Doing Life Together

As believers, we attend Church and connect weekly with the body of Christ for two reasons:

• To worship God and be taught from His Word.
• To connect deeply with other believers in meaningful relationships.

Many Christians can often leave church on Sunday with a sense of longing when it comes to truly knowing Jesus, knowing other believers deeply, and truly being known themselves. This blog will discuss what is missing, and ways to develop deeper relationships.

Vulnerability

Many churches offer regular small groups, but often these groups can lack true vulnerability. In the Christian context, vulnerability reflects our openness to others and, more importantly, our openness to God and Christ. True depth in relationships begins with vulnerability. The Bible encourages believers to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), emphasizing the importance of sharing our struggles, fears, and joys with others. By allowing ourselves to be vulnerable before God and then before others, we create a space for genuine connections to flourish. This is all easier said than done. One of the most challenging ways to be vulnerable is to talk about areas in which we struggle with sin and shortcomings. Often in small groups, the curriculum focuses on teaching rather than on discipleship. Unless one feels the freedom to confess sin and shortcomings, there will be a lack of transparency, resulting in a lack of deep relationships.

Actively Involved

Deep relationships are often formed when people are actively involved in one another’s lives. It is not enough to just meet once a week with a small group for study. It is so important to find ways to share other areas of your life with those we are trying to develop deep relationships with. Have you ever noticed why there is such a strong bond between teammates in sports? It is often because they are sharing the daily highs and lows of life with each other. Can this bond translate to relationships in our own lives? Only if we are sharing our hearts and the moments of everyday life together in an environment of Christ-like love and truth.

Christ-like Relationships

In a world where the superficial often prevails, Christians are called to go deeper in their relationships. By embracing vulnerability and engaging in discipleship, believers can build relationships that reflect the transformative power of Christ’s love. May these principles guide us as we strive for deeper connections within our Christian communities and beyond.

Resources

Thank you for your interest in Thistlebend! We hope that we can serve you in a very practical way as you seek a deeper relationship with the Lord and with others. Would you like to grow in your relationship with the Lord and experience the joy and freedom that comes from a fully devoted walk with Him? We invite you to take a moment to visit the “Individual Women” or the “Small Groups” pages on our website. Thistlebend exists to provide biblical discipleship resources that encourage vulnerability with the Lord, heart-felt transparency with others, and a genuine pursuit of authentic life change.

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