Sunday Highlights
I spent the morning at Cross Point Dickson and had the privilege of leading this congregation through the close of the Paralyzed series. As it was in Nashville last week, it was a very powerful service in Dickson today.
Then I hustled back to Nashville to catch Blake Bergstrom‘s first message at Cross Point. Blake is the newest addition to the Cross Point staff. He joined our team in late January to become the Nashville Campus Pastor. He is doing a phenomenal job connecting and pastoring this community already!
Blake challenged us today on the second point of our vision statement: “Irrevocably Committed to One Another”, reminding us of the value of community. Here are the notes from his message:
“Irrevocably Committed to One Another”
- We long to belong!
- We know ourselves better when we are known deeply.
- Romans 12:10 “Love each other with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other”
- It’s our universal heart cry to be wanted
- Romans 12:16 “Live in harmony with one another…”
- Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens…”
- Ephesians 4:2,32 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Be kind and compassionate to one another – forgiving each other…”
- I Thessalonians 5:11 “Encourage one another and build each other up…
- James 5:16 “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other…”
- The church is we not me!
- I John 4:19-21 “We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
- We can only love God as much as we love people.
- Being in people’s lives is going to get your life out of order only to end up on the other side of it – much more in order!
- Everyone of us has junk that hasn’t yet been transformed.
- You have to slow down and be intentional with others.
- Christian community is marked by devotion.
What does “living in community” mean to you?
Living in community means loving acceptance even when I show you the real me – but challenge to grow. I’ve heard it said that spiritual formation occurs in the context of relationship and I’d have to say that I agree community is a tool for this in a deep way. Remember Jesus’ command (paraphrased) – “The world will know you are my disciples by your love for one another.”? I also agree with Robert Mulholland who asserts that all spiritual formation is “for the sake of others” – it is to be lived out in the context of community, spiritual friendship, family.
“Together” is the word that most describes me – I want to go there together, to serve together, to experience together….community is deeply significant for me.
holy smack…you took great notes! Thanks for your kind words Jenni! I love the way that you lead me and this staff…you are an incredible encouragement.
Sincerely,
Blake
Simply doing life with others.
Loving, supporting, encouraging, praying for each other.
Living in community to me means that I have friends that I can call in the middle of the night if something happens. That I won’t even give it a second thought. And that I know they’ll come running.
That’s community. To me, at least.