1 Thessalonians 2:8
“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”
We know Paul’s affection for the Thessalonian church ran deep. He LIVED to bring others the message that had so deeply transformed him. He brought that message to a city named Philippi, but was imprisoned and later thrown out of the city. Desperate to keep sharing, Paul walked 94 miles east through Greece until he reached Thessalonica. Can you imagine the thoughts that flooded his mind as he walked? The conversations he had with God?
Can you imagine the tears that likely filled his eyes when the people he found in Thessalonica received the gospel with sincerity (1 Thess. 1:5)? This time, Paul stayed in the city for weeks, teaching the new believers and kindling the flames of a first-generation church (Acts 17:2). When Paul later reflected on that time with them, he remembered being delighted at the chance to share the gospel. But he also remembered another layer of delight – the joy of sharing his life with them.
Maybe one day in Heaven, we can ask Paul about the moments that flickered across his mind when he wrote this down. Did he recount moments of patient reasoning in the Jewish synagogue? Or looking into the Thessalonians’ eyes and describing the love that led Jesus to the cross? Maybe sharing life looked like the meals he enjoyed in the homes of these new believers, trying the Greek food they fixed for him. Was there Tzatziki sauce back then? Maybe he remembered meeting little ones who tugged on his hand and begged him to let them show him around their town. Maybe he told them about meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus. Maybe he just took it all in – letting these new spiritual brothers and sisters introduce him to their bustling, commerce-driven seaside culture. Those who were strangers only days before suddenly shared the most important thing in common – belonging to Jesus. And Paul got to spend time with them exploring what it would now look like to carry this new identity into their everyday lives - what it would look like to build the church. He shared his life with them.
What does it mean to share life today? If all the formalities and expectations of what “community” is supposed to look like were stripped away, what would be left? Hopefully, you’ve experienced it. If you want to know who you truly share life with, just ask yourself:
Who are the first handful of people you share news with?
Who do you call when you’re desperate to make sense of what’s happening in your life?
When you need help with a project, who do you ask without feeling awkward?
When you have an abundance of something good, who do you want to share it with?
Which relationships in your life are sturdy enough to support more than small talk?
Who would you drop everything for if they were in need?
Do you share life in Life Group? It’s all too easy to abandon the pursuit of life-sharing for fear we don’t have enough in common to experience real camaraderie. But because we belong to Jesus, we have the most important thing in common - regardless of the diversities in age, ethnicity, education, sports team loyalties, occupation, income, political affiliation, or music preferences.
A shared identity in Christ provides a deeper and more relevant platform for relationship than any other kind of solidarity.
With that understanding, Life Group becomes a context not only to meet together once a week, but to truly share life in the way that brought such joy to Paul in Thessalonica. Life Group becomes a celebration of our shared love of Jesus set against a vibrant patchwork backdrop of dynamic life experiences and personalities (complete with all of our personality quirks!). A group of wildly distinct people curiously united by their common love for Christ makes our world do a double-take. It’s the beauty of the gospel.
So, in the name of the beautiful and awkward and 1,000% worthwhile pursuit of life-sharing, here are 10 practical ways to actually share life in your Life Group this year:
Small but Mighty
Don’t underestimate the power of a quick text or call to check in with someone in your Life Group. “Hey, just wanted you to know you’ve been prayed for today. Care about you.”
Wanna Join?
Let’s say your family is grabbing ice cream on Friday night. In the spirit of spontaneity, check with someone in your Life Group who lives on that side of town to meet you there and share in the simple stuff. Relationships are formed over hundreds of small shared experiences.
Read Something
Ask the girls or guys in your group if they want to read 1 book together over the next few months – 1 chapter a week. The time you dialogue with each other could be as simple as 1 takeaway each on a group text or a quick meet up for coffee. (P.S. You don’t need to be a Life Group Leader or Assistant to instigate something like this!)
Keep Praying
Find a creative way to share prayer requests with your group. Group texts and Facebook groups are great, but the sky’s the limit here. Have the girls and guys find prayer partners of the same gender within your group to follow up with each week. Each night when your family prays for dinner, pick out one individual or family from your Life Group to pray for specifically. Don’t forget to follow up and ask about the requests that have been shared.
Share a Skill
Most likely, there’s someone in your group with a skill you’d like to learn. Or, there’s someone that would love to learn a skill you have. Think: changing the oil, keeping a garden, painting your house, making sourdough bread from scratch, building a table, fixing a vacuum, navigating the toddler years, doing your own taxes, replacing a water heater, picking out a computer, learning hospitality, or cutting hair, just to name a few examples. You’ll benefit from sharing the skills, but you’ll benefit even more from the time spent sharing them.
SERVE TOGETHER
Visit MY FBC and find a local community outreach opportunity that sparks your interest. Get your Life Group Leaders on board and give your group a day and time where they can jump in with you and bless someone. Whether you’re raking someone’s yard or serving meals to homeless families in our city, you’ll find an incredible sense of unity as you carry the love and hope of Christ into our community.
SPARK GENEROSITY
Plan and pull off a random act of kindness together with your Life Group that no one will know about except for your group. Pool some extra cash together to anonymously bless someone. Or surprise someone in your group with free babysitting for a date night, a Starbucks gift card, or a surprise service like mowing their lawn. Gather your family and find one creative way to bless one individual or family in your Life Group each week. Think: handwritten notes and drawings from your kids, a surprise drop-off of their favorite snacks or drinks, their go-to coffee order dropped off at their workplace, etc. If you have kids, let them in on the spontaneity and watch them learn to love the practice of being generous.
Get Intentional with Sunday Mornings
Next time you see each other on a Sunday morning, go a little deeper than the customary “how was your week?” Ask about what they’ve been reading in their Bible lately. Ask if there’s a way you can be praying for them specifically this week. If you’re not seeing someone in your Life Group at church for a few weeks, give them a call.
GET OUTSIDE
Plan a walk together and bring the kids, find out if you go to the same gym, or meet up and walk a few laps around our church’s outdoor trails. Explore a disc golf course, take the dogs for a walk, host a bonfire, or find a playground for the kids.
SHARE WHAT YOU LOVE!
Share your favorite music playlists, the best podcast you’re listening to right now, a favorite recipe you’ve tried, or something that brought joy to you this week. You just might find out you share more in common than your love for Jesus.
If you’re not currently part of a Life Group, we’d love to help you find your community and share life. Click on the link below to start a conversation with us!