Holy Habits: 5 Lifechanging Spiritual DisciplinesSample

Day 2-The Holy Habit of Fellowship

The second holy habit is fellowship. Notice that they “continued steadfastly in fellowship…breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart...” (Acts 2:42, 46). What exactly is fellowship? Fellowship comes from a Greek Word koinonia which occurs 20 times in the New Testament.[1] Fellowship paints the picture of two or more people who are working together to further the mission of the Jesus and His Kingdom. Fellowship has relational overtones. It is not just you and me working together on a project, but it is us working together in love and harmony as we actively advance God’s purposes in the earth as a team.

You don’t go as far as your dream; you go as far your team! It takes team work to make the dream work. As a seeker, you are part of something that is far greater than yourself—you are now part of the rule and reign of Jesus through eternity. You are now part of a new family called the church. God has created you for community. You matter to God so much that He adopted you into His eternal family and He values you and your part in the community of faith (Romans 8:15).

So what does fellowship look like in the life of a Christ follower? Fellowship looks like you becoming part of the mission of God in the life of a local church. You were created for community and God has personally designed the local church to be like a spiritual family for your personal growth and development. Notice that the early believers shared a common meal together in each other’s home.

Following Jesus means that you not only connect with other believers on Sunday, but you enjoy authentic and meaningful community throughout the week. When the Body of Christ connects to further the mission of Jesus on the earth, fellowship happens. When believers gather together for corporate worship to lift up the name of Jesus, fellowship happens. When you get plugged into a small group that is meeting for a greater cause—to be on mission with God in your community, you are experiencing the beautiful gift of fellowship.

So how do I get plugged into this new Christian community? The starting place is to become an active and engaged member of a bible believing local church. There is no such thing as a spiritual orphan. You belong to the family and God, and He wants you to become a vital part of a local church.

You would think I was crazy if I told you that I was a professional athlete but didn’t play on any team. I just played for myself in my home league. In like manner, a true seeker will seek God within the context of a local Christian community. You cannot faithfully serve Jesus if you are not faithful to His Church. The author of Hebrews gives us this encouragement: “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near” (Hebrews 12:25, NLT).

Your Move: Join a small group Bible study.

Looking ahead: Habit #3: Prayer.

[1] "What is Koinonia" from gotquestions organization.