When you look at Jesus’ structural and relational landscape, you’ll notice three concentric circles.

1. Care

The farthest outer circle, the Bible says that great crowds always followed Jesus. When Jesus finished his ministry, there were around 120 disciples or followers of Jesus, all of whom were placed in this large outer circle of care. These weren’t like Jesus Ride or Dies. They followed Jesus’ footsteps, and these were the individuals he was healing and caring for.

You’ll have roughly 100 people with whom you are familiar and with whom you are aware of what is going on in their life. And because they are under your care, you will show up and help them or give them a gift card if they become sick or have troubles.

According to the Bible, Jesus was a friend to tax collectors and sinners. So it’s okay to have non-Christian people in your span of care.

Jesus was friendly towards all, but he was only friends with a few.

2. Influence

We could name Jesus’ position in the second circle, the circle of influence. And in this 120, Jesus had 12 -“the disciples.” They accompanied him wherever he went, and they influenced each other. This is who Jesus taught and with whom he spent his life. They were influenced by Jesus, and there were occasions when they assisted and influenced him. You’ll observe in your life that there are roughly 15 people with whom you interchange ideas, strengthen each other, iron sharpens iron, and influence one another. 

3. Intimacy

But among those 12, Jesus had three; Peter, James, and John. Men who followed him everywhere he went. These were the men who followed Jesus into the Garden of Gethsemane, where he broke down and wept. These were the guys that Jesus was like, “Hey, come in, I want you to see the raw me. I’d like for you to be able to witness everything that’s going on.”

When Jesus was transfigured at the top of a mountain, he revealed his deity. There were three men in total. “I want you to see everything in my life,” Jesus said. In your life, you’ll have a circle of intimacy. There will be three or four people. This is your squad, your crew, and whose souls are knit together.

Now here is the important thing. You have something in your life that you want to become. You want to become a better parent, a better student, a better leader. By God’s grace, I hope you want to become a better Christ-follower. As a result, we must pay attention to the book of Proverbs.

The one who walks with the wise will become wise,
but a companion of fools will suffer harm.

Proverbs 13:20

According to the book of Proverbs, the decision to become those things is based on who you choose to include in your inner circle. Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

Here’s how this works. If you got high this weekend, the odds are really good; somebody else in that inner circle was high with you. If you were drunk this weekend, your chances are really good. That one of your inner circle’s three to five members was with you. If you’re far from God right now, the chances are that those three to five others are far from God as well.

Now reverse the script. If you’re in a season in your life where you’re chasing God with all your heart and wanting to follow him, and you’re getting deep into his word and learning what it means to repent into His grace and receive His love.  I guarantee that at least one other person in that inner circle is following after God with their whole heart. 

You will become whoever is in that inner circle.

Now here’s what this means. Change your community, and you end up Changing your future.