1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. 4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct. 6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. 7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. GALATIANS 6:1-10 NLT

I need to be a part of the church because:

The church is my spiritual family

Dear brothers and sisters… GALATIANS 6:1 NLT
You are members of God’s family. EPHESIANS 2:19 NLT
The church is the family of God where we learn how to act like children of God.
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. HEBREWS 10:25 NLT

My church family can help keep me on the right path

…if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. GALATIANS 6:1 NLT

My church can help me stay real with myself and others

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. GALATIANS 6:2-3 NLT
Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. GALATIANS 5:26 NLT

My church family provides me with a place to develop my God-given potential

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct. GALATIANS 6:4-5 NLT

My church family gives me the opportunity to financially support the teaching of God’s word

6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. 7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. GALATIANS 6:6-10 NLT

Community Group Discussion Guide

1. What motivated you to start coming to church in the first place? Are the reasons you started coming the same reasons that you stayed?
2. Read Ephesians 2:19. When has there been a time when the church acted like a family to you?
3. Read Hebrews 10:25. What are some of the most common reasons you miss service on the weekend, or community group? When have you seen consistency benefit your experience with church?
4. Read Galatians 6:1. When was the last time your church helped you get off of a sinful or destructive path and in what ways would your life have been different if they hadn’t?
5. Read Galatians 6:6-10. When did you start giving financially to a local church and what helped you take your first step? If you don’t give regularly, what stops you? How can we help you begin, or maybe begin again?
6. In what specific ways have you seen your financial investment of giving to the church bless you, the church or its people?

Personal Reflection Guide

Find a place to be alone with God for a few minutes. Take some time to reflect on this week’s message and how you see yourself in relationship to the church. Consider pondering some of these questions:
“How do you see your need for a church family? To what extent is attending church a top priority? Do you find yourself more of a ‘come and go’ church attender, or are you making relationship-building a priority? Can you see the danger in being isolated from the church? Who are the people in your life who you feel comfortable connecting with in community?”
Ask God to bring people from your church family into your life who you can have deep, meaningful connection with. If you feel like you already have them, ask God to show you how you can strengthen those connections. Since this is God’s desire for each an every one of us, we can trust him to meet this need. Conclude your time with God with a prayer of thanks.