Community

Today, as the Underground, we come together in prayer and fasting.

Strategic Focus
Community 

Movement 1
Community between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Read Genesis 1:1-2 NIV
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
  

Reflect 
The Trinity is our most beautiful example of what it means to be in communion with other beings. The community between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has always been and always will be. Can we explain this? The simple answer is no. But it can be good to stretch our brains to meditate upon our God, three in one, and what that actually means.  

Genesis 1:2 tells us that before the earth was created, while it was formless and empty, the Spirit was hovering over the waters. Colossians 1:16: tells us that through Jesus all things were created. 1 Corinthians 8:6 tells us that there is one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is one Lord, Jesus, through whom all things came and through whom we live. You see, our Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit are in such close communion that it is almost unfathomable for us. 

Pray
Meditate on the reality of the Trinity. Talk to God telling Him the things that you do not understand, the things that hurt your brain, the things about Him that you're thankful for, and ask Him to reveal Himself to you in new and fresh ways so your understanding of Him will grow.  

Movement 2
Community with God 

Read John 15:1-4 MSG
“I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. 

“Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me. 

Reflect
We all know what happens when a branch gets disconnected from the main vine. It might look good for a short period of time, but eventually it begins to wither and shrivel and die. Jesus makes it clear that we must stay as closely connected to Him as a branch is to the vine. When we are connected to Him, remain in Him, abide in Him, we will bear fruit. He makes it very clear that we will bear no fruit unless we are connected to Him. 

The Message translation above makes the analogy of making our home in Him. When we surrendered our lives to Him, He came and made His home in us. Now He invites us to make our home in Him. The place we return to when we are seeking solace and Shalom. 

Pray
Ask God to recall at times when you have chosen to disconnect yourself from Him. Repent of those times and ask for forgiveness.  

Ask him to reveal to you any current areas of your life where you are disconnected from Him. Ask Him to show you how to reconnect and attach in a secure way.

Movement 3
Community with Others

Read Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 

Reflect
Not only are we to be in community with our God, but we are also to be in community with others. God created us to need community with others. And there are so many beautiful reasons for it! In community, we are to be united in mind and thought (1 Cor. 1:10), encourage the disheartened (1 Thess. 5:14), forgive one another (Col. 3:13), carry one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2), confess our sins to each other and pray for healing (James, 5:16), sharpen each other (Prov. 27:17), be mutually encouraged by each other 's faith (Rom. 1:11-12), love at all times (Prov. 17:17), and much more.   

Pray
Think about community that you experience now. What are all the blessings that you receive from it? Take time to thank God for those blessings that come through community. 

Ask God if there is different or more community that He would have you step into. Ask Him to reveal to you those with whom you are to be in community and a pathway to approach those relationships.