Heart Habits: A New Way to Live
Speaker: Pastor CJ Cody
Scripture References: Acts 2:42-47; Matthew 12:48-50
Sermon Recap:
We serve a communal God, who from the very beginning said it was not good for man to be alone. He then made a helpmate out of the man himself to facilitate the opportunity for him to engage in community. Being in community is just as important for us today. It offers many benefits that cannot be gained when one is in isolation. In fact, the answer to many of the struggles we face can be found in community. The Scripture in Acts 2: 42-47 illustrates what community can be like when we let it work in and through us. Many people want the benefits of community, but choose to isolate themselves and resist doing the things necessary to develop it. Often this is due to some past trauma or negative experience that has shaped their mindset about the concept of community.
To develop community, we have to be willing to step outside of ourselves. And to have friends, we must begin to show ourselves friendly. We have to make some shifts and transform our mindset in order to view community from God’s perspective. We need to shift from trying to fit Jesus into our American culture and instead make Him the foundation of our lives. A lot of us aren’t ready to make this move because we need first to shift from thinking His way is good to realizing that His way is actually better. As we realize that life is but a vapor, we need to shift from our focus on temporary things and our chase after the glamour of our culture and instead concentrate on that which is eternal. As we shift in these ways, we will no longer simply go to church on Sundays, but will actually become the church. As such, we will experience a new way to live whereby we will enjoy the beautiful picture of community the way God envisioned.
Discussion Questions:
1. What resonated with you as you listened to this sermon and reviewed it?
2. What are your honest thoughts about being in community?
3. Why do you think God wants us to engage in the practice of community? What do you think are some benefits of being in community?
4. Other than past traumas or negative experiences, what might be other reasons people resist practicing community and instead choose isolation?
5. Read Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-35. Based on these Scriptures, how would you define community? How did these believers devote themselves to a new way of life?
6. This message spoke of the need to make shifts. What does one need to do to go about shifting their mind-set and ultimately their behavior?
7. It was said that Scripture can be descriptive (tell us what has happened); prescriptive (tell us what to do), and/or paradigmatic (show us what’s possible when transformed by the Spirit). Read the following passages: Matthew 5:8, Romans 12:1-2, and Genesis 2:19-22. Determine which is descriptive, Prescriptive, Paradigmatic, and why.