Evaluating 40 Days of Community

[*NOTE: Quotes from the 40 Days of Community Workbook are blockquoted.]

“We’re Connected to Grow Together…By Confessing to Each other” This chapter is very good, so I have nothing to offer other than to add a few comments. The purpose of confession is not disgrace, but grace. This is an excellent point. Whenever we confess our sins to God, the Bible says that He is faithful [...]

“We’re Connected to Grow Together…By Giving Preference to Each other”   Placing the needs of others before our own and giving preference to others is a topic that needs to be spoken about. It is very easy to be self-serving even while giving to others. How can someone given everything they have to the poor [...]

“We’re Connected to Grow Together…By Warning Each Other.”  This is an excellent chapter with appropriate warnings and wise guidance. I have a few things I want to point out and a few of my own comments to add. “Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may [...]

“We’re Connected to Grow Together…By Teaching Each Other.” We are all teachers of the faith. We may be good teachers or we may be bad teachers, but we are teachers. To an extent this is true, especially concerning the faith. However, Jesus does not call us teachers but disciples, and we are to make disciples, [...]

“We’re Connected to Grow Together…By Encouraging Each Other.” We have the power to kill or give life. Wow! Rick sure places a lot of power in the hands of mere humans. The Bible says in Deut 32:39 (NET): “‘See now that I, indeed I, am he!’ says the LORD, ‘and there is no god besides [...]

“We’re Connected to Grow Together…By Being Examples to Each Other.” “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you” (Phil 3:17, NIV). We all need models to help us mature. Many people make the mistake of thinking all they need to grow [...]

“We’re Chosen to Fellowship Together…By Being Honest With Each Other.” …but we know the truth, and the truth has set us free (John 8:32). Who is Rick speaking of here when he says “we”? The scripture says, “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then [...]

“We’re Chosen to Fellowship Together…By Being Patient With Each Other.” “Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love” (Eph 4:2b, NLT). “…with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love” (Eph 4:2, KJV). This is a good scripture reference, although the NLT changes “in love” to “because of your love.” [...]

When you find yourself in an argument with other believers … Look for God’s presence (Matt 28:20). Satan wants us to believe we’re in the battle alone. I’m not sure what Rick means by the statement that we are to look for God’s presence when we are in an argument. Perhaps he means that we [...]

“We’re Chosen to Fellowship Together…By Getting Along With Each Other.” “I beg you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so that there won’t be splits in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose” (1 [...]

“We’re Chosen to Fellowship Together…By Supporting Each Other.” God enables us to love the fear out of one another. We drive fear from our community by loving one another so supportively that each member feels safe inside the group (1 John 4:18). … We give to one another the same uncommon safety Christ gives us–to [...]

“We’re Chosen to Fellowship Together…By Respecting Each Other.” “Excel in showing respect for each other” (Rom 12:10b, GW). Respect for one another is a scriptural principle, although reading the above verse in a proper translation, we can see that the Bible goes further by saying “give preference to one another” (Rom 12:10, NASB). Elsewhere we [...]

“We’re Chosen to Fellowship Together…By Committing to Each Other.” “Let us agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other” (Rom 14:19a, MSG). Commitment to one another is an important scriptural truth. We are first committed to Christ who gave Himself freely for us that we might be made heirs with Him. [...]

“We’re Chosen to Fellowship Together…By Admitting Our Need For Each Other.” “Since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others” (Rom 12:5, NLT). There is truth in this chapter in that the body of Christ is in need of all of its parts. [...]

“We’re Commissioned to Reach Out Together…By Representing Jesus.” We are to be his face and hands and feet… This is a common expression used in the church today which is likely taken from Rom 12:5 “so we, who are many are one body in Christ” or 1 Cor 12:27 “now you are Christ’s body, and [...]

“We’re Commissioned to Reach Out Together…By Giving Practical Help.” I want to note here that this chapter has some good admonitions, but is overemphasizing the physical needs to the point of de-emphasizing spiritual needs. We need to take care to maintain the correct emphasis while demonstrating that physical acts of kindness are how people feel [...]

“We’re Commissioned to Reach Out Together…By Building Friendships.” “Be friendly with everyone. Don’t be proud and feel that you are smarter than others. Make friends with ordinary people” (Rom 12:16, CEV). The NASB reads: “Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not [...]

“We’re commissioned to reach out together…by showing acceptance.” We are to accept others the way that Jesus accepts us. Amen! I think this chapter is very good. Rick makes some very important points, and I think we would do well to take note of them. We should not look down on sinners because we also [...]

[*NOTE: The book states that this material was adapted from a book by Karen Mains.] “We’re commissioned to reach out together…by using hospitality.” … we could significantly alter the fabric of society. We could play a major role in its spiritual, moral, and emotional redemption. This seems to suggest that we are the ones who [...]

“We’re commissioned to reach out together…by using our small group.” “…you are working together and struggling side-by-side to get others to believe the Good News.” (Phil 1:27b, CEV). “We” is more powerful than “me.” This last phrase is a cute saying, and it is true in a human sense only. However, it is absolutely and [...]

“We’re commissioned to reach out together…by being intentional.” I want to make a general comment here that I think this chapter is pretty good and I am in general agreement with it. There are a few items I want to comment on, but overall Rick had good advice and exhortation here. Rick shows how it [...]

“We’re compelled to love God’s family…because it is a witness to the world.” Jesus gave the world the right to judge the authenticity of our faith by how much we love one another. It seems to me that Jesus simply stated a fact. We prove our faith in Christ, not by the rules we keep, [...]

[*NOTE: I had some serious concerns with statements made and Bible translations used in this chapter.] “We are compelled to love God’s family…because it is practice for eternity.” “We are anxious that you keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, so that you will get your full reward.” (Heb 6:11, LB) This [...]

“We’re compelled to love God’s family…because we’re a family.” We belong, and we help others believe that they belong. Rather, we help convince others of their need for Christ, but once they believe, then they automatically belong. Encouragement, yes, but no convincing by man is required. To try to convince someone of their salvation when [...]

“We’re compelled to love God’s family…because it shows we are saved.” “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love other believers.” (1 John 3:14, GW). Loving other believers is the evidence that we belong to God’s family. Amen to that! But note that loving is as God defines it, not [...]

“We’re compelled to love God’s family…because it is how we love God.” I would reword this as follows: “…because it is the evidence that we have experienced God’s love and received and appropriated it.” If merely loving God’s family is how we love God, then why did God give us the first commandment? Why not [...]

“We are compelled to love God’s family…because God commands it.” “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34, NIV). Yes, and this is the natural response to receiving the love of God (1 John 5:3), therefore, we can be measured by [...]

“We’re compelled to love God’s family…because God loves us.”  “Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 John 4:11, NIV). And God loves us by: sending His son to be the propitiation for my sins, by freeing me from the bondage of sin and death, by feeding me spiritual food [...]

In the introduction, Rick Warren starts off with the following statement: Today, millions of people around the world have begun to enjoy living a purpose driven life. While Rick is referring to the purpose of doing good deeds, there are nonetheless many multitudes of people who live purpose-driven lives.  I see them all around me.  [...]