Season Four Notes
Community
The practice of community is building relationships to seek God together.
Community is important to Jesus, and He prayed that we would experience it. Jesus initiated, pursued, and invited people into community.
Community isn’t transactional; it’s transformational. Community is where we practice becoming a person of love. It’s when we come together in unity to seek God.
Community shapes you, holds you accountable, and reminds you of what is good, true, and right. Community is your responsibility, takes time, and requires vulnerability.
Matthew 18:20 – “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Service
The practice of service is love expressed; it’s giving our life away with no strings attached. Service is both a practice and a gift.
The nature of God is the nature of a servant – and it’s our nature, too. Jesus’ life was arranged around serving others. Is your life arranged around serving or being served?
Service isn’t just meeting needs; it’s blessing a life. The greatest thing you can do to combat pride is to serve regularly. Jesus could serve because He knew where He came from, where He was going, and why He was here. There’s a facet of Jesus we’ll never experience outside of serving.
Mark 8:34-36 – Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
Generosity
The practice of generosity is giving God’s resources to others in a way that releases His kingdom in their life.
Confession & Repentance
Confession is agreement with God, and repentance is acting with God. The kingdom reigns through words and actions, so confession and repentance are how we surrender our kingdom to His.
We’re exactly where we want to be spiritually. Repentance starts where excuses end. This practice isn’t just how we get into the kingdom; it’s how we live in the kingdom. Scripture gives us a vision for life in the kingdom, and confession and repentance are how we walk that out.
Confession and repentance are God’s love in your life.
James 5:16 – Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.