"Belonging and Believing"
John 20:24-31

 

Focus: Encountering Christ in My Friendships

"Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them" (Matt. 18:20).

  1. Belonging Can Greatly Influence Our Perspective.
    2.

      Belonging to a small group of believers makes a difference in how we See things --it influences our Spiritual perspective .

      We miss a profound encounter with Jesus by being withdrawn and isolated from our small group!

      When he was away from his friends, from the other disciples, he missed having a profound encounter with the living Christ.

  2. Belonging Can Greatly Influence Our Beliefs.

      3. "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it" (John 20:25b).

      Thomas never touched Jesus; seeing _was believing_.

  3. Belonging Can Greatly Influence Personal Faith.

      4. Faith in Christ is a very personal relationship.

      Yet we function in relationship with God better when we are part of community.

            Experiencing the optimum spiritually — experiencing the best God has for us — often comes when we are together .