1 Corinthians 12:12-20

Belonging means being connected.

Belonging means being intertwined.

No part of the body can live without connection with the rest of the body.

Belonging means painful separation.

Belonging means I am somewhat owned by others.

The church is not a place you go. It is a family you belong to.

What are the benefits of belonging?

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

1. Work is rewarded and enriched.

Unity brings God’s blessing.

Unity brings multiplication instead of addition.

It is not 1 + 1 = 2. It is 1 + 1 = God’s desire.

Unifying your life with others will bring you greater reward.

2. Belonging means helping in times of need.

Helping includes refreshing, strengthening, encouraging, relieving, life-saving.

• If you don’t belong, your sense of mercy can get weak.
• If you don’t belong, you may not know where to really help.
• If you don’t belong, others won’t know how to properly respond when you have a need.

3. Belonging offers comfort.
4. Belonging offers protection from attackers.
5. We grow through relationships.

Proverbs 27:17

Many of the root causes of problems in our lives today are so accepted that we will not hear them challenged in a sermon, or, if we do, we reject it. It takes a personal challenge.

Many miss the fullness of life Jesus promised because they do not commit themselves to the effort of belonging.

Belonging and the teaching of the Word keep us from living a vulnerable life.

6. We get a sense of wholeness when we belong.

Romans 8:16-17

Belonging brings wholeness to our spirits.