What does it really mean to be a community of faith?

In this episode of Around the Table, Levi explores the connection between community, covenant, faith, and surrender. Looking at Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus and God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15, he challenges the idea that faithfulness is something we manufacture through our own effort. Instead, our faith rests first on the faithfulness of God.

Faith is more than believing the right things. It is learning to trust God enough to surrender to what He is doing, and community means we don’t have to walk that journey alone. We are called to know the promises God has placed on one another, remind each other of what He has said, pray and believe together, share testimonies, meet practical needs, and help carry one another when faith feels weak.

Through Scripture and a personal story of learning to let others into his own journey of faith, Levi reminds us that following Jesus was never meant to be an isolated experience. A true community of faith is a people learning to trust God together, surrender together, and steward what He is doing in each other’s lives.

Pull up a chair and join us around the table as we ask what it looks like to become a people who don’t just believe in Jesus individually, but faithfully follow Him together.

00:00 Church in Ephesians

04:06 Saints in Christ

05:48 Faith as Covenant

10:27 Striving Detour

13:08 Genesis 15 Covenant

18:57 God Does Both Sides

24:14 Faith Means Trust

26:37 Surrender Not Striving

29:49 Community Practices

36:01 Tuition Miracle Story

42:09 Activation and Prophecy

More about The Porch: www.theporchny.com

Help us serve our city: https://givebutter.com/xIPrFj

What does it actually mean to be part of the Church—not just to attend, but to truly belong, participate, and become part of the community of God?

In Part 2 of our series on The Church, Jen Welsh joins us Around the Table to explore what God’s community is meant to look like. Starting with a simple definition of the Church as “the community of believers in Christ,” Jen unpacks what community really requires: love, belonging, participation, shared responsibility, and a willingness to show up for one another.

God’s family isn’t meant to be a group of people who simply occupy the same room. We have each been given something to carry, something to contribute, and a unique part to play. Healthy community happens when we take ownership of what God has placed in our hands, choose relationship over isolation, learn to genuinely know and love one another, and commit ourselves to participating in the family of God.

Throughout the conversation, Jen and the group talk practically about loving people well, repairing relationships when we hurt one another, resisting judgment, serving, forgiving, showing up, and recognizing that the community is different when our piece is missing.

The Church is more than somewhere we go. It is a family we have been adopted into, a people we belong to, and a community we are invited to help build.

00:00 Opening Prayer

01:47 Why We Shifted Topics

02:51 What Is the Church

03:36 Break It Down Method

05:46 Defining Community

07:23 Recap of Jay’s Teaching

10:06 From Israel to Ecclesia

14:55 Adopted Into God’s Family

18:35 Marks of Christian Love

21:28 Ownership and Participation

24:17 Commit to Community

24:53 Show Up and Participate

26:39 Your Gift Matters

29:01 Practical Giving and Tithing

30:29 Types of Community

32:08 Why Community Hurts

33:37 Healing Old Wounds

37:31 Jen Shares Church Hurt

40:25 Choosing Vulnerability

43:14 Forgiveness and Healing Process

46:24 Patience Builds Safe Community

47:23 Closing and Prayer Invite

More about The Porch: www.theporchny.com

Help us serve our city: https://givebutter.com/xIPrFj

What does it truly mean to be the Church?

In this opening message of a new series, Jay traces God’s desire for a people of His own from Genesis through the covenants and into the New Testament. From humanity’s original calling to bear God’s image, to Abraham’s family, Israel’s holy nation, David’s kingdom, and the new covenant established through Jesus, we discover that the Church has never primarily been a building, denomination, or weekly gathering.

The Church is the family of God, the holy nation of God, and the kingdom of the Messiah. We are a people called out of darkness, restored to communion with God, and invited to carry His image into the world. This episode challenges us to move beyond simply “going to church” and begin living from the glorious reality that, together, we are His treasured people.

00:00 Opening Prayer

01:34 Series Shift to Church

03:15 God Wants a People

04:11 Genesis Image and Dominion

08:20 Living Image Not Idols

11:24 Shame Fractures Communion

15:42 Covenants Restore a People

17:04 Abraham Covenant Family

22:57 Mosaic Covenant Holy Nation

26:45 Davidic Covenant Eternal King

29:24 God Wants a People

30:31 Church as Family Nation Kingdom

31:21 New Covenant Identity Restored

32:14 Scripture Defines the Church

34:20 Not a Building or Denomination

36:26 Living as God’s Image

43:52 Communion Not Just Knowledge

46:14 Unity and Shared Gifts

50:05 Who Is the Church

50:41 Closing Prayer and Sending

More about The Porch: www.theporchny.com

Help us serve our city: https://givebutter.com/xIPrFj