My steadfast belief is this… God created us for togetherness. It certainly begins with what has historically been referred to as the communion of saints (those who believe in and follow Jesus). My further belief is that we were also created to share life with those with whom we may share little more than geography. This is a marked difference. It rejects isolationism and calls for wearing Jesus well on a daily basis. It calls us beyond a Sunday-only version of Christianity to a reality that extends to every corner of daily life.
So here are some questions to get us thinking about what it means to be living in community:
1. If you’ve lived in an apartment, condo-type setup, or HOA… what are the advantages of such?
2. What are any associated disadvantages with that same type of living?
3. In similar fashion, what are some of the advantages to living life in community (religious or not)?
4. Likewise, what are some of the associated challenges to living life in community?
5. By reading Genesis chapters 2-3, what was one of the primary reasons God created people?
6. Sociologically, why do people groups clump (or seem to stay in close proximity to each other)?
7. From what you may already know, how did Jesus model sharing life with his own disciples?
8. Then when the church begins in the book of Acts, what are some of the common things shared in 2:42?
9. How does Acts 2:44-46 describe the extent of their sharing?
10. How might we translate that into our modern context?
11. What was the most miraculous by-product of all of their sharing (2:47)?
For some extra insights follow the link to this commentary… Genesis 2-3 and Acts 2:42-47.
Think Like Jesus 