Nourished by Community
Church should not be treated like a buffet; rather, it’s a garden. If we’re being honest, many times we have treated church like a restaurant. We come in hungry, expecting to be served, and leaving a bad review if it doesn’t meet our expectations.
Ivan Gualpa of the Checkpoint team at V1 Church flipped the table on this mindset in a recent sermon by asking one pivotal question: “What are you bringing to the table?”
We’ve been taught to consume community, but we are also meant to contribute to it.
What Is Community?
To answer that, Ivan took us deep into the Hebrew definitions of community. The Hebrew words of Edah and Kehillah mean community in different respects. Edah is a community that looks, sounds, and thinks the same. He said the danger of this is “You end up looking for yourself in community, not God.” This creates an echo chamber—a place where no one is sharpened, no one is challenged, and no one grows. It becomes mass delusion, not transformation.
Kehillah means a diverse group, different ideas, different stories, united by one purpose: God. This is the kind of community that nourishes, not because everyone agrees, but because everyone brings something different to the table. It’s in our differences that we edify one another.
“The church is supposed to be a garden where everyone outside comes in and eats off the fruit from all the trees. But instead, the church has become a methadone clinic where people go to the pastors and say, ‘Feed me, Pastor. Feed me,’” Ivan declared.
Ask yourself, are you a tree that bears fruit for others or are you an addict looking for your next spiritual hit?
Gifts without Fruit Lead to Starvation
We live in a culture obsessed with gifts, talents, platforms, and influence. But Ivan reminded us: “Having gifts with no fruit is like driving a Bugatti with no food in your fridge.” It might look impressive, but are people nourished by being around you? Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruit.” Not their giftings, charisma, or their followers.
So, how does a believer bear fruit?
1. Hear Before You Listen: “Before you listen, you have to hear. Before you obey, you have to listen,” Ivan shared. Hearing denotes proximity. We can’t hear God if we’re not close to Him. If you’re not hearing His whisper, you’ll be deaf to the cries of people around you. To bear fruit, you must tune in to the voice of the Lord—not just for your sake, but for theirs too.
2. Serve in Love. Love is the principle; it is the first fruit. Real community isn’t about how people love you. It’s about how you love one another.
The phrase “one another” appears over 50 times in the New Testament. Why? Because God is teaching us how to “one another” well:
Forgive one another.
Bear with one another.
Encourage one another.
Serve one another.
Sometimes, sharpening will hurt. Scripture says, “Iron sharpens iron” but when blades touch, there is friction. Community can be messy but it’s also holy.
What’s on Your Tree?
When someone walks into your life, when they sit under your influence, do they leave nourished or neglected? Are you offering fruit or just opinions? Are you contributing to the health of the Church, or are you consuming and complaining?
Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
True community corrects, convicts and sharpens. It doesn’t just pat you on the back, it calls you higher.
Galatians 5:22–23 lists the fruits of the spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Followers of Christ were never meant to just show up. We are meant to pour out. The world isn’t hungry for our gift, it is hungry for our fruit.
About the Author
Jeannie Ortega Law is a chart-topping singer, evangelist, media personality and author from New York City. She can be reached on social media: @JeannieOrtega or emailed at Info@JeannieO.com
At V1 Church we believe in teaching Bible-based relationship principles so that you can your family can be strengthened. Connect with us using one of the links below – we’d love to see you and help you walk through the process of reconciliation.