The Importance of Community Circles

Real Dudes,
I know many churches are on the same page with this concept here in our town, but I truly appreciate how the Pastors at Paragon Church are verbally emphasizing on a regular basis the importance of COMMUNITY. I love it, in fact, that was Skip and I’s intentions when we put Ox Strong together. We wanted a community atmosphere where men could come together and discover ways to turn their weaknesses into strengths…to surround themselves with other men whom they can safely share their relatable experiences with…to not feel judged and not fear discipline…to not feel like they had to be dude perfect, but rather real dudes. So in support of, and in an attempt to drive home the importance of practices such as small (community) groups among believers and ministries such as Ox Strong – I will be providing you with a short devo today from Rick Warren, and then follow that up with a message concerning this idea that I typed out from Pastor Andy Stanley’s sermon. Please let me know your thoughts after you’ve concluded reading through this material, and or watching / listening to the videos. Hope it’s a good nudge for many to begin circles they feel they can grow closer to the Lord in.
Practicing His Presence Within Community,
Nate

On 59 Seconds of Hope, Pastor Rick Warren speaks on Relationships, and he reminds us that, “The Bible says that it’s not good for man to be alone. The Bible says [that] we were made for community. Relationships determine your happiness. Would you agree that they are the source of your either greatest pleasure or your greatest pain? Not only that, our relationships determine our success. The American Management Association said [that] the number one, the most important skill that an executive can have is the ability to get along with other people. Our relationships develop our character. Who you are a year from today will largely be determined by two things – the things you allow in your mind, and the people you relate to. The Bible says [in], 1 Corinthians 15 [that] bad company corrupts good character [15:33]. That, who we spend our time with shapes us. Now God says that when you’re going to relate to people, you’re going to develop big-healthy-growing-good relationships, the first thing you need is patience.”
https://soundcloud.com/air1radio/sets/rick-warren-59-seconds-of-hope-july-2017