We Are Family

These are note that I took from one of my youth pastor's sermons. 
Twitter: @TheCollective__ #TheCrew
March 2012 - Fraser

"³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”"
--Matthew 22:34-40

Relationship is everything.

To unlock the purpose you need people.

"⁴¹ Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."--Acts 2:41-47

Love God. Love people. (It's really that simple!)

It was a daily thing - the disciples spent every day together - constant.

Get: Plugged in. Planted.

The wave.. When some people decide to not do the wave, the wave isn't executed at its fullest potential. The church needs to be functioning at its fullest potential to reach out and create waves through our city.

The first problem is when we hang with the wrong crew.

"³³ Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character." --1 Corinthians 15:33

There's a quote: "Show me your friends and I'll show you your future."
It's critical that your spending time with the right people.

"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." --Proverbs 13:20

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
Nor the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."
-- Psalm 1

The second problem is when the enemy gets us to THINK WE'RE IN IT ALL BY OURSELVES.

Here's a story:
"He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep.
Then the word of God came to him: "So Elijah, what are you doing here?"
"I've been working my heart out for the God-of-the-Angel-Armies," said Elijah. "The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed the places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me."
Then he was told, "Go, stand on the mountain at attention before God. God will pass by."
A hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, butGod wasn't to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn't in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.
When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, "So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?" Elijah said it again, "I've been working my heart out for God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me."
God said, "Go back the way you came through the desert to Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazael; make him king over Aram. Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi; make him king over Israel. Finally, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Anyone who escapes death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu; and anyone who escapes death by Jehu will be killed by Elisha. Meanwhile, I'm preserving for myself seven thousand souls: the knees that haven't bowed to the god Baal, the mouths that haven't kissed his image."
--1 Kings 19:9-18

When we run by myself we feel like we're all by ourselves. Instead of (but really we should be) connecting with people that God has placed in our lives...

**Sometimes after the mountain top moments we gotta walk through the valley. But we can't let the low moments cause us pain or grief for a prolonged time. We need to embrace and encourage each other. Turn your alone-ness/loneliness into loneliness with God. Get intimate with Him.