deeply impressed into my brain

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Thoughts on 3 John, from Douglas O'Donnell

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Fellowship is more than sharing a cup of coffee after the service; it is sharing life together - the joy and sorrows, triumphs and defeats - so that together we might fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith, and long for the glory of God's gospel to cover the earth.

And this...

..."commendation of community" is a welcome "antidote to the individualism that infects" many local churches. Just as the body of Christ "does not consist of one member but of many" (1 Cor. 12:14), we need one another for service (v. 21), perseverance in holiness (Heb. 10:24-25) and mission (Mark 6:7).

And then there's this from Christine Hoover:

The Church is our opportunity to give and receive the love of God. It's about relationships in which we sharpen and are sharpened. Our service is a vessel to pass the love of Christ among ourselves...We are held accountable for our individual faith, but we experience his sanctification and sharpening through community, and we endure in our faith through the companionship of this community...The specific community God's given us is our opportunity to respond to God's love according to the unique giftedness, personalities, and roles we've been given.

Comments

Camille said…
Beautiful and true. What a blessing it is to belong to the Family of our Great God! We need one another on this journey. Hugs to you, my friend! With Love, Camille
June 2, 2016 at 9:17 AM
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