What if loving others like Jesus is how we experience His love?
What if serving one another, having fun, gathering in worship, and eating together is how Jesus means for us to know the kingdom of God?
Jesus never calls us into a solo experience of faith. He invites us into a community of believers called the family of God where we lean in together through the beautiful mess of real life.
In Gather: Spiritual Practices to Deepen Your Relationship with Others, best friends Lisa Harper and Christine Caine use Scripture, stories, and lived experience to demonstrate how a life in Christ is a life in relationship with others. Bridging different faith traditions with honesty and humor, these two beloved Bible teachers help us reclaim the joy Jesus promised would be in us as we love one another like He first loved us.
Over four sessions, you'll reframe timeless spiritual practices as joyful pathways to a vibrant relationship with each other in Jesus' name. Gather in worship, connect across the table, embrace the outflow of love in service, and reclaim the joy Jesus promised would be in us!
Study breakdown:
Session 1: Corporate Worship
Christine Caine and Lisa Harper dig into why gathering together—not "going it alone" spiritually—is central to a thriving faith. Drawing on Hebrews 10:25, Acts 2, and the Psalms, they unpack why Scripture commands you to sing, to worship with your whole body, and to keep showing up even when it's inconvenient or unfamiliar. With warmth, humor, and hard-won honesty about church hurt, this session makes the case that healing—like hurt—happens in community, and that no single worship style has a monopoly on God's presence.
Session 2: Acts of Service
What does it mean to serve out of love rather than obligation? In this session, Christine and Lisa explore Jesus's example of washing feet, Mark 10's call to servanthood, and the parable of the Good Samaritan to reframe service as overflow, not performance. Featuring Christine's unforgettable story of wiping up a teenager's vomit at a youth center—and the moment it redefined her calling—this session challenges you to notice the interruptions, serve the "unseen," and let compassion move you to action.
Session 3: Table Fellowship
From the gold-covered table of Exodus to David's radical invitation to a crippled outcast in 2 Samuel to Jesus's Last Supper, Christine and Lisa trace how meals shared in community carry deep spiritual weight throughout Scripture. In an increasingly connected yet lonely world, this session makes a compelling case that gathering around a table—imperfect food and all—is essential spiritual practice, not just a nice tradition. Communion and community, you'll discover, share the same root word for a reason.
Session 4: Celebration and Play
Is God happy? That question—asked by a grieving friend—launches Christine and Lisa into a joyful, surprising study of joy, happiness, and play as spiritual disciplines. Through the Beatitudes, Jesus welcoming the children, and Proverbs' promise that "laughter does good like medicine," this session reframes celebration not as escapism but as holy resistance in a broken world. Funny, tender, and theologically rich, it closes the Gather study with an invitation for you to find God's goodness in the everyday—and to actually enjoy Him along the way.
Perfect for small groups, Sunday school classes, or personal study, Gather includes:
- Four video-based sessions (25–31 minutes each) streaming video access code included
- Guided group discussion questions for meaningful conversation
- Personal study days between sessions for deeper Scripture engagement and reflection
- Leader's guide with timing notes and facilitation tips
Streaming video access code included. Access code subject to expiration after 12/31/2031. Code may be redeemed only by the recipient of this package. Code may not be transferred or sold separately from this package. Internet connection required. Void where prohibited, taxed, or restricted by law. Additional offer details inside.
