"Talking the Walk at Crossgate Church"

Community is a word that gets tossed around quite a bit but what does it mean to live in biblical community?  First of all it means that everyone is observing "The Source Principle" (Luke 6:45) - meaning that we understand that what comes out of our mouths is coming from our hearts. Because our hearts are the source of our words, the Bible places a high premium on self-control with our words. Second is understanding "The Poison Principle" (James 3:6-10) Destructive private speech can set fire to a community in no time. Try measuring your talk with the prayer test. Is what you are discussing something that you could truthfully segue into prayer for that person and that situation? It not, chances are it is probably destructive and damaging to the body of Christ. Third, is "The Clarity Principle" (Proverbs 18:2,13) It is critical that we have a clear understanding of what we are hearing before we make any judgement and then respond. Trust should be our go-to response but we should also verify if needed. Trust is essential in building a community of Christ honoring believers.  Fourth is what we are calling "The Transparency Principle". This is an area that is rarely practiced in most churches today. This is the principle of recognizing that we are all sinners, and confessing our sins to one another. (James 5:16) Without this type of honest communication it is impossible to have a spiritually healthy community.  Finally there is "The Grace Principle". All communication needs to be seasoned with God's amazing grace. (Ephesians 4:29) In Proverbs we have this verse, "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." (Proverbs 16:24) When we are seeking to encourage and edify each other we are helping to build each other up, which one of the foundations of biblical community.