Thank you for joining us in this series. We believe that God is moving in a special way at 12Stone, and we can see that He has a unique and specific plan for you too! The time you have invested in contemplating content, reading the scriptures, and processing in prayer with God is already producing fruit. TRUST THAT – even if the fruit isn’t as obvious as you would like it to be. God’s Word does not return void! (Isaiah 55:11) As you continue to develop the muscles to practice waiting, you’ll see an increased capacity for the challenges that come, but also for the new opportunities that God will lead you to!
One of the best ways to stay “in shape” with this practice is to be connected to others that share your desire to grow. You may have heard the saying “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” Not only does it make sense; it’s also a biblical concept!
Proverbs 13:20 says it this way: “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.” (NLT)
If you have made strides these last several weeks, don’t let the enemy rewind your progress. Fight the fade and surround yourself with women who love Jesus and want to keep growing. We are better together. God has wired us for connection and that’s why we place such a high value on Small Groups. If you’re not already connected to a group, consider this your personal invitation!
Her Story:
Over the past year, I’ve realized that navigating friendships in my late twenties is not easy. Now I have friends getting married, having children, and chasing brand new career paths. Staying connected to your community with conflicting calendars and gradually changing lifestyles is HARD. They say we’re living in the most ‘connected’ time in history because of social media, FaceTime, and unlimited global communication. But with all the ways we can connect, we feel more isolated than ever. Being in close proximity to people doesn’t mean you are emotionally connected. That takes intentional effort. Fighting for biblical community is incredibly challenging, but let’s be brave together.
My name is Ciara McKinney and I’m a Spiritual Formation Pastor at the Lawrenceville Campus. This story in Luke 5 (ESV) is a great Biblical example of the kind of community I want to have.
“17 On one of those days, as he [Jesus] was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you…. 24b He said to the man who was paralyzed— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.”
One of my favorite things about the church is that God designed it intentionally for community. God knew we would need other people walking alongside us to experience the fullness of who HE is. I hope you’ve had people, just like the lame man, who have shown up in hard seasons and fought for you when you couldn’t fight for yourself. Friends that bridged the gap between your doubt and the freedom God has for your life. Because of the faith of his FRIENDS, his sins were forgiven, and he found both physical and spiritual freedom. PRAISE God for friends like that!
However, that freedom required something of the lame man too. Put yourself in his shoes for a moment. A man who had to be physically dependent on his friends to be carried to the feet of Jesus. Someone strong enough to admit he needed help and was humble enough to accept it. But for many of us, we try to carry everything on our own. We’re okay to care for the hurting people around us, but we don’t want to ‘burden them’ with the hard things in our lives. Living in proximity to people without vulnerability leads to isolation. Having the humility to share our brokenness is the bridge we must cross to find true freedom.
God doesn’t require perfection, but He does want honesty; the real and raw you. And the place to practice is in community. Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is share our fears, insecurities, and pain with others. The good news is that the church is a place for us to find people who want that. People who can speak truth into areas where lies may have dominated and to lend us faith when we can’t find it ourselves. You can experience the freedom Christ has to offer if you are willing to dig deep, get honest, and share your burdens alongside other believers. We’re all afraid to pull back the curtain. So let’s do it together. The risk is real, but the benefit is supernatural. We are better together.
