Uncommon Community: Part 2, Belonging
September 14, 2025

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Message Review

The second indicator of a healthy and transformational smaller community is belonging. Uncommon community is created within a culture of belonging- being seen, known, and valued. We all long to belong. Acceptance is the primary practice that creates or destroys a culture of belonging. Acceptance is not agreement; it’s welcoming, receiving, and embracing one another into relationship. Acceptance is hard, but it’s essential to experience uncommon community, because people can only belong where they are accepted.

Main Point: People can only belong where they are accepted.

Scripture References: Romans 14:1 - 15:7

Discussion Questions

  • What were your initial thoughts or takeaways from the sermon, and why?

  • When you hear the word “belonging”, what comes to mind for you? 

  • When have you felt like you truly “belonged”? Why did you feel that sense of belonging?

  • What’s the relationship between belonging and acceptance, and why?

  • Why is acceptance often harder to extend than we’d like to admit?

  • Read Romans 14:1-12:

    • What words or phrases stick out to you in this passage?

    • What is the definition of a “disputable matter” (vs. 1)?  What disputable matter was causing conflict between them? 

    • What big idea(s) was Paul trying to communicate in this section?

    • What is the significance of verse 3?

  • Read Romans 14:13-23:

    • What words or phrases stick out to you in this passage?

    • What big idea(s) was Paul trying to communicate in this section?

    • In verses 19, what does Paul say we should pursue, and what does that practically look like?

  • Read Romans 15:1-7:

    • According to Paul, what are some of the reasons for why we must accept one another?

    • What does it look like to “accept one another just as Christ accepted us” (vs. 7)?

  • Ronnie said people can only belong where they are accepted. What’s the difference between Christ-like acceptance- and agreement?  Why can people only belong where they are accepted?

  • Have you ever felt rejected by the T-Life Group? Why? Do you feel accepted by the T-Life Group? Why?

  • What next step can you take to help create a culture of belonging in our T-Life Group?

  • What can we all do to make our T-Life Group an uncommon community to belong to?

     

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