1. Welcome to Albany UMC Today’s Message: “You Were Formed for God’s Family”

2. JESUS: “I’m giving you a new commandment: Love each other! Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for each other will prove to the world that you are My disciples.” John 13:34-35 (The New Living Translation)

3. THE 2nd PURPOSE OF LIFE IS: To learn to love each other!

4. Four Levels of Fellowship

5. Level One… The Fellowship of Sharing.

6. “All the believers met together constantly and shared everything with each other.” Acts 2:44 (The Living Bible)

7. “When you gather, each one of you be prepared with something useful for all: Sing a song, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight… Take your turn, with no one person taking over. That way… you all learn from each other.” 1 Corinthians 14:26, 30-31(The Message)

8. “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15 (The New International Version)

9. Level Two: The Fellowship of Belonging

10. “...You are members of God's very own family... and you belong in God's household with every other Christian.” Ephesians 2:19 (The Living Bible)

11. “In Christ we who are many form one Body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:5 (The New International Version)

12. “This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized. Each of us is now a part of His Body.” 1 Corinthians 12:13 (The Message)

13. Level Three: The Fellowship of Serving

14. We are partners working together for God.” 1 Corinthians 3:9a (Today’s English Version)

15. “Two people are better than one, because they get more done by working together.” Ecclesiastes 4:9 (The New Century Version)

16. “When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it. But we should give special attention to those in our family of believers.” Galatians 6:10 (The New Century Version)

17. Level Four: The Fellowship of Suffering

18. “ Share each other's troubles and problems. In this way you obey the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 (The New Living Translation)

19. “We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16 (The New Living Translation)

20. What we should be doing: “Sharing together” “Belonging together” “Serving together” “Suffering together”

21. “You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26 (The New Living Translation)

23. Remember!

25. Next Week’s Message: “Created To Be Like Christ”