GNT).

Here’s the truth: Christians need each other to grow. Many people

think spiritual growth is a private matter, but God calls believers to

live out their faith in community. You can’t develop a deep faith in

isolation.

As your

pastor, I encourage you to find your people. If you're not in a Life

Group, this fall would be a GREAT time to get into one. You can fill out

this Life Group form as a first step to getting connected to one that

may be right for you: LIFE GROUP FORM