Depending on your temperament, you may or may not find Christian fellowship with other men easy. Guys are often reticent to become involved at church simply because it runs counter to their natural disposition. Some men avoid Christian fellowship because they fear vulnerability. Others are simply shy and tend to resist the awkwardness of meeting new people. Others succumb to busy schedules and reason they just don’t have the time. However, I can assure you that the blessings of fellowship far outweigh the effort required to make it happen.

I’ve often said that biblical fellowship is more than baptizing a donut in a cup of coffee. In its most basic form, it’s the sharing of the life we have through our mutual faith in Jesus Christ, and it provides the foundation for real discipleship to happen. As we consistently gather to serve Jesus together, learn together, play together, pray together, or whatever the activity might be, we discover meaningful friendships, accountability, encouragement in our shared struggles and victories, growth in spiritual maturity, and strength to persevere in trials.

In other words, we need each other. The Lord intends for us to protect one another from the dangers of sin. Consider the following verses: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” (Hebrews 3:12-14)

Throughout the year, our church offers numerous opportunities for men to experience Christian fellowship. For example, you could:

• Attend a monthly prayer breakfast (first Saturday morning of every month),

• Join our Prayer Corps (contact Raul Pineiro),

• Attend the upcoming parenting and marriage seminars,

• Come out for the Running Club that meets Saturday mornings (walkers welcome too),

• Sign up for the annual Grillmaster competition, or

• Become a part of an R12 group (the next rotation starts in May).

Better yet, you could serve in ministry using your gifts to bless the body of Christ. Serving Jesus with others provides a higher level of fellowship than just hanging out.

But let’s be honest: the greatest obstacle to fellowship is our sinful tendency to be self-absorbed. Focusing on ourselves blinds us to the needs of others and keeps us from experiencing true fellowship. We must purposely resist living isolated from the body of Christ and specifically apart from our brothers in Christ. Satan despises Christian fellowship and seeks to keep us apart. It’s the sheep that is separated from the flock that gets devoured by wolves.

We must purposely resist living isolated from the body of Christ and specifically apart from our brothers in Christ.

You and I are called to Christian fellowship. Will you then make the effort? Will you purpose to reach out to another brother in Christ to share your life, invest your time, and seek to build him up in the faith? John Piper says, “Fellowship is a mutual bond that Christians have with Christ that puts us in a deep, eternal relationship with one another.” Your involvement in the lives of your brothers in Christ will pay dividends not just in this life, but also throughout eternity.