Life Is Better Together: There’s a Place for You

PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION

Lord Jesus, You promised that when we gather in Your name, You are right here with us. Open our hearts and minds to hear Your Word today. Draw us closer to You and to each other. Remove every distraction, heal what is broken, and let Your Spirit teach us, challenge us, and transform us so that we leave here living more like You. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning, AlvaNaz family! I am so glad to see you today. Whether this is your very first time, your first time in a long time, or you’ve been here for years — welcome home. You belong here!

Let me ask you a question: when was the last time you really felt connected — really seen, known, and encouraged? That’s what God designed church to be. That’s why we say: life is better together. Say it with me — life is better together.”

Today we are going to explore why God created us for connection, why we are stronger when we walk with others, and how you can take a step today to commit to community in a meaningful way.

BETTER TOGETHER

Some things in life are just better together.

Oreos and milk — come on, someone say amen. Movies and popcorn — even a bad movie is better with popcorn. Peanut butter and jelly — simple but legendary. And bacon and… well, anything — that’s a love language all its own.

They are fine on their own, but when you put them together something special happens.

Life is the same way. Life is good, but life lived together is where it becomes meaningful.

Think about your favorite memory for a moment. Was it special just because of what you were doing, or because of who you were with? That is the beauty of how God designed life—relationships first, isolation never.

POINT 1: WE WERE CREATED FOR CONNECTION

Jesus reminds us of this truth in Matthew 18:20, when He says:

Matthew 18:20 NASB 2020

For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

Jesus spoke these words while teaching about life in the community of faith—about forgiveness, reconciliation, and unity.

And His promise is simple but profound: when we gather with Him at the center, He shows up.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Does God really show up when we gather? Does He really care?” — Jesus just answered that question. Yes! Every time we come together in His name, we can count on His presence.

But we have to do our part — we must gather and seek Him in prayer. When we come together to promote God’s glory, to agree, and to pray according to His Word:

He shows up and validates what we are doing.

He encourages and strengthens us.

He reveals Himself to us.

He connects us.

And when He connects us, God moves in powerful ways.

He meets us in worship and reminds us of His presence.

He unites our voices in prayer and answers in His power.

He binds us together through Christ, making us one family.

And when we stand together in Him, there is strength we could never have on our own.

From the very beginning, God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” He wasn’t only speaking about marriage — He was revealing a truth about how all of us are wired. We are made in the image of a relational God: Father, Son, and Spirit. That means we are created for connection — connection with God first, and then connection with each other.

There’s an old story about a man who stopped going to church. One winter evening, his pastor came to visit. The two sat quietly by the fire until the pastor took the fire tongs, picked up a glowing coal from the fire, and set it aside on the hearth. Slowly, the coal dimmed, turned gray, and cooled. Without saying a word, the pastor picked it up, placed it back into the fire, and within moments it was glowing red-hot again. The man turned to his pastor and said, “I’ll be at church on Sunday.”

Alone, we cool down. Together, we stay warm.

When we isolate ourselves, we miss one of God’s greatest gifts: each other. Connection helps us carry one another’s burdens, celebrate victories, and grow in our faith.

POINT 2: YOU + ME + JESUS = STRENGTH

The writer of Ecclesiastes put it this way: 

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 NASB 2020

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up! Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

Alone, we go fast. Together, we go far. Together we can do more, endure more, defend more.

Let me show you what I mean.

(Hold up one stick.) “This is what life looks like when we try to go it alone.” Snap it in half easily. “When we isolate ourselves, we’re vulnerable — it doesn’t take much for life to break us.”

(Hold up two or three sticks together.) “Now here’s what happens when we have a little bit of connection. We’re stronger — but we can still be broken if we’re not bound together.” Try to snap them — it takes more effort, maybe you still can.

(Now hold up a bundle of several sticks tied together.) “But look what happens when we are truly connected — when we link our lives together and put Jesus at the center — we become nearly unbreakable.” Attempt to break the bundle — it shouldn’t break easily.

This is what God does when He brings His church together. He connects us. And in connection with one another, things begin to happen! There is strength in numbers. There is power when believers pray together, serve together, and carry one another’s burdens.

Earlier this year we saw this in a powerful way. We witnessed God bring deliverance right here in our community — not because of anything fancy we did, but because righteous believers from this church and our Baptist brothers next door came together, prayed in unity, and God moved in a mighty way.

And notice something about Matthew 18:20 — when Jesus said, “Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them,” He was talking about forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoring a brother or sister. His promise is that when we come together in agreement — not just physically, but spiritually — He shows up. This is about more than just attendance. It’s about aligning our hearts with God and one another so that heaven backs us up.

And this is exactly why the devil fights so hard to bring disconnection — because if he can isolate you, he can weaken you. He doesn’t have to make you hate God; he just has to cut you off from God’s people.

How he does it:

Offense — keeping you hurt or angry.

Distraction — filling your life until you “don’t have time” for church.

Discouragement — making you feel like staying home or staying silent.

God’s call:

When disagreements come, we don’t gossip — we pray.

We seek forgiveness, reconciliation, and unity.

Jesus prayed in John 17 that we would be one so the world would see Him in us.

Our choice:

Some Sundays it will be easier to stay home.

But as much as it depends on us, God wants us to show up.

We need the worship, the encouragement, and the community that happens when we gather.

Result:

When we stay connected — forgiving, praying, encouraging — we slam the door on the enemy and open the door for God to move powerfully among us.

Transition to Point 3: And that’s why staying connected isn’t just a good idea — it’s a spiritual commitment. Which leads us to the next step: actually choosing to belong, to invest, and to make community a priority. Because life is better together.

POINT 3: COMMIT TO COMMUNITY

The writer of Hebrews encouraged the early church with these words:

Hebrews 10:24–25 NASB 2020

and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

The early believers were tempted to stop gathering because of fear, persecution, and discouragement. The writer says, Don’t give up. Keep showing up. Keep encouraging each other.

I love that word “spur.” It means to provoke, to stir up, to lovingly push someone toward what is good. Like a cowboy uses spurs—not to harm the horse but to prompt it forward—we need people who lovingly push us closer to Jesus.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor during World War II, led a secret seminary under constant threat from the Nazi regime. Life there was simple, often difficult, but full of spiritual depth. Someone once asked him why he risked so much to gather with other believers. Bonhoeffer replied, “The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer.”

Friends, that is what committing to community looks like. We don’t just attend; we belong. We don’t just visit; we invest. Being part of a community isn’t about convenience—it’s about answering God’s call to be part of a family that walks together.

WEEKLY TAKEAWAY

This Week’s Takeaway: When we gather in Jesus’ name, He shows up, connects us, and makes us stronger together than we could ever be alone.

PRACTICAL NEXT STEPS

Take a step toward connection this week by:

Showing up faithfully — be present for Sunday worship and midweek opportunities as often as you can.

Serving where you can — join a ministry team, help with kids, greet at the door, visit someone in need.

Building relationships — invite someone to coffee or lunch, check on someone who hasn’t been here, or pray with someone before you leave today.

Friend, you are needed here. You are wanted here. You are loved here. And together, we are better than we could ever be alone.

CONCLUSION

Life truly is better together. From the very beginning, God designed us for connection — with Him and with each other. And Jesus has promised that when we gather in His name, He is here.

So let me ask you: what step will you take today? Who will you invite into your life? Where will you choose to plant yourself and grow?

Imagine the impact if every single one of us took one step closer to each other this week. Imagine the encouragement we could bring, the hope we could offer, the strength we could share.

Imagine a church so alive with the presence of Jesus that our community can’t help but notice.

Life is better together — and this is our moment to live it. Let’s be that church. Let’s walk together. Let’s shine together. And let’s watch God move.

PRAYER FOLLOWING MESSAGE

Lord, thank You for designing us for community. Thank You that You are present with us right now. Help us move beyond surface-level connection and into real, life-giving relationships that reflect Your heart. Make us a church that encourages, strengthens, and sends. Remind us every day that life truly is better together. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

CHARGE

Church, you were never meant to walk alone. Go into this week connected to Christ and to one another. Forgive freely, pray boldly, encourage often, and stay faithful — because life truly is better together.

BENEDICTION

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May He turn His face toward you and give you peace — and may His Spirit go with you, making you strong together, so that this community sees Jesus alive in you. Go in His peace and power. Amen.