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PRAYER: Maintaining a continuous conversation with God.  Prayer is definitely at the core of Connections Community. 

• “Never stop praying.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

• “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” – James 5:16

 

GATHERING:  Consistently gathering with the Church to celebrate Jesus and encounter Biblical teaching

• “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” – Acts 2:42

• “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” – Hebrews 10:25

 

COMMUNITY: Building authentic relationships of encouragement and accountability with other followers of Jesus.

• “And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.” – Acts 2:44

• “The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 12:12

 

LOVE LIKE CHRIST:  Love God and love others, no matter where they are in life.

• “The man answered, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Luke 10:27

• “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” – Matthew 25:30

 

SERVING: Developing a servant’s heart that looks to always meet the needs of others.

• “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:28

• “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” – 1 Peter 4:10

 

GOD’S WORD:  Spending consistent time reading the Bible and applying its Truth.

• “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” – Acts 2:42

• “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” – 2 Timothy 3:16

 

SHARING THEIR STORY/EVANGELISM:  Creating conversations about what God has done and is doing in his/her life.

• “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 1:8

• “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.” – 1 Peter 3:15

 

WISDOM:  Seeking God’s will in all decisions.

• “For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.” – Proverbs 8:11

• “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” – James 1:5

 

GENEROSITY:  Developing a growing generosity with resources and finances.

• “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.” – Proverbs 3:9

• “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’” – 2 Corinthians 9:7

 

INTEGRITY:  Striving to develop a reputation that honors God.

• “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

• “Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.  Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.  Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” – Ephesians 4:1-3

 

INFLUENCE:  Maximizing influence to point others to Jesus.

• “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.” – Deuteronomy 4:9

• “But do this in a gentle and respectful way.  Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” – 1 Peter 3:16

• “Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” – Ephesians 4:15