Day 17: Authentic Community
Wednesday
And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers and sisters in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”
~Acts 15:36
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus and the early church leaders refer to Christians as brothers and sisters. Becoming children of God doesn’t just change our relationship with God; it changes our relationship with each other. A church gathering should feel more like a big Thanksgiving dinner than a meeting of a club or voluntary organization.
- How is the relationship between siblings different from the relationship between any two coworkers, friends, or members of an organization?
- Of the metaphors in the previous question, which best describes your relationships with other Christians? Why?
- What behaviors would you expect to see in a church that behaved as siblings? What can you do today to live as a brother or sister towards another Christian you know?
Father, help me to see my fellow believers as brothers and sisters. I confess that I don’t always live in that reality. Make it more and more true in my life. I want my love and kindness to be as unconditional and extravagant as yours. For Christ’s sake, Amen.
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