Key Scripture
- Matthew 16.16-18
- 1 John 1.3-4
- 1 John 1.5 – 2.2
Talk it Over
1. Looking at Matthew 16.16-18, Jesus says He will build His church…except the word isn’t actually “church” like we think about it. It’s ecclesia – a gathering. What if instead of saying, “I go to church,” we said, “I belong to a gathering”? How would that change our perception, our expectations?
2. Looking at 1 John 1.3-4, the word fellowship is koinonia- a partnership. How can our experiences with other Christians be like a partnership?
3. Thinking about church as a gathering of Christians in partnership… how can this, lived out, lead to actual change and transformation – in us, in others, in our community?
4. Think about these three words specifically as they relate to our shared life together…openness, honesty, and confession.
– Why are these practices vital to life together in Christ?
– In what ways do you think you need to increase your openness, honesty, or confession?
5. Looking at 1 John 1.5 – 2.2, what three promises does John give about this shared life as Christians? In what ways do these promises encourage you?
