Community Is One of God’s Greatest Gifts

• As I continue sharing the four major lessons I learned this year, this week’s lesson focuses on something that shaped my life in unexpected ways in 2025: community and a reminder of how powerfully God uses people, relationships, and community to strengthen us. Through friendships, family, ministry, and relationships old and new, God reminded me that we were never meant to walk through life alone. Here is Lesson 3.

Lesson 3: The Gift of Community and the Strength Found in Others

If there’s one thing 2025 reminded me of over and over again, it’s this: we were never meant to do life alone.
This year stretched me in ways I didn’t anticipate: professionally, emotionally, and spiritually. We faced difficult health news in our family. I wrestled with uncertainty about my purpose. And for a moment, it felt like everything was happening all at once.

But in that same season, God surrounded me with people who held me up, encouraged me, prayed for me, and reminded me that the weight of life doesn’t have to be carried alone.

A Year Surrounded by People Who Matter

This year, God strengthened my community in three powerful ways:

1. My Marriage Grew Even Stronger

This year my wife and I celebrated 13 years of marriage, and it hit me how much she has been my anchor through every high and low.
From job loss to job transition… From family health challenges to moments of joy… She walked beside me.

We co-led two marriage small groups and a young adult small group in the summer. Those experiences deepened our relationship, not just with each other, but with the couples and young adults we served.

2. God Reconnected Old Relationships

Some friendships from my past resurfaced this year in meaningful ways. I was able to reconnect with former students who are leading at a high level in their fields.
Old friends reached out.
Conversations were restored.
Care and support returned when I least expected it.

I also took time to look back through old photo albums and reread words of encouragement from former students and colleagues in San Diego. It was a powerful reminder of how intentionally God placed certain people in my life, and how, in every season, what matters most are the relationships we build.

These weren’t random reconnections; they were reminders that God weaves people back into your life right when you need them.

3. Extended Family Became Another Source of Strength

This year, my brother and his family moved just a couple of hours away. Having family close again has been one of the greatest blessings of 2025. After living in this country for 25 years, I realized that I have only spent maybe two of those years living anywhere near my parents and siblings. Distance has been a familiar part of my story, so even a two-hour drive felt significant.

Their move brought back a sense of familiarity and steadiness I didn’t realize I had been missing. It restored moments of shared meals, spontaneous visits, and the quiet comfort of knowing family is within reach. More than anything, it reminded me of the kind of support, togetherness, and presence that family can offer—and how deeply those connections root us, especially as we step into new seasons of life.

Community Is a Form of God’s Provision

At times I prayed for strength, and God sent people.
At times I prayed for clarity, and God sent conversations.
At times I prayed for peace, and God sent support.
At times I prayed for help, and God sent community.

Community doesn’t remove every challenge, but it reshapes the experience of walking through it.

The Lesson: God often answers prayers through people.

This year reminded me that community is not a bonus, rather it’s a blessing.
It’s not optional but extremely essential.
And when you walk with the right people, storms feel lighter and victories feel sweeter.

• Thank you for reading this week’s lesson. If this message speaks to you and you’d like support in strengthening your ministry team, small groups, or organizational culture, I’d love to serve you through SK Consulting. I offer leadership development, team-building workshops, and training sessions designed to build healthier, more connected communities. Feel free to reach out anytime. Lesson 4 is coming next week!