One Community Away is the third message in our series You Got a Friend in Me, and this week we are honored to welcome special guest speaker Michael Rogers from JAR Ministries. While many people are surrounded by acquaintances, coworkers, and social media contacts, real friendship—the kind that shows up in hard moments and walks with you through life—is far more rare. This series is built on the wisdom of Proverbs 13:20 and reminds us that friendship is not accidental; it’s intentional. The people we walk with shape the direction of our lives, and someone’s breakthrough may be just one meaningful friendship away.
In this message, One Community Away, we explore Romans 12:9–13, where the apostle Paul paints a powerful picture of what authentic Christian community looks like. Real community is not built on appearances or polite smiles—it’s built on genuine love. Paul calls believers to stop pretending to love and instead love deeply and sincerely. In a healthy spiritual community, love wins, creating a place where people can be real about their struggles and victories. In that same community, honor flows, as believers celebrate and lift one another up rather than compete or compare.
But the heart of true community is that God reigns. When people serve the Lord enthusiastically and live with purpose, the entire group becomes stronger, more united, and more impactful. Finally, Paul shows how we protect this kind of community: by rejoicing in hope, staying patient through hardship, praying continually, meeting one another’s needs, and practicing radical hospitality.
Because the truth is simple but powerful: you may be just one community away from the encouragement, strength, and transformation God has for your life.
