| How's your social capital?Huh?, you
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| | the Lord through Bible study, prayer and
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| ask.That's the term the academics use for
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| | application.For most, application means
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| friends. Or how connected you are to
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| | reaching out and helping others, beyond
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| other people. the sad fact of the matter
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| | their immediate circule of friends. Many
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| is that most of us have very few people
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| | groups have regular outreach projects
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| who we can count on to lend a helping
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| | during the year. There is no shortage of
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| hand or a shoulder to cry on when we need
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| | needs. Working at a food pantry,
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| them.You were not made to go it alone.God
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| | babysitting for single Moms, mentoring
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| created us for relationships with
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| | school kids and visiting the sick in
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| others.Have you ever realized that four
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| | hospitals are just a few
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| of the Ten Commandments deal with our
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| | ideas.Interpersonal relationships bring
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| relationship to God while the remaining
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| | balance to life. And the best such
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| six deal with our relationship to each
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| | relationships are when we make connect
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| other. All 10 are about relationships.The
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| | with others in a basic Christian
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| most important relationship is a personal
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| | community.That's the small group.If you
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| relationship with our heavenly Father
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| | were to count them all up, the New
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| through His Son Jesus Christ . But we are
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| | Testament has over 50 references to how
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| also supposed to be connected to
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| | Christians are to be connected in
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| others."Bowling Alone "is the title of a
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| | friendship and fellowship. Bible scholars
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| popular book from a few years ago that
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| | call them the "one another" passages. For
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| talked about how we in the United States
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| | example, we're commanded to "love one
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| have become a nation of loners.This is
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| | another", to "pray for one another" and
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| not good. Doctors tell us that loneliness
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| | to "build up one another".It's clear from
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| is a major health problem. A Boston
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| | the Bible that God wants us to be in
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| Globe story on the issue reported
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| | regular, close fellowship with each
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| recently that people who are socially
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| | other. But such relationships are often
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| isolated like this but otherwise healthy
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| | the first to be sacrificed to our busy
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| are twice as likely to die as those who
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| | schedules.This doesn't make sense. For
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| have friends. A similar study fund that
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| | relationships, not wealth or prestige or
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| isolated men are up to 25% more likely to
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| | the accumulation of material things, are
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| die of all causes at any age versus non
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| | what matters most in life.
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| -isolated men. The odds for women are
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| | Now listen. That is just plain wrong.
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| 33%.George Callup's organization says
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| | That is sinful. And I say this on the
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| Americans are among the loneliest people
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| | authority of the Bible.In Matthew
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| on earth, with more than a third saying
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| | 22:36-40. "Jesus said, 'Love the Lord
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| they fell isolated and alone.But George
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| | your God with all your heart...soul...and
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| Gallup tells us something else, something
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| | mind. This is the first and greatest
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| he personally discovered that he says is
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| | commandment. And the second is like it:
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| "profoundly good news." Let me quote
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| | Love your neighbor as yourself. All the
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| him:"I want to report to you now on a
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| | Law and Prophets hang on these two
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| trend that may be contributing to a
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| | commandments.' "That's called the Great
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| transformation of America. You will not
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| | Commandment.In Matthew 28:19-20. "Jesus
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| read about this trend in our daily
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| | said, 'Go and make disciples of all
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| newspapers or on television, yet it is a
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| | nations, baptizing them in the name of
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| powerful undercurrent in our society
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| | the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
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| that, I believe, gives us cause for
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| | Spirit, and teaching them to obey
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| encouragement about the future! This
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| | everything I have commanded you.' "That's
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| trend could be described as a
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| | called the Great Commission.Both of those
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| sociological and spiritual phenomenon:
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| | commandments emphasize
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| Americans on a massive scale are
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| | relationships.Here's the bottom line: You
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| rediscovering each other, and coming
| |
| | cannot be the mature believer God intend
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| together regularly in small nourishing
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| | unless you get involved with people. You
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| support groups, many with a spiritual
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| | will stagnate. It is unbiblical not to be
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| dimension."The news Gallup discovered is
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| | connected with others. Pastor Rick Warren
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| so profound that he has now basically
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| | in big Purpose Driven Life Book said it
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| retired from his survey company's
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| | this way: "If you are too busy to be
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| day-to-day leadership and has devoted the
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| | connected you are too busy."Clearly, we
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| remaining part of his life to the
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| | must make friends a priority if we are
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| development and encouragement of small
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| | going to be obedient to God.it's a matter
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| groups. George Gallup, in case you didn't
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| | of friendship. We all need to have
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| know, is a devout Christian.Small groups
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| | friends and we need to be a friend to
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| are all about relationships. And that's
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| | others. It's a Biblical imperative.Are
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| something that Jesus teaches in the Bible
| |
| | you connected in a small group? If not,
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| that we are to develop and nurture.
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| | join one. Just contact your church office
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| Jesus said our love for each other is to
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| | to find out how. And if they don;t have a
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| be our witness to the world.There is
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| | small group ministry, why not volunteer
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| nothing intimidating about a Christian
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| | to start one?The author is the publisher
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| small group. They're a lot like families.
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| | of the Online Christian Shopper ( a
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| Think of them as a group of friends who
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| | shopping site specializing in Christian
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| meet regularly to support and encourage
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| | T-Shirts and Christian jewelry.
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| one another and to grow in knowledge of
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