Community and Purpose

All of us have God-given needs wired into us. Psychologists, sociologists, and a whole lot of other people have worked to describe the basic human needs. Two of the best words to describe our basic needs are Community and Purpose. Look at this table with similar words in each column to describe these needs.

As children we have a great need for community, but as we mature we develop an increasing need for purpose as well as community. The Bible speaks about how these needs are met both through our relationship with God and involvement with people in the Body of Christ. Our highest sense of community and purpose comes from God in a supernatural way as the Holy Spirit works in our lives. The Lord uses the church family, with all its imperfections, to grow us in community and purpose.

Life Groups are a tool that can help people develop relationships and complete their God-given responsibilities.

The relationships between people of faith should provide a believer with a sense of community (feeling loved, secure, belonging, etc.). The New Testament repeatedly describes believers as brothers and sisters and even speaks about those relationships taking priority over our natural family. (for examples see Mark 3:31-35, Luke 14:25-27, 1 Corinthians 1:10, 1 John 3:16)

There’s an old saying that ‘blood is thicker than water’. The meaning is that family relationships often take priority over friendships. One man in our church years ago used to say, ‘Blood is thicker than water, but the Spirit is thicker than blood.’ It took me a minute to figure it out, but that brother was speaking truth!

Life Groups are a means to an end. Life Groups enable people to experience community and fulfill their purpose. In other words, Life Groups are a tool that can help people develop relationships and complete their God-given responsibilities.