A community is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and that the people who share the place define and limit the possibilities of each other's lives. It is the knowledge that people have of each other, their concern for each other, their trust in each other, the freedom with which they come and go among themselves.

A lot of film directors are quite scared of actors. They are a bit of a nightmare sometimes, but I like them. It looks like cunning, but you try to get extra things from them all the time, by stealth, by making them feel confident, so they trust you and you can push a bit.

Nothing will encourage someone who is struggling more than your willingness to stand beside them and help sort it out with the wisdom God has given you.

Is it any wonder why church is so important? Some think they can live the Christian life without a strong local fellowship, but I'm not one of them. I know how important it is for me to unite with others to fix my mind on what is right, pure, lovely, and admirable—to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. What's on your mind? Is it excellent?

Encouraging words, fueled by the Word of God, carry life. They are like a cold drink of the finest water to a desperately thirsty soul. Even the smallest act of kindness can bring hope to a hurting heart.

One of the most important responsibilities in the Christian life is to care about others, smile at them, and be a friend to the friendless.

So often, it's others around us who can see where God wants to grow us even before we see it ourselves.

Ed Welch says that all counseling is a variation on a single theme: knowing and praying for the counselee. Of all the questions the counselor might ask, then, the central guiding question in the counselor's mind is, "How can I pray for you?

Small groups are the place to push past Bible knowledge and on to life application so that we can see people's lives transform more and more into the image of Christ.

When it comes to biblical counseling, friendship is central to the counseling relationship because it is a key aspect of the Gospel. Paul's words display it; Jesus' actions approve it. In Jesus Christ, friendship has its ultimate — that is, it's paradigmatic — display. He sacrificially gave Himself for the good of those he befriended — people who were awkward and troubled types, people who did not offer Him anything particularly desirable in return.

Every man needs a place to be open and vulnerable with brothers leaning together upon the Lord.

When we fail to assist people responding to the gospel at church, we train our people to repeat that failure at home and at work.