Community is a fundamental need — and yet it's also an acquired taste. We all say we want it. And we all have reasons we're avoiding it.

In this message we take on one of the most avoided topics in the Christian life: biblical community. Using Genesis 2:18 — "It is not good for the man to be alone" — he makes the case that God is Himself a community (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), and He created us to need each other. Not as a suggestion. As a design.

Pastor Josh Finley

"I have to follow Jesus FOR myself — but I can't follow Jesus BY myself."

5 Excuses We Use to Avoid Community:

• Naivety — "I only need God." But Adam was in perfect, sinless relationship with God and God still said it wasn't enough for him to be alone.

• Temperament — "I'm just an introvert." There's no verse in the Bible where Jesus said, "When the extroverts gather." No one is the exception.

• Fear of the Unknown — We build wild scenarios in our heads. Most small groups are just ordinary people trying to follow Jesus together.

• Past Experiences — Been hurt before. Got the scar. But more mature people cause growth. Less mature people cause growth. Even the annoying ones cause growth.

• Busyness — Timothy Keller said it best: "Everyone says they want community, but because it takes accountability and commitment, we run the other way."

4 Benefits of Engaging Community:

• Security — Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. Pee Wee Reese putting his arm around Jackie Robinson at the height of opposition. When we're surrounded, we get grounded.

• Clarity — The Johari Window: you need someone who knows you, protects you, is honest with you, and will grow you. Isolation feeds delusion.

• Longevity — Hebrews 10:25. Not giving up is a group project. "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

• Maturity — Matthew 22:36-40. You only love God as much as those you love the least. Your next spiritual step is tied to someone else's first.

We have to get this right. A lot is at stake.

Key scriptures: Genesis 2:18 | Romans 12:4-5 | Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 | Hebrews 10:19-25 | Matthew 22:36-40

One of the most comforting things someone can say when you walk into a crowded room is: "I saved you a seat." A saved seat says: I expected you. I wanted you here. There is room for you beside me.

Jesus said something like that to Zacchaeus. And He's saying it to you.

Pastor Robert Castro

This is Part 3 of our four-part series, Open Doors. In Luke 19, we meet a wealthy but lonely chief tax collector who climbed a sycamore tree just to see Jesus — because the crowd was blocking his view. The people nearest to Jesus were making it hardest for someone else to see Him. And Jesus stopped, looked up, called him by name, and made room for him.

In this message, we ask three questions that every follower of Jesus must honestly face:

• Are You Willing to SEE Them? — The crowd saw Zacchaeus's reputation. Jesus saw his hunger. You will never make room for someone you are unwilling to see. This message shares the story of Letitia Wright (Shuri from Black Panther) — battling private depression behind public success — until a friend named Malachi refused to look away and invited her to a Bible study where she encountered Jesus.

• Are You a BARRIER or a BRIDGE? — It is possible to be close to Jesus without reflecting the heart of Jesus. The crowd followed Jesus, listened to Jesus — and blocked Zacchaeus. They celebrated grace for themselves and resented it for someone else. Are people climbing over your attitudes to see your Savior?

• Will You MAKE ROOM for Them? — Jesus didn't wait for Zacchaeus to fix himself. He said "Today. Immediately. I must." Jesus entered the house first — and Zacchaeus changed from the inside out. We also look at Manny Pacquiao — whose transformed life led him to turn hotel suites near championship fights into Bible study rooms and invite his opponents to worship after defeating them in the ring.

"Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place." — Henri J. M. Nouwen

This week's challenge: Ask God for one person to see, one barrier to remove, and one opening to create.

Since Jesus made room for us — we must make room for others.

Key scriptures: Luke 19:1–10

Discover how to win in life using the biblical winning formula that transforms how you live: Winning in Worship + Winning in the Word = Walking in God's Will. A powerful deep dive into Romans 12:1-2 with practical steps to align your life with God's good, pleasing, and perfect will.

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www.christchurchusa.org

What if the best way to prepare for marriage isn't by waiting for the right person, but by becoming grounded in the right season?

In this message, Pastor Lionel King challenges one of the biggest lies singles are told: that life doesn't truly begin until you find a spouse. But life doesn't start when you get married. Life finds its true meaning when you encounter God and learn how to maximize the season He has already given you.

Drawing from 1 Corinthians 7, this message explores how singleness can become a season of purpose, growth, service, and preparation. Instead of putting life on hold while waiting for a relationship, singles are called to get grounded, get going, and get ready.

Lionel King | Christ Church

In this message, we explore three ways to maximize your singleness:

• GET GROUNDED — Singleness is an opportunity to develop an undivided devotion to the Lord and discover who God created you to be. This is a season to understand your spiritual gifts, passions, abilities, personality, and experiences, and allow God to shape and ground you in Him.

• GET GOING — Don't let idleness define your season. Get active, use your gifts, serve your community, build meaningful relationships, and discover what healthy activities and hobbies recharge you. God created you as a whole person, and your singleness is not a waiting room for life.

• GET READY — Not everyone is called to singleness forever. If marriage is a desire God has placed on your heart, prepare for it by becoming marriageable. Build healthy boundaries and make sure your emotional attachment never exceeds your level of commitment. Don't drag people into relationships you aren't prepared to lead or commit to.

You are not incomplete because you're single. You are not waiting for life to begin. Get grounded in God, get going with purpose, and get ready for whatever God has next.

Key Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 7:32–36 | Romans 12:1–2