Renewed Community
The Power of Community: Choosing Friends Who Shape Your Destiny
There's an undeniable truth that echoes through our lives: we become like the people we surround ourselves with. It's a principle as old as creation itself—the law of reproduction. Just as a dog will never give birth to a cat, and a pine tree will never produce an oak, we reproduce what we are. And often, what we become is shaped by the five people we spend the most time with.
Think about the iconic groups we admire—the Sandlot kids who had each other's backs, the Ghostbusters who fought demons together, even the lovable Minions who appeared in millions when needed. These communities accomplished great things because they were united in purpose. But what about our own circles? Who are we allowing to influence the direction of our lives?
The Foundation: Friendship with God First
Before we can build a healthy community around us, there's one essential relationship that must take priority: our friendship with God. This isn't about quick prayers over meals or empty promises to pray for others. This is about getting on your face before God and acknowledging that you shouldn't be where you are except for His grace. It's about starting your day in the car, dreading work or school, but pausing to ask, "God, how will you use me today?"
First John chapter 1, verses 5-6 reminds us that "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." This vertical relationship with God must come before any horizontal relationship with people.
Think of it like turning on a light in a dark kitchen. Suddenly, everything hidden is exposed. The things that shouldn't be there scatter. That's what God's light does in our lives—it reveals what needs to stay and what needs to go. When we establish this relationship with God first, He helps us discern who should be in our circle and who shouldn't.
The Litmus Test for Friendship
In 1 John 2:5-6, we're given a clear test for evaluating our friendships: "Whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in him. Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."
The mark of a committed Christ follower—and the kind of person who helps develop a strong community—is someone who keeps God's commands. This person:
Believes in repentance from sin (Matthew 4:17)
Serves others as they serve Christ (Philippians 2)
Seeks reconciliation with others (Matthew 5:23-25)
Commits to prayer (Matthew 21:13)
These aren't just nice qualities; they're essential characteristics of people who will push you toward Christ rather than pull you away from Him.
The Danger of Poor Choices
Not all friendships harm us because the people are necessarily "bad." Sometimes we surround ourselves with good people who simply don't bring anything spiritual to the table. We can hunt, fish, watch sports, and play golf together—but are they helping us grow spiritually? Are they encouraging our walk with God?
The reality is stark: if you surround yourself with negative people, negativity will pour out of you. It's like trying to pour sweet tea into a jug and insisting it's Coca-Cola. No matter what you claim, that first sip reveals the truth. Whatever is poured in is what comes out.
This doesn't mean we avoid lost people or sinners—after all, we're called to make an impact on the lost. But the people who pour into us, who we allow closest to our hearts, need to be pursuing Jesus. They need to be people who, even in their imperfection, want to be vessels God can use.
Walking in the Light Together
First John 1:7 offers a beautiful promise: "If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin."
A healthy community begins with a deep connection to God. When we walk in God's light, we have nothing to hide. We can be honest with our friends about our struggles, our failures, and our victories. We don't have to keep parts of ourselves hidden for fear of disappointment or rejection.
Ask yourself: Do your closest friends make you more like Jesus? Do they encourage you to make choices you're proud of? Can you bring the serious matters of your life to them for help?
Being the Catalyst for Change
Consider the Los Angeles Dream Center, a faith-based organization in one of the most crime-ridden areas of Los Angeles. They took an old hospital and transformed it into a place of hope for those impacted by homelessness, addiction, human trafficking, and poverty. Within a period of time, crime in the area decreased by 80 percent.
What happened? Someone was willing to take light and expose it to the darkness. If God can do that on such a grand scale, what can He do in your life through establishing the right relationships?
You could be the key to renewal in someone's life. That person who walked into church struggling, battling whatever the enemy has thrown at them—you could be the light they need. You just have to have the desire.
The Power of Pentecost
When the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost, the disciples were in community together. After the Spirit fell, they continued gathering daily, establishing deeper community. And people were added to the kingdom daily. Why? Because a group of people understood the power of prayer combined with the power of community.
This is the model we need today. Not isolation. Not division. But reconciliation and unity around the person of Jesus Christ.
Taking Inventory
It's time for a sober assessment. Look at your current community. Who are the five people you spend the most time with? Are they helping you grow spiritually, or are they keeping you stagnant? Are they encouraging you toward Christ, or pulling you away?
If you don't like who you're becoming, change your circle. Yes, it's that simple—and that difficult. But the trajectory of your life depends on it.
Remember: before you build your circle, befriend God first. Establish that vertical relationship. Let Him show you the dark corners that need light. Let Him guide you to the people who will sharpen you, encourage you, and walk with you toward His purposes.
Your life could be the catalyst for renewal—both in your own journey and in the lives of others. The question is: will you choose to walk in the light?
There's an undeniable truth that echoes through our lives: we become like the people we surround ourselves with. It's a principle as old as creation itself—the law of reproduction. Just as a dog will never give birth to a cat, and a pine tree will never produce an oak, we reproduce what we are. And often, what we become is shaped by the five people we spend the most time with.
Think about the iconic groups we admire—the Sandlot kids who had each other's backs, the Ghostbusters who fought demons together, even the lovable Minions who appeared in millions when needed. These communities accomplished great things because they were united in purpose. But what about our own circles? Who are we allowing to influence the direction of our lives?
The Foundation: Friendship with God First
Before we can build a healthy community around us, there's one essential relationship that must take priority: our friendship with God. This isn't about quick prayers over meals or empty promises to pray for others. This is about getting on your face before God and acknowledging that you shouldn't be where you are except for His grace. It's about starting your day in the car, dreading work or school, but pausing to ask, "God, how will you use me today?"
First John chapter 1, verses 5-6 reminds us that "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." This vertical relationship with God must come before any horizontal relationship with people.
Think of it like turning on a light in a dark kitchen. Suddenly, everything hidden is exposed. The things that shouldn't be there scatter. That's what God's light does in our lives—it reveals what needs to stay and what needs to go. When we establish this relationship with God first, He helps us discern who should be in our circle and who shouldn't.
The Litmus Test for Friendship
In 1 John 2:5-6, we're given a clear test for evaluating our friendships: "Whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we know that we are in him. Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."
The mark of a committed Christ follower—and the kind of person who helps develop a strong community—is someone who keeps God's commands. This person:
Believes in repentance from sin (Matthew 4:17)
Serves others as they serve Christ (Philippians 2)
Seeks reconciliation with others (Matthew 5:23-25)
Commits to prayer (Matthew 21:13)
These aren't just nice qualities; they're essential characteristics of people who will push you toward Christ rather than pull you away from Him.
The Danger of Poor Choices
Not all friendships harm us because the people are necessarily "bad." Sometimes we surround ourselves with good people who simply don't bring anything spiritual to the table. We can hunt, fish, watch sports, and play golf together—but are they helping us grow spiritually? Are they encouraging our walk with God?
The reality is stark: if you surround yourself with negative people, negativity will pour out of you. It's like trying to pour sweet tea into a jug and insisting it's Coca-Cola. No matter what you claim, that first sip reveals the truth. Whatever is poured in is what comes out.
This doesn't mean we avoid lost people or sinners—after all, we're called to make an impact on the lost. But the people who pour into us, who we allow closest to our hearts, need to be pursuing Jesus. They need to be people who, even in their imperfection, want to be vessels God can use.
Walking in the Light Together
First John 1:7 offers a beautiful promise: "If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us from all sin."
A healthy community begins with a deep connection to God. When we walk in God's light, we have nothing to hide. We can be honest with our friends about our struggles, our failures, and our victories. We don't have to keep parts of ourselves hidden for fear of disappointment or rejection.
Ask yourself: Do your closest friends make you more like Jesus? Do they encourage you to make choices you're proud of? Can you bring the serious matters of your life to them for help?
Being the Catalyst for Change
Consider the Los Angeles Dream Center, a faith-based organization in one of the most crime-ridden areas of Los Angeles. They took an old hospital and transformed it into a place of hope for those impacted by homelessness, addiction, human trafficking, and poverty. Within a period of time, crime in the area decreased by 80 percent.
What happened? Someone was willing to take light and expose it to the darkness. If God can do that on such a grand scale, what can He do in your life through establishing the right relationships?
You could be the key to renewal in someone's life. That person who walked into church struggling, battling whatever the enemy has thrown at them—you could be the light they need. You just have to have the desire.
The Power of Pentecost
When the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost, the disciples were in community together. After the Spirit fell, they continued gathering daily, establishing deeper community. And people were added to the kingdom daily. Why? Because a group of people understood the power of prayer combined with the power of community.
This is the model we need today. Not isolation. Not division. But reconciliation and unity around the person of Jesus Christ.
Taking Inventory
It's time for a sober assessment. Look at your current community. Who are the five people you spend the most time with? Are they helping you grow spiritually, or are they keeping you stagnant? Are they encouraging you toward Christ, or pulling you away?
If you don't like who you're becoming, change your circle. Yes, it's that simple—and that difficult. But the trajectory of your life depends on it.
Remember: before you build your circle, befriend God first. Establish that vertical relationship. Let Him show you the dark corners that need light. Let Him guide you to the people who will sharpen you, encourage you, and walk with you toward His purposes.
Your life could be the catalyst for renewal—both in your own journey and in the lives of others. The question is: will you choose to walk in the light?
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