MARYBETH MCGEE | GUEST In the early morning hours, I navigate through the passages of my daily dose of God’s Word through an app on my phone. After a few passages, there is a blank page before me to “talk it over" where I record any thoughts or reactions and click “submit.” Then it happens. Often the thoughts of a friend I’m reading along with show up on the page too! A rush of joy floods in as I realize that without coordinating it, we have both been reading the same passages at nearly the same time! Even through an app, we have gathered around God’s Word in a way that provides both encouragement and accountability. But the joy only increases as the conversations about the passages we read carry over when we see each other in worship on Sunday or in our Home Group or Bible Study during the week. An Unexpected Source of Community I did not anticipate growth in my sense of community when I set out to read the Bible cover to cover. Where I would have given up, trudging through the portions of the reading plan that felt a little like my own personal wilderness, I have been encouraged by fellow believers to keep showing up and to continue building this daily habit. In doing so, they have pushed me forward in my faith. Encouragement is a key aspect to our relationships with one another in the church, but many Bible verses about encouragement have become so cliche they sometimes lose their significance when we see them on a t-shirt, coffee mug, or inspirational poster. One such verse is that from Hebrews: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24-25). At its core, this verse is an exhortation for believers to gather together, especially for worship on the Lord’s Day. The author of Hebrews wrote to a group of believers being persecuted for their faith. It was costly for them to worship together. To do so meant risking their livelihoods, sometimes even their lives. The author not only calls them to face that risk and meet together, but as they do so, to encourage one another in the faith. But what makes this time together so encouraging? Was the author telling them to meet and encourage one another in order to puff each other up? Is it for them to exchange positive affirmations with one another like, “You’ve got this!” or “You’ve just got to have more faith” or “Everything is going to be okay?” We need to look at what these verses are rooted in to understand its full meaning and its charge to the early church and to us as well....