Summary: - A church helps me know God - A church helps me connect with other believers - A church helps me grow spiritually Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Romans 8:29 For from the very beginning God decided that those who came to him—and all along he knew who would—should become like his Son… Real spiritual growth isn’t just measured by how much you know about God, but rather by how much you are like God Matthew 23:1-3 1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach." Matthew 23:27-28 27 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. You learn about God through teaching, but you become like God in a community A community is required equipment for disciples Acts 2:46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control... Your small group is your laboratory You learn about God through teaching, but you become like God in a community
