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According to Pew Research, only 60 percent of Christians are involved in a community. Our culture of self-sufficiency as well as people’s poor past experiences has badly impacted the church. Today, Rusty George, pastor of Real Life Church, joins Gary Wilkerson to discuss how people desperately need one another to have healthy lives and how we can overcome past pains and truly join into Christian community.
Key Points from the Podcast
- If you have been hurt by others, why continue? Because Jesus did. He was betrayed yet selflessly offered himself for the sins of all mankind.
- When we get so focused on ourselves and our own issues, God’s solution is often godly fellowship.
- We don’t need to be friends with everyone, but it is beneficial to have a few close friends with whom we can share your life—the joys and the pains.
- Some Christian community can be superficial when what we really need are people we can trust and with whom we can be vulnerable.
- True friendship takes initiative and intentionality.
- The more we die to self and focus on God and others, the more joy we will experience in life.
Resources Mentioned in the Podcast
About Rusty George
Rusty George is the Lead Pastor at Real Life Church in Southern California; a multi-site church with campuses in Canyon Country, Simi Valley, Valencia and a large online community. Under Rusty’s lead, Real Life has become one of the fastest growing churches in America—growing by 111% in 2011 alone.
Beyond leading his church of 6,000+ members every weekend, Rusty is a global speaker, leader and teacher focusing his message on helping people find and follow Jesus. Rusty has also written several books and writes regularly at pastorrustygeorge.com
Aside from being a loyal Chiefs, Royals and Lakers fan, Rusty is first and foremost committed to his family. Rusty has been married to his wife, Lorrie, for over twenty years and they have two daughters, Lindsey and Sidney. As a family they enjoy walking the dogs, watching the Food Network and playing board games together.
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About Gary Wilkerson
Gary Wilkerson is the President of World Challenge, an international mission organization that was founded by his father, David Wilkerson. He is also the Founding Pastor of The Springs Church, which he launched in 2009 with a handful of people. He has traveled nationally and internationally at conferences and conducted mission ventures such as church planting, starting orphanages, clinics, feeding programs among the poorest of the poor and the most unreached people of the earth. Gary and his wife Kelly have four children and live in Colorado Springs, CO.