Imagine Life Together
With Christmas in the rear view mirror, you may be thinking about what you’d like the coming year to look like. Left to yourself, however, it’s doubtful anything very amazing will happen. You’re going to need to make a few changes – and you’re going to need people who can support and love you – so why not let them?
Monday: Read Psalm 133
At first this psalm seems really strange. Talk of oil dripping off of someone’s beard…what does that have to do with our life together? Oil was a symbol of God’s blessing and anointing, and Aaron was the first high priest—the one who met with God on behalf of the people. Armed with this new information, what is the message of this psalm and what does it teach us about our shared life together?
Tuesday: Read Romans 14
The church in Rome was experiencing a lot of division, mainly around religious beliefs and ethnic issues. According to this passage what are some of the underlying issues driving these conflicts? What does this passage have to say about our shared life together? Who is someone that you have a tendency to pass judgment on? How does this passage challenge you?
Wednesday: Read Psalm 145
Verses 4-7 make this psalm very interesting in terms of the importance of our shared life together. What does it have to say to us about community? Who poured into you and led you to place your trust in God? Whom are you, or whom can you, pour into?
Thursday: Read Colossians 3
This chapter is all about living out the reality of our salvation (being hidden with Christ). How much of Paul’s instruction has to do with our shared life together? What does this mean about the importance of community in the life of a Jesus follower?
Friday: Read 1 Thessalonians 3
What does this chapter have to say about our shared life together? How does the example of our faith encourage one other? Whom do you have in your life that lifts you up like this? Take some time today and let them know how much that means to you.
Saturday: Read 1 John 4:7-21
What is your favorite part of this passage? Why? How should “knowing and relying on God’s love for us” and loving because “he first loved us” impact the way we love one another? How does this make loving others more challenging? How does it improve our love for one another?
Sunday: Read 1 Corinthians 13
This Advent has been about imagining the world set right and anticipating God’s future. According to Paul, love is the bridge into God’s promised future (verses 12-13). What does this say about the importance of our shared life together? How does Paul’s definition of love challenge you? How does it encourage you?