Skip to content How to Experience Authentic Community, Part 2 Mar 18 · 25 min ...more
How to Experience Authentic Community, Part 2
March 18, 2026 · 25 min
How do you take a group of imperfect, basically selfish human beings and forge lifelong, godly relationships? Sound impossible? Join Chip to find out how!
Series God's Dream for Your Life March 18, 2026 · 25 min · God's Dream for Your Life
How do you take a group of imperfect, basically selfish human beings and forge lifelong, godly relationships? Sound impossible? Join Chip to find out how! ...more Show the full description Show less How do you take a group of imperfect, basically selfish human beings and forge lifelong, godly relationships? Sound impossible? Join Chip to find out how!
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Chip Ingram is an American Christian pastor, author, and teacher. He is the founder, teaching pastor and CEO of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry.
618K followers
Unlocking Authentic Community: Real You Meets Real Needs 0:11 Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram.0:14 When was the last time you hung out with some fellow believers and afterwards you just felt so much closer to God? I mean, you opened up, you shared your life, you laughed together, maybe0:26 even you cried. And And as you were going home, you thought to yourself, why can't I have more times like that? Well, it's called authentic community. And today, we're gonna learn how to get more of it. Stay0:38 with me.0:40 Welcome to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. I'm Dave Drewey. And today, we're unpacking 1 of the most important and most overlooked ingredients for real spiritual growth, authentic community.0:52 Chip shows us that it's not enough for the real you to show up and meet real needs. It has to be done for the right reason and in the right way. He'll get personal and maybe a little uncomfortably honest1:04 as he continues his series God's Dream for Your Life. Now, looking in the book of Romans chapter 12 verse 9, here's Chip Ingram with today's message.1:14 So let's look together. What is authentic community? And maybe more importantly, how do you get it? First from verse 9, authentic community is the real you, not a projection of yourself.1:27 See, you can't have authentic community unless the real you shows up. Authentic community, he says, let love be sincere. Hate what is evil. Cling to what is good. The 2 characteristics1:39 of the real you showing up is 1, authenticity, and 2, it's purity. And so when the real you shows up, that's the beginning of authentic community. But it's beyond that. It meets real needs, not superficial or1:51 convenient ones. Authentic community doesn't happen when you do a little nice thing or a little nice thing here and it doesn't really cost you very much. Authentic community happens when the real you shows up. Notice it2:02 says devotion, be devoted to 1 another in brotherly love. Humility, giving preference to 1 another in honor. Real needs getting met always involves devotion2:14 on our part and humility. The word devotion here is strong. He's saying you need to be committed to 1 another and lay your lives down for 1 another like you would for blood relatives. I mean, for2:25 people that you feel this moral responsibility for. And he says, be devoted to 1 another. How? In brotherly love. Philadelphia. That's the word. We named a city in Pennsylvania by that.2:38 It's this commitment of family love, of being there for 1 another, of doing whatever it takes. I thought I knew what it meant to kind of be devoted in love. I was a new Christian and after probably, I2:49 guess it was about 5 or 6 years, I'd been coaching for a couple years after school. And Teresa and I were married and we had 2 small kids at this time. And I came home after school, it was in my first or second year3:01 and Teresa's eyes were all red. I said, Honey, man, what is going on? Are you okay? She goes, Oh, I spent all afternoon with Pat, you know, right across the hall. I said, Well, what's going on? She goes, Well, her3:11 husband left her. And she goes, it's it's worse than that. Bank accounts are emptied. He left her. They have a, like, 2 or 3 week old newborn and she has no money. And we just prayed and3:23 cried. I thought, wow. So you know, I'm thinking, my heart's really going out to her, so I'm thinking it's really spiritual. So, honey, you want to pray for her? She goes, well actually we did that. But I've been3:34 thinking about it and we talked over dinner. She goes, I think we should in 2 days her rent is due, and they're gonna kick her out if she doesn't have rent money. And I think we should pay for her rent. And so, you know,3:45 I'm figuring I'm probably gonna have to learn how to be a pastor someday. Might as well start now. And so, okay, Lord, here it is. And we write the check. And by the way, it was not noble. I think people get this idea3:54 that when we take big steps for God, yes, God. Most of my really big steps are like, yes, God. You know? I don't really want to do this. But okay, I'm going to claim your promise, but my God will supply all my4:06 needs according to his riches and glory in Christ Jesus. You said it would do that. The context is giving, being generous. Philippians 4 19. I'm standing on that passage. Our rent's due. No money. And4:18 that day, in the mail, an envelope came. I got a letter from someone from the Green Bay Packers. I was like, are you you know, what is this? So I opened the letter, and, the letter says, Hi Chip. I'm sure you don't know4:30 me. I met you about 6 years ago or so. I was a senior in high school at the time, and you taught a Bible study in San Jose. And I later went on and played college football, and I was the first quarterback4:42 taken in the draft. And, I'm playing for the Green Bay Packers now. When you taught that Bible study, all I can tell you, I can't really remember even what you said, but something happened that changed the4:54 spiritual trajectory of my life, and I've never forgotten it. And I've not thought of you for 6 years, but this is weird. Out of the blue, you came to my mind, and I'm supposed to send you this thousand dollars.5:07 I mean, it was just like, oh. You know what happened? I got to experience authentic community. And I will tell you what, man, we got tight with Pat. I mean, it was like5:19 20 years later, we got a postcard. Teresa, you know, I saw somewhere you and she hadn't I just want I need a picture of her and her grown son. And after that, in the last 30 years, we've done that scores5:31 of times, Scores of times, never knowing for sure how God supply my testimony. He always does. And what we've experienced is God. See, at the end of the day, you know what most5:42 Christians don't know? God is real. He's not a philosophy. He's not a formula. He's not a moral code. Jesus is a person, and he's real, and he loves you, and he made promises, and he wants you to stand5:54 on him, and you take risks, which are called faith, and you love 1 another, and people get love through you, and then He supplies. When the real you meets real needs through6:06 devotion and also through humility. Because at the end of the day, you know what? You have to think more of other people than yourself. Jod, in the corner of your notes, Philippians chapter 2, if you will,6:18 verse 3 and 4. And the apostle Paul says I mean, think of how all encompassing this, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility,6:30 consider others as more important than yourself. Boy, would that change your small group? Would that change your family? Each of you should look not only for your own6:42 interests, but also the interests of others. In fact, he goes on to say, have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, that although he existed in the form of God he didn't6:54 regard equality with God a thing to be grasped but he humbled himself taking the form of a bond servant becoming obedient even unto death7:06 Humility. Humility is putting other people, giving preference where you lift them up. I had the privilege of working with someone that's modeled this for7:17 me. There's a number of people that do it, but I just have the longest history with a guy named Greg. He came out of Silicon Valley, early days of Palm Pilot, later went to Cisco, project manager. Later was a7:29 volunteer over in Santa Cruz, and 40 or 50 volunteers did light, sound. Real super techie guy. When I went to walk through the Bible, he came with me and, was just he's just a7:41 manager of just tremendous ability. And then as Living on the Edge went out on its own, he ran all of Living on the Edge, the broadcasting, the money, the finances, the operation, everything. And we started to grow, and7:53 there was a guy that came along. He wrote a strategic plan for us, and he led a huge ministry in the United States. And I'll never forget, he met with me. He said, this is really exciting, and I think God's in it. I'd8:04 like to help you fulfill it. And in a little humility, I said, well, I now know kind of what you've done in your life, and you now know all of our books. I could pay you maybe half of what you've ever made. This is an8:14 amazing downward mobility opportunity for you. And he looked at me and said, I'll take it. And Andrew came, and in the next 3 and a half years, he tripled the size of everything that8:26 happened at Living on the Edge. But here was the interesting point. Greg is really good into the people and roles and personnel and HR and all that stuff. I'm not. And,8:38 we sat down, the entire executive team of Living on the Edge, me and Greg. There's 2 of us, you know? And, he said if we hire Andrew, you need to know something. I said what's that?8:50 In about 6 months, he needs to lead the whole organization. And I need to be just over broadcasting and just technology. Because his gifts and what he'll bring, he's far better. He will bring what I don't9:02 have. And there's no way the ministry will be what God wants it to be unless he has that role. So I'm just telling you that, you know, he needs to become my boss. Now, when's the last time you ever worked or met9:14 anyone who had the power to hire someone that when he hired them, he knew they will become greater. I will become lesser. He will have a higher role, make a higher income. And I9:26 will move down because I want to serve you, serve God, and the mission is what matters. You know what that's called? Giving preference. See,9:38 that spiritual ceiling where we get stuck is often the real you doesn't show up. And if the real you doesn't show up, often we're not meeting real needs. We're just meeting convenient or superficial needs. But then he9:49 says, not only does the real you and me need to show up and meet real needs but he says you need to do it for the right reason not to please people he says not lagging behind in diligence fervent in10:01 spirit serving the Lord I'm not going to be slow about the promptings that God gives me I'm going to be filled with enthusiasm that comes from God, and I'm going to do it not even10:13 just for them, but to serve him. And he says, in your motives, don't be slothful. Be enthusiastic. Notice at the bottom of your notes, genuine service to God is characterized10:25 by diligence, excellence in what we do and how we do it, and enthusiasm, passion to serve God and love people, not please people or impress10:35 people. You're listening to Living on the Edge, and Chip Ingram will continue today's program in just a minute. Today's message is part of Chip's series, God's dream for your life, and you can hear it anytime at10:48 living on the edge dot org. Whether you wanna revisit what you've heard today or pass it along to a friend, this message and hundreds more are available online. You'll also find small10:59 group resources and opportunities to help you live out God's dream for your life. It's all there at living on the edge dot org. Well, now here's Chip.Pure Motives in Service 11:10 My dad was an alcoholic, a great guy in general, but just 1 of the roles in an alcoholic family is making peace and fixing things. Well, once I came to Christ, I I didn't I didn't11:22 realize it. It took me a while to get going spiritually. And when I finally got going, what I found out was I was still trying to fix things and work out my dysfunctional issues now in the body of Christ. And what I11:33 found is this group of people who called themselves Christians, and I was genuinely transformed, and lots of great things were happening. But I found if you memorized a lot of verses and you served people and if you said11:42 the right things and you just kind of went off the charts in your performance orientation to quote what looked like loving people, you got a lot of strokes in affirmation. And so after a slow start, I11:54 went nuts. I memorized hundreds of verses. I was in this Bible study, led this Bible study, was in this group, did this. I mean, I was just like a maniac. I was such a maniac that there was times I12:06 thought, I make myself sick. And I had this opportunity. You know, if you were a leader on this campus, you could go to this special thing in the summer that only a few people could go to. And you memorize these12:18 verses. And everyone would go to this city, and you'd get a job. And then there'd be, you know, like, 100 or 200 and you'd be on teams of 5. You'd have a team leader and 4 people and, you know, they would help you grow12:29 and you got a job and you did evangelism. It was like a house for spiritual growth. And it was really, really beneficial. But this particular group, had a12:41 very structured approach to sanctification or how you grow spiritually, and their approach combined with my warped personality and background was like the12:52 perfect storm to create a Pharisee. And so I I really thought by the end of that summer I mean, you need to do this. You need13:04 to do the Bible study. You need to share your faith. You need to do this. By the end of that Bible study, you go to the end, and your team leader would meet with you individually and kind of give you an evaluation and13:15 say, as you go back to your campus, here's something to think about to really help you grow your campus ministry. And you know, some of the people were talking and they were a little uptight like, wow, this might be very13:25 threatening. I'm thinking this is going to be great. Because in my private world, I'm thinking I'm more disciplined than anybody here. If they were going to give an all star most valuable Christian award,13:41 You know? So I'm supposed to have this meeting with John, my team leader, and I literally can't wait. I'm thinking, I'm finally going to get some pats on the back that I really deserve. And he's going to tell me just,13:51 you know, it's probably you, Hudson Taylor, Dawson Trotman, Martin Luther. You know, you and the boys are going to make a big impact someday. I mean, it was so sick.14:04 And, let me, let me pick up the story because it's too embarrassing to tell. John was quiet. He's my team leader and had a very understated approach to his leadership. I was honestly looking14:16 forward to the meeting, and I secretly hoped that he'd noticed the discipline and what I modeled for the other members of my team, the servanthood that I'd demonstrated in our relationships, and the knowledge and faith14:25 that were rapidly developing in my life. I'd worked hard and was ready for that good pat on the back. Our meeting didn't go as I expected. Although I was full of zeal and performed well throughout the summer, John's14:36 evaluation stunned me. His assessment of my spiritual growth was far different than my own. With very few words, he said he appreciated getting to know me throughout the summer and that God had revealed 314:48 verses on his heart that he wanted to share with me. Handed me the note cards and said I pray God really speaks to you as you go back to your campus.15:00 Anti climatic. So I've got these 3 3 by 5 cards with verses that he had handwritten out. The first 1 said, for am I now seeking the favor of men or of God? Am I striving to please15:12 men? If I was still trying to please men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ. Galatians 1 10. I thought, that's an interesting verse. Second verse, John 515:23 44. How can you believe when you receive glory from 1 another and you do not seek the glory that is from the 1 and only God? There may be a message here.15:36 All doubt was removed by the last verse. Luke 16 15. And he said to them, you are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your heart. That which is15:47 highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. See, the real you can show up, and you can meet real15:59 needs, and you can do it to serve you like I did. To get affirmation, to get strokes, to play a game inside the Christian community where you16:11 appear loving. But what you really do is you end up using all the verses that you know and all the good deeds that you have to create a little world where you just16:24 send a different hologram of a fake and phony person that's working out your own dysfunctions to get people to accept you rather than say, I am accepted in Jesus.16:36 And the acid test of your motives is always when you get treated like a servant, when no 1 notices, when they don't say thank you, when you're not rewarded, when you feel like, you know, the only 1 that sees what I'm16:48 doing is God, the only 1 that seems to really care is God. And in your heart of hearts, if you can say, oh, yeah. That's right. I'm serving an audience of 1. People's response, people's17:00 strokes, people's affirmation. God, when it comes or if it doesn't come, that's not why I do what I do. It's the real you meeting real needs for the right17:11 reason. And finally, it's in the right way. He says your focus, the right way, is there's an upward focus and there's an outward focus. And he says, You need to rejoiceThe Right Way: Upward and Outward Focus 17:23 in hope. That's a mindset, not rejoice in circumstances or people's response. He says, What do you need to do? Persevere in tribulation. You're going to have multiple times where, I don't know how I'm going17:35 to pay my rent. I don't know how I'm going to solve this problem. I don't know how I'm going to heal this marriage. I don't know how I can break this addiction. But God, I'm asking for your help, And17:47 I'm going to share my life openly and in authenticity with a group of people that are safe, and we're going to go through this together. And there's an upward focus. It's not your resources. The Spirit that raised17:59 Jesus from the dead dwells in every child of God you have all the power you'll ever need but that power gets accessed through his word and through the community18:11 of God's people and that power gets accessed as you pray 1 of the greatest evidences of genuine humility and dependency is your prayer life. And so there's an upward18:23 focus, and then it's followed by an outward focus. An outward focus says notice what it says. It says, Contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing or pursuing hospitality. It's18:35 where he says, there's an outward focus. The resources are there are times where God's going to ask you to contribute. The real meaning of contribute is contribute, like give money away18:48 to people in need. Give time away. Give things away to someone that doesn't have what you have that's a brother or sister in Christ. Contribute to the needs of the saints, fellow believers.19:01 And when you do, it's like, what about me? God says, I got that 1 covered. And then it says, pursuing hospitality. Literally, the phrase is pursuing strangers.19:14 So you can get into authentic community. I think this is added at the very end for a very important reason. It can be us, 4, and no more. We got the greatest Bible study. We're really close. We're so authentic. We're19:24 open. We can share anything. We're super supportive. We've been doing this for 25 years with just us. Wow. Goody for you. I wonder if there's anybody else in the church that might19:36 have needed this in the last 24 or 5 years. Who are the people that are unlovely? Who are the people that are lonely? Who are the people that need you to pursue and open your home and open your heart and invite them to a19:47 meal? Who are the people that need you to be the presence of Jesus? See, this this is what breaks the ceiling. This is how19:59 you get unstuck. The seed of God's word, in a good and honest heart, the soil, in the environment of authentic community. The real you, meaning real needs, for the right reason and the20:11 right way, is where supernatural transformation occurs. It mattered so much to Jesus. Notice how he closed his last prayer recorded in scripture. He says, My prayer, Father, is not for20:23 them alone, his disciples. I pray also for those that will believe in me through their message. That's us. That all of them, notice, may be 1, Father. Just as You are in me and I am in you, may they also20:35 be in us. The Trinity has authentic community, and Jesus is praying to the Father that we could experience what they experience, and then we could experience with them.20:47 And then look at the purpose clause, so that This is why this is so important. So that they may believe you sent me. The greatest apologetic on20:59 the face of the earth is when you love authentically brothers and sisters with the real you meeting real needs for the right reason the right way. Those outside of Christ will understand and21:11 believe that Jesus could be their savior too.21:16 This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and he's been walking us through what authentic community really looks like, the environment where genuine transformation actually happens. And it's at the21:28 very heart of God's dream for your life. If today's message got under your skin a little, in a good way, we'd encourage you to share it with someone. You can find it anytime at living on the edge21:40 dot org. We also invite you to connect with us on social media. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram by searching for Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and you'll find us on21:52 YouTube by subscribing to Chip Ingram's channel. We look forward to seeing you there. And if Living on the Edge has played a role in your own spiritual growth, would you consider giving back? Every broadcast,22:04 every resource, every message like today's is made possible by people who believe this kind of teaching matters and who choose to support it. Your monthly partnership creates stability that keeps us reaching22:16 further. A 1 time gift of any amount makes an immediate difference. Either way, you become part of something much bigger than 1 message or 1 moment. To give, visit living on the edge dot22:28 org or call us at triple 8 3 3 3 6 0 0 3 to give right now. You can also mail us by writing to Living on the Edge, PO box 300722:39 Atlanta, Georgia 3 0 0 2 4. Also, make sure you've subscribed to the Living on the Edge podcast. Our new Chip Ingram sermon podcast feature gives you Chip's full unedited22:51 messages exactly as preached. Well, now once again, here's Chip with a final word.Building Authentic Community at Home 22:57 As I was thinking about this message, you know, I thought about authentic community, and the first thing that came to my mind was some men's groups or couples groups I've been in or, actually, a guy that I'm working out23:07 with right now. He's a personal trainer. And he was a very committed Christian but was never in authentic community. And, wow, when he got into a group that shared from the heart, his23:19 life just it's been amazing to watch. But then as I thought about it, I thought, you know where the real authentic community needs to begin? I mean, I love couples' groups, men's groups, women's groups. All that's great,23:31 and we share hearts, and we're going through it together. But I think the first and most important group is your family. And for some that are single, it might be a a roommate. But for many of you,23:43 it's it's you and your kids. It's you and your mate, and it's the real you showing up at home, meeting real needs at home and doing it for the right reason in in the right23:55 way. Could I just implore you to do some of those things that build authentic community? I mean, real practically, eat together as often as possible24:07 and at least 3 or 4 times a week have dinner together. Talk to 1 another. Have a time where you put away all the devices and people actually make eye contact and talk. And if24:19 you have little ones, please, please, please don't miss the bath times and the bedtimes. You're shaping the soul of your child. Authentic community is the the24:31 fiber that connects our hearts with 1 another and eventually connects it with God. Can I encourage you? Don't miss out.24:38 Is there someone in your life who has hurt you or something bad that's happened to you and you just can't get past it? I'm Dave Drewey, and tomorrow Chip Ingram gives us the answer to that issue right here24:50 on Living on the Edge. Today's program is produced and sponsored by Living on the Edge.In this video 0:00 Unlocking Authentic Community: Real You Meets Real Needs11:08 Pure Motives in Service17:13 The Right Way: Upward and Outward Focus22:54 Building Authentic Community at Home
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