Today was revival. I preached a three day children’s revival.
It’s always a privilege to share the Word of God, but there’s something even more special when I get to spend a few days sharing it with the same group. This gives me the opportunity to learn more about the people I’m preaching to and better discern how to support their faith.
Part of the work I am created to do is connect people to the right resource. When it comes to faith, a google search will only get you so far! And oftentimes it reveals more bad, harmful theology than helpful resources.
This is because a google search requires no community. There’s no relationship involved. And theology, whether good or bad, simply cannot be understood in isolation.
We were created to live in community. God is a community–the Trinity of Creator, Spirit, and Son–and we were made in God’s image. When Adam was made, God saw that “It is not good for the man to be alone,” so Eve was created next (Genesis 2:18). The Israelites lived and worked in community groups. Jesus surrounded himself with a group of people to walk closely with for years. All throughout Scripture, it is clear that relationships and community are important to our lives and faith.
So what does this all have to do with me preaching a three day children’s revival?
It means that no matter what I plan to preach or teach, the most important thing is to listen to Holy Spirit and to be there for the kids.
Revival means to spend time focusing on God and encourage each other’s faith. We can spend time focusing on God on our own, but encouraging each other’s faith only exists in community.
If you are not experiencing a revival–new life–in your faith, consider your community. I’ve been part of church communities, Bible studies, small groups, and clubs my whole life. Not all of these communities are created equally. Not all have the ideal conditions to experience revival. It’s an unfortunate truth that not all faith communities are valuable for you to be part of.
Here’s a quick litmus test to know if your faith community is the right one for you in this season:
- Does your community spend time focusing on God? Not on church or Christian living but on who God is and God’s character?
- Does your community encourage your faith? Do you have opportunities to encourage others’ faith?
If the answer to either of these is no, it may be time to consider finding a new community. This doesn’t mean your current community is evil or won’t be valuable for someone else. It doesn’t undo any of the growth you’ve experienced as part of that community. It just means this is not the community for you right now.
Today was revival. It was a perfect example of what happens when people come together to focus on God and encourage each other’s faith.
