Today, Pastor Tyler spoke to us about the three commitments of a Jesus community: belonging, being real, and staying. He reminded us that just as our physical bodies have many parts with different functions, we are all part of one body in Christ and we belong to each other. Pastor Tyler also emphasized the importance of staying in a community, using the example of a palm tree that flourishes when planted and rooted in a certain place. He quoted John Mark Comer, saying that as a general rule, it is the people who stay that grow. He also shared the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15, highlighting how the son's decision to stay with his father led to reconciliation and celebration. Pastor Tyler pointed out that intimacy can only exist in the safety of commitment and referenced Psalm 68:5-6, which speaks of God placing the lonely in families. He then discussed the three temptations that make us want to leave a community: avoiding inconvenience, conflict, and correction. He reminded us not to confuse correction with rejection and shared how correction can help us grow up and grow close to God. He referenced Psalm 141:5, Proverbs 15:32, and Proverbs 12:1 to support this point. Pastor Tyler also encouraged us to love discipline and reminded us of the importance of being trained in God's ways. He referenced Proverbs 3:11-12, Hebrews 12:7-8,10-11, and James 5:19-20 to illustrate this.
Call to Action
Some next steps to take this week:
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