Hello Basecamp parents and youth! Over the last few weeks, we have been in a series on Fellowship with God. Below, you’ll find key points from the message. We encourage you to spend quality time together as a family—open your Bibles to the scriptures we discussed and explore the questions. Be sure to pay special attention to the challenge at the end.
The heart of fellowship with God
What is fellowship with God? Before we can begin to answer that question, we must first understand what lies at the heart of true fellowship.
1 Corinthians 1:9 says, “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” Fellowship with God is the central calling on your life. It is the first—and perhaps the most important—call you will ever receive. This calling precedes what you are called to do: whether that is a pastor, a mother, a business owner, a teacher, or even an astronaut. It even comes before who you are called to be: faithful, loving, kind. For anything else in life to be truly fruitful, fellowship with God must take its proper place at the center.
If you imagine the “calls” of God on your life as a circle, the outermost circle represents what you are called to do. Moving inward, you find your character or who you are called to be. At the very center lies fellowship with God, which is the foundation and source of all other callings. Everything flows from this calling. When you answer the call to fellowship with God, one of the first things you will find out is who He has called you to be, and out of that, you find out what He has called you to do.
What is fellowship?
Fellowship is closeness with God—walking hand in hand with Him and involving Him in every aspect of our lives. A helpful way to understand this is through the analogy of friendship. Just like with friends, we share our activities, seek their advice, and rejoice in their blessings. This is the kind of relationship God desires from us—a close, ongoing connection. God continually invites us into this relationship. Passages like “Abide in Me” (John 15:4), “Come to Me” (Matthew 11:28), and “I call you friends” (John 15:15) all emphasize His desire for us to walk closely with Him.
We should involve God in every aspect of our lives. When we make decisions outside of our fellowship with God, there’s a good chance they won’t be fruitful. We should stay close to Him in all that we do. Talk to Him regularly—seek His help, wisdom, and guidance. Most importantly, remain attentive to His leading throughout the day.
Search the scripture
What are some scriptural examples of fellowship with God? What can we learn from these scriptures?
- Mark 1:35-38
- Luke 5:16
- Luke 6:12
- Matthew 14:23
- Genesis 5:22-24
Put it into practice
- What is fellowship?
- What are some practical ways to fellowship with God?
- What are some ways we can be more purposeful in our fellowship with God?
- Why do we fellowship with God?
- What can we expect to gain from our fellowship with God?
Challenge
Fellowship with God every day this week. Set aside dedicated time with your Bible open and pen in hand, fellowshipping with Him. Write down what God is speaking to you and find scripture to support what He is saying.