← What It Means to Be a Christian

ETS ACADEMY · LESSON 5

Life in Community

Teaching points

  • The Christian life cannot be lived alone. You need community — not as a nice addition, but as an essential part of your faith.
  • The New Testament pattern: believers gathered for teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42).
  • Community is where growth happens — where you are known, challenged, encouraged, and sent.
  • You cannot love God whom you've never seen if you don't love the people in front of you whom you have seen (1 John 4:20).
  • The church is not a building you attend — it is a body you belong to. You are not a spectator. You are a member.

Read in Scripture

  • Acts 2:42-47
  • Hebrews 10:24-25
  • 1 John 4:20
  • 1 Corinthians 12:12-27
  • Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Reflect

  • Do you have a community that truly knows you — not just your Sunday face?
  • What keeps you from being vulnerable with other believers?
  • How does being part of a church change the way you live?
  • What would it look like for you to invest more deeply in Christian community?

Put it into practice

  • Join or commit to a small group this month.
  • Share one honest struggle with a trusted believer this week.
  • Read Acts 2:42-47 and identify which element you want to grow in most.

Jesus Generation Movement Academy teaching. Sources and credits →