Coleton continued the series on the cultures needed in the church to see “the fame and deeds of God repeated in our time.” After exploring the **culture of the Gospel**, the **culture of pursuit**, and the **culture of blessing**, this message focused on creating a **culture of belonging**. Drawing from **Acts 2:42–47**, Coleton showed how the early church lived in deep community—devoted to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, prayer, and meeting one another’s needs. This kind of belonging allowed people to experience healing, not just through miracles, but through love, acceptance, and connection. Coleton contrasted the transformative encounters people had with Jesus—like Zacchaeus, Matthew, and the Samaritan woman. None of them were healed by dramatic miracles, but by an encounter with Jesus’ love that removed shame, restored dignity, and changed their lives completely. That’s what he longs for the church to embody: a place so full of love and welcome that people are healed inwardly. He explained that belonging is not passive; it requires **time, intentionality, and words of life**. Real connection happens when people are deeply known, when hospitality is practiced, and when members invest in each other with encouragement and truth. Belonging heals wounds of isolation, anxiety, addiction, shame, and self-doubt. Practically, Coleton shared how the church is aiming at this: building men’s, women’s, and youth connection teams and events, pursuing membership, hiring a Women’s Pastor, and intentionally committing to practices like prayer, communion, and caring for needs. He challenged the church to participate by: 1. **Getting to know people** (not just surface friendliness). 2. **Doing for others what you want them to do for you** (practicing hospitality). 3. **Investing time** (because deep relationships require showing up and consistency). 4. **Using words of life** (speaking encouragement and truth that bring healing). Coleton closed with stories and research showing how **connection heals**—from addiction recovery research, to relational studies, to stories of transformation through affirming words. He called the church to embody belonging so that entering the community feels like encountering Jesus Himself. --- ## **Discussion Questions** ### **Understanding the Message** 1. Why do you think Acts 2:42–47 highlights fellowship, breaking bread, and meeting needs alongside prayer and teaching? 2. What do the stories of Zacchaeus, Matthew, and the Samaritan woman reveal about the power of simply being welcomed by Jesus? ### **Personal Reflection** 3. When have you personally experienced deep belonging in a church, family, or friendship? How did it impact you? 4. Where do you feel the greatest temptation to hide—shame, weakness, or struggles? How might belonging in community bring healing there? ### **Living it Out** 5. What’s one step you can take this week to get to know someone beyond surface-level friendliness? 6. Who in your life needs to hear words of life and encouragement from you this week? What might you say to them? 7. How could you invest more intentional time into building relationships within the church? --- ## **Quotes from Authors in the Sermon** * **David Bradford, Ph.D. & Carole Robin, Ph.D.** – *Connect* > “In exceptional relationships, you feel seen, known, and appreciated for who you really are, not an edited version of yourself… Someone you’re in an exceptional relationship with knows what’s really going on with you because that someone really knows you.” * **Max Lucado** > “Something holy happens around a table that will never happen in a sanctuary… Hospitality opens the door to uncommon community. It's no accident that hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word, for they both lead to the same result: healing.” * **Jeffrey Hall (University of Kansas study, 2018)** > “It takes about 40–60 hours of time spent together to form a casual friendship, it takes 80–100 hours to transition to calling each other a friend, and more than 200 hours to become ‘close’ friends.” * **Brennan Manning** (Story of Larry Mulaney) > “It would be hard to describe in words the transformation that took place in Larry Malaney after that interaction… In the face of cursing and taunts his father affirmed him with a furious love, and changed the whole direction of his son’s life.” * **Peter Scazzero** > “When we look for goodness and beauty in one another and speak honest words of life over one another, we become God with skin on for the other. Affirmations heal wounds, cover shame, and communicate how God sees us — as infinitely valuable and lovable.”

Culture of Blessing Sermon Summary (Acts 2:42–47) Coleton continued teaching on the vision of the church: to see the fame and deeds of God repeated in our time by developing followers of Jesus. This vision requires a certain kind of culture. Last week, he emphasized a culture of the Gospel and a culture of pursuit. This week, he focused on cultivating a culture of blessing. Culture of Blessing A culture of blessing is one where followers of Jesus: • Understand their identity as God’s people called to bless the world. • Recognize their unique gifts given by the Spirit to bring flourishing where there is chaos. • Actively live out their calling so that others experience God’s goodness through them. Biblical Foundation • The First Commission (Gen. 1–2): Adam and Eve were commanded to fill the earth, rule it, and bring order and flourishing. • The Promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:3; 22:17–18): God promised Abraham’s descendants would bless all nations. • Fulfillment in Jesus (Gal. 3:16): Jesus is the promised offspring who brings blessing to the nations. • The New Commission (Matt. 28:18–20): Jesus calls His followers to multiply disciples and bring spiritual renewal to the world. • Equipped by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7; Eph. 2:10): Every believer is gifted for the common good and created for good works prepared in advance. Historical Examples of Blessing • The Early Church: Outsiders marveled at Christians’ love in caring for the poor, orphans, the sick, and prisoners. Their lives made the gospel visible. • The Clapham Sect (18th century): William Wilberforce, John Newton, and others used their resources and influence to bless society—ending the slave trade, reforming prisons, starting schools, improving labor laws, and even protecting animals. Modern Examples of Blessing • A church member (Colin) comforting someone in the middle of a panic attack, bringing God’s peace. • A Starbucks worker intentionally making coffee to the glory of God, hoping people would “taste” God’s goodness. Application for Today • Blessing is our identity and purpose in the world. • We are called not to wait for someone else to act but to live with expectation that God has positioned us to bring renewal. • Every act—whether teaching, building, counseling, cooking, or studying—can be done to God’s glory so others encounter His presence. • As a church, opportunities to bless include local and international missions, prayer, using spiritual gifts, and serving in ministry teams. Coleton urged the church to embrace their calling as co-heirs with Christ, stepping into the works God has prepared for them, so that the city of Memphis and the nations might experience God’s blessings through His people. ⸻ Discipleship Discussion Questions Understanding the Message 1. How does the biblical story—from Genesis to Jesus—shape your view of what it means to be a person of blessing? 2. Why is it significant that blessing is both our identity and purpose as followers of Jesus? Personal Application 3. What unique gifts, skills, or opportunities has God given you that you could use to bring flourishing into someone else’s life? 4. How might you approach your daily work, tasks, or responsibilities differently if you saw them as ways to display God’s glory? 5. Where in your life right now do you see “chaos” that God might be calling you to step into with His blessing? Community Application 6. What can our church do to strengthen a “culture of blessing” both inside and outside our walls? 7. Which mission or ministry opportunities (local, international, or church-based) could you step into this year to bring God’s blessing to others? ⸻ Quotes from Authors • Alan Kreider, The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: “They looked at the Christians and saw them energetically feeding poor people and giving proper funerals to those who couldn’t afford them, caring for orphans who lacked property and parents, and being attentive to aged slaves and prisoners. They interpreted these actions as works of love. And they said, Vide, (look!) Look how they love. They did not say, ‘Aude, listen to the Christian’s message’; they did not say, ‘Lege, read what they write.’ Hearing and reading were important too. But we must not miss the reality: the pagans said look! Christianity’s truth was visible because it was embodied and enacted by its members.”