This is the sermon from our 7/12/26 service. We open this series by recognizing God’s design for us to live in community together, and we look into the root of why we tend to pretend, perform, or hide from each other. Today’s key Scripture verses are: “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:15-16); “The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him’” (Genesis 2:18); “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their laborIf either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). 

We all want to be known. We all want people we can count on. We all want relationships that make us stronger. In today's culture it's easy to be surrounded by people and still feel completely alone. It's possible to attend church every week and never really feel like you belong. But that's not the life God designed for us. Church was never meant to be a place where we simply attend. It was meant to be a place where we belong. Where grace is real. Where truth is spoken. Where people encourage one another, pray for one another, and help one another become more like Jesus. Join us for our series, Community Is Where We Grow, as we discover how God uses relationships to shape our faith, strengthen our lives, and transform us into the people He's called us to be. 

This year, our focus is on building Stretchy Faith—a kind of faith that moves us beyond what’s comfortable and grows us in the areas that matter most.