Connection Sunday

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Church isn't a place or an event, but a group of people who are DEVOTED to Jesus and His disciples, growing TOGETHER & serving TOGETHER, to further the Kingdom of Jesus to our community and beyond. Join us for CONNECTION SUNDAY, as we share stories and extend opportunities to get CONNECTED.

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Psalm 105:1–5 (LEB)

Give thanks to Yahweh; proclaim his name; make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him; sing praises concerning him; tell of all his wonderful works. Boast about his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek Yahweh rejoice. Make supplication to Yahweh and his might; seek his face continually. Remember his wonders that he has done, his signs and the judgments of his mouth,

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Say HOWDY to everyone around you - Those people are VALUABLE.

Welcome to CONNECTION SUNDAY, when we share stories and extend opportunities to get CONNECTED with this FAITH FAMILY we call Fellowship.

There have been +thousands of people who have been in this building over the years. There are hundreds who have been here more than once, but today there will be somewhere around 250 people on this campus today...

but why aren’t there more people HERE consistently?…and why are so many people MORE often ABSENT than PRESENT? It’s simple. They aren’t CONNECTED

They aren’t connected or invested in RELATIONSHIPS with others HERE, at least not in spiritual relationships that are more than thimble deep.

AND they aren’t connected because they aren’t invested in SERVING OTHERS, at least within this faith family.

The early Church in Jerusalem was both GROWING TOGETHER & SERVING TOGETHER, to further the Kingdom of Jesus to their community and beyond. Acts 2 gives us that ancient example that we ought to want to attain to.

Acts 2:42–43 (CSB)

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles.

They devoted themselves…they were ALL IN, in the practices that follow. This Greek term translated as devoted carries the idea of continuation & perseverance [1] - this wasn’t a week’s worth of commitment - it was the ongoing, persistent commitment to GROW with others.

They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching - they were ALL IN when the apostles taught about Jesus. They were attentive, learning, and applying what they heard. They were people who didn’t just listen to the words of Jesus, but lived the words of Jesus.

The were devoted to the fellowship - meaning participation, partnership, or sharing. [2]

They were ALL IN - SHARING their lives and stuff with one another. In fact, some scholars think that the next 2 practices - breaking bread (food & communion) & prayer - fall under the umbrella of fellowship [3] - this SHARING of their lives and stuff with one another.

We see more of that in the rest of the passage.

Acts 2:44–47 (CSB)

Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

These followers of Jesus were ALL IN, they were devoted to Jesus and to one another. They were GROWING & SERVING TOGETHER.

And God was doing a mighty work through them. They were caring for one another’s needs and no doubt meeting other needs in their community. The Name is Jesus was being HONORED in the very city where He had been tried, spit on, beaten, bloodied, and crucified - the very same city His emaciated body had been buried…and the very same place where His followers pointed to an empty tomb and lived for the risen Jesus!

And they were watching God save lives EVERY DAY! Can you imagine!!!? Wouldn’t that be WONDERFUL? Lord, do it again!

How was that possible? It was possible because the fledgling Church was...

GROWING TOGETHER & SERVING TOGETHER to further the Kingdom of their Risen Lord!

Oh that WE would be doing the same!

So, let’s hear some stories about the importance of GROWING TOGETHER & SERVING TOGETHER.

GROWING TOGETHER

If you haven’t been CONNECTED with the fine folks of Fellowship, then we invite you to listen to these stories, look at the options for “GROWTH/RELATIONSHIPS”, and consider which GROUP you might try first.

VIDEO: Cristen Casey - Heart2Heart

And listen to some of the other ladies who are being impacted there.

Alicia Evans

Melody Raymond

Of course we have several more GrowthGroups meeting to study Scripture every Sunday at 10am.

And then there are our Wed Night Groups & Home Groups.

VIDEO Troy Stallings - Guys Group & Home Group

Of course we have several more GrowthGroups meeting to study Scripture every Sunday at 10am.

If you’re interested in a GROWTH GROUP or a HOME GROUP, ask me or Christy for some more info and we’ll do our best to plug you in.

And then there’s the Ladies Group on Wed Nights:

VIDEO: Chrissy Freeman - Ladies Group

And listen to another lady who has been impacted there.

Brittany Harris (2 slides)

Good stuff huh? Are YOU GROWING TOGETHER building relationships with us?

We have LOTS of options for us to start GROWING TOGETHER.

And what about...

SERVING TOGETHER

If you haven’t been CONNECTED in SERVING alongside the fine folks of Fellowship, then check out these stories, look at the options for “SERVING/MINISTRY”, and consider which TEAM you might try first.

VIDEO Donald Yates - Tech Team

Spiritual Gift: Service

Heart: Computers, Music, Cooking

Abilities: Computers, Helping Others (with computers), Cooking for large groups

Personality: Flexible/shy

Experience: Lost with no hope, didn’t understand church at first, and wanted to make it meaningful for others.

[JACKIE speaks about need for CONNECTION & OUTREACH] Years ago - God gave us Christy. She isn’t a pastor and has never claimed to be. But she is a person that God has used to NETWORK people across our community. Christy is SHAPEd to serve. Here’s her story...

CHRISTY’s Shares about her SHAPE.

It truly is better than GIVE than to receive.

Listen to the story of Ms. Betty Maher (2 Slides) CHRISTY READS.

CONNIE DAY’s STORY

AMELIA MULKEY’s STORY

And SERVING TOGETHER doesn’t stop when we leave this place.

SLIDE Here are some examples of ways you can go serve beyond these walls. (Christy shares)

Jim/Tim Prison Ministry

Christy introduces CR’s history here.

VIDEO Tim Hughey - CR

Jackie Closes and invites to....Complete Spiritual Gifts Inventory & SHAPE Profile.

I want to challenge EVERY GROUP to TALK about this and encourage every person to complete theirs, turn them in, and get them to us.

How great would it be to have every person in this room, like all these you have heard, GROWING TOGETHER with other believers AND…SERVING TOGETHER!

What if every person in this room DEVOTED themselves to Jesus & one another!

Now, we are about to PRAY....and then we are going to...

TAKE a FIELD TRIP

PRAY

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Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 662.

Friedrich Hauck, ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 797.

Ben Witherington III, The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998), 160.

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