Living In Community

In Sunday School and in the sermon this week, we continued our series on the importance of Sunday School. As a family, review the Sunday School Scripture (Proverbs 27:17) and sermon notes and Scripture. 

Review the MEMORY VERSE: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 NIV

DISCUSS: What did you learn this week about the importance of Sunday School?

Read Hebrews 10:24-25

As Christians, we learn and grow when we are part of a community of other Christ-followers. The Bible commands us to meet together and to encourage one another. The Christian life cannot be lived in isolation. We need other believers to help us on our journey! Max Lucado writes, “Christ distributes courage through community; he dissipates doubts through fellowship. He never deposits all knowledge in one person but distributes pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to many. When you interlock your understanding with mine, and we share our discoveries, when we mix, mingle, confess and pray, Christ speaks” (Max Lucado, Fearless).

Read Romans 12:9-13

In this passage, Paul encourages his readers to love each other sincerely and humbly. Just imagine if we did everything listed in these verses, what an amazing family of faith we could have! We are called to live in community and to love each other. Sunday School provides the perfect opportunity to do this.

Based on a survey taken by AARP, over 44 million people, people just like you and me, are lonely and longing to connect with another living, breathing soul.  And consider these research findings: “researchers studied 34 students at the University of Virginia, taking them to the base of a steep hill and fitting them with a weighted backpack. They were then asked to estimate the steepness of the hill. Some participants stood next to friends during the exercise, while others were alone. The students who stood with friends gave lower estimates of the steepness of the hill. And the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared” (“What are Friends For? A Longer Life” by Tara Parker Pope, published in The New York Times on April 20, 2009).

Numerous research studies prove the same thing: friendship is crucial and loneliness can be detrimental. As you think about those you come into contact with during the week, your coworkers, family, friends, and acquaintances, how many of these people are lonely and longing to be part of a community? How can you reach out to them, show the love of Christ, and invite them to be involved in your community of faith?

THIS WEEK:

Thank God for the community of believers in which you’re involved. Pray for those in your Sunday School class and think of ways you can serve them. Then commit to ask at least 1 person to come be a part of your Sunday School small group.