We live in a world of 7.9 billion people; yet we’ve never been lonelier. We’ve never felt so alone. America was already in an epidemic of loneliness before the COVID pandemic. Then the government’s lockdown and social distancing mandates only deepened our issues. Now, we’re having a hard time returning to normal. We need each other.The truth is, God designed us for relationship—with Him—but also with one another. We need each other – we always have. But we especially need each other when times are tough…as we see “the day approaching.” We need each other when life get challenging, when we need encouragement, when we need to be “provoked” to love and good works…when we begin to face persecution, when we need to know that someone’s got our back. We need to know someone cares.That's why God created the Church. The church is an important part of God’s plan to give every human an opportunity to respond to the Gospel of his Son Jesus. These are trying times…the day of the Lord is approaching. The world needs the witness of Jesus’ church – assembled.

Scripture References: 1 Peter 2:5, Hebrews 10:24-25

Related Topics: Being the Church, Belonging, Church, God's Plan, Together, Unity | More Messages from Dr. Jim Mann | Download Audio

From Series: "Living Stones: The Significance of Community"

“And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple…” (1 Peter 2:5, NLT)In a world of 7.9 billion people, we’ve never been lonelier or felt so isolated. We spend our time staring at screens and participating in life virtually. This was never God’s intention. Dr. Jim Mann’s sermon series “Living Stones: The Significance of Community explores how God created us for relationships, and just how important those are for His church.