62 14 Habits of Highly Effective Disciples
Superficial love and surface-level fellowship are never able to sustain
unity among a church’s diverse members when internal and external
pressures arise. Such pressure can cause the community to fracture. A
deep, self-giving love and care for others is needed. When combined
with a deep devotion to God, these qualities act as strong cords (the
sinews and muscles) that bind the body of believers together as they
serve one another and reach out to those beyond their community.
Through strong devotion to one another—this habit of fellowship—the
local church enjoys unity, not uniformity, among its members.
TEACHING PLANS
Teaching Plan—Varied Learning Activities
Connect with Life
- Ask if anyone in your group has ever heard the following, “We’re
having a fellowship after church on Sunday night.” Ask, What did
you expect would happen at the event? If your church has a room
called the “Fellowship Hall”, ask about how it is typically used.
Discuss how the word “fellowship”, as used in those contexts, has
inf luenced how Christians understand its meaning. Explain that
in the New Testament the word for “fellowship” carried a much
deeper meaning. Challenge class members to examine carefully
how the word is used in the Bible passages they will read, and to
discover the benefits and responsibilities of Christian fellowship.
Guide Bible Study
- Invite class members to open their Bibles to Acts 2:42. As they
read this verse, encourage them to look for how the earliest
Christ-followers spent their time. Ask members to call out their
activities and record the answers on a marker board (The first