Becoming Like Jesus: CommunitySample

What Might God Do?

Pray …

Heavenly Father, You are worthy of my devotion. I am committed to following You. Help me walk with Your Spirit so I can love You with everything I am and love others the same way You have loved me. Help me see opportunities to partner with You in bringing heaven to earth today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Consider …

At the end of all of this, here’s the really exciting truth: kingdom advancement, through us and our relationships, is possible. But, if you’ve been reading this Plan, you know it has so much less to do with convenience or personality preference and so much more to do with commitment and the hard work of loving like Jesus.

We can be polar opposite as human beings, but because of the Spirit of God that exists in each of us, unity and friendship is possible.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47 NLT

This passage of Scripture describes the early days of the most influential community to ever exist—and it sounds epic! There’s food, everyone has what they need, and they clearly enjoy being with each other. So, what makes this kind of community possible? Let’s walk through it.

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

Right off the bat, their commitment is noted. They devoted themselves to learning more about Jesus, to being together, to eating meals together, and to prayer.

Here’s the question for you: Are your relationships built more on common interests or on mutual commitment?

A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.

The results we want in relationships are related to the level of commitment we display. These believers were committed to being present in each other's lives and sharing what they had with each other.

Another key thing to note is that devotion comes before emotion. They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching … THEN a deep sense of awe came over them all—not the other way around. Positive feelings aren’t enough to fuel your relationships, but commitment is.

They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.

In this verse, we see three things that you can start doing to strengthen your community:

1. Develop each other spiritually. These friends worshiped, shared communion, and met at the temple together. They were making spiritual investments in each other's lives. What would that look like for you and your friends?
2. Serve together regularly. These people were all in. They sold their property and possessions and distributed them to those in need. They were a community built on sacrificial service and meeting the needs of others. How could you start to serve your friends? And also, how could you serve with your friends?
3. Enjoy one another’s company. This passage doesn’t end with a bunch of bored, tired people. It says they were continually enjoying the goodwill of all the people. Experiencing the grace of God through another person is powerful and special. It makes you want to be around them more, not less. We’re meant to be pathways for God’s grace to walk into people’s lives. How special is that? Who is someone you want to spend more time with because they reflect God’s grace to you?

This is a powerful picture of what is possible in a community of people committed to Jesus and each other. The question is, if this community literally changed the world—if they’re the reason we know the good news about Jesus today—what might God do with another group like that?

What if it’s you and your friends who change the world next?

Practice …

It’s time to take action. Answer these questions, make a plan, and get to work changing the world!

1. Who is God asking you to pursue?
2. How will you choose commitment over convenience in your friendships?
3. How can you spiritually invest in your friend group?
4. Where will you serve together?
5. How will you navigate conflict as a community?
6. What will you do together for fun?
7. What’s your relational “why” that will help you persevere when things get hard?

A great way to invest in each other spiritually is to study God’s Word together. Start another Becoming Like Jesus Bible Plan with your community today. Or, start the Learning the Jesus Way of Life Plan to dive even deeper into what it looks like to follow Jesus with your friends.