Thursday, March 8, 2018

A Purpose Driven Life - Chapter 18

A Purpose Driven Life Chapter 18 - Life is Meant to be Shared

Chapter Overview: Rick began writing about what fellowship means - it's not just going to church or having dinner together. It's really sharing trials, struggles in our lives. He talks about the importance of the size of a group where true fellowship can happen. Any larger than 12 or so and people start getting left out. Rick talks about 4 different kinds of fellowship that we should be
Sharing life - two sets of hands holding a small bowl of tomatoes
involved in:

  1. Mutuality - truly sharing from our hearts
  2. Mercy - learning to forgive and extend mercy to each other. Nobody is perfect. We can't hold grudges whimsy each other if we want to participate in true fellowship. Love covers a multitude if sins...
  3. Sufferings - Rick wrote about the difference between empathy and sympathy. He felt sympathy was the better of the two. We need to be able to extend true sympathy to each other to share in sufferings
  4. I don't remember what Rick called this one - did it have something to do with being face to face or thoughtfully engaged, committed, or have something to do with intimacy? Anyway he did talk a lot about the phrase 'one to another' and how many times it is mentioned in the nt.  It was Authenticity.  Fellowship requires authenticity.

2011 (40 years old)

We had small group this evening and we talked about being transformed and transformation.  A number of testimonies were shared and it was really cool to see how God works - sometimes in a quicker transformation, and sometimes it a long, slow road - sort of like from peak to peak and we get pruned at each peak.  Some of us are caterpillars (quick transformation) and some of us are tadpoles (slower transformation).  Ewa said something interesting though - we are already transformed in God's eyes - we see our life's perspective and change through a dirty window, God sees through a clean one, washed by the blood of Jesus.

2016 (45 years old)

I need others in my life. Experiencing life together. What is one step I can take today to connect with another believer at a more genuine heart to heart level?  Ask Challan how her mom is doing.  I was going to say what's the matter with women, but I think many of us men have the same problem. We're all so busy and preoccupied. I found reading this chapter frustrating. I get the impression that Ewa thinks we have to 'have it all together' before we can lead a small group. Kind of like that outward appearance thing that makes us late for church on Sunday's.


For background on what these 'Purpose Driven Life' posts are about, click this link.
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 1 - Its Not About Me
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 2 - You Are Not an Accident
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 3 - What Drives You?
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 4 - Eternity In Our Hearts
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 5 - What is Life?
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 6 - Life on Earth is a Temporary Assignment
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 7 - The Reason for Everything
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 8 - You Were Planned for God's Pleasure
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 9 - What Makes God Smile?
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 10 - The Surrendered Life
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 11 - Friend of God
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 12 - Friend of God II
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 13 - Worship That Pleases God
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 14 - When God Isn't There
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 15 - Part of God's Family
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 16 - What Matters Most
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 17 - You Belong
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 19 - Made for Community
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 20 - Restoring Broken Fellowship
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 21 - Unity of the Church
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 22 - Transformed to be Like Christ
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 23 - Transformed by Thought
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 24 - Transformed By Truth
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 25 - Transformed by Trouble
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 26 - Transformed by Temptation
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 27 - Defeating Temptation
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 28 - It Takes Time
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 29 - Shaped for Serving God
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 30 - Our Place in Serving
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 31 - Finding Your Specific Purpose
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 32 - Using What God Gave You
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 33 - How Real Servants Act
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 34 - Thinking Like a Servant
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 35 - God Uses Our Weaknesses
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 36 - You Were Made for a Mission
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 37 - Sharing Your Life Message
  • My Appendix to Chapter 37
  • My Testimony Based on Chapter 37
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 38 - Becoming a World-Class Christian
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 39 - Balance
  • Purpose Driven Life Chapter 40 - Living With Purpose
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