Relationsips #2

Trina Roy, 10/5/09

Revolution is our Sunday night service at SouthLife Church.  We’re currently doing a series on relationships.  It’s good stuff, so here are some notes for your reading pleasure…

Trina says she is a relationship expert – she has a whole lifetime of experience!

Since you were born you’ve been in relationships – a son or daughter, a brother or sister, a cousin, a niece, a nephew, a sudent, an emplyee, a colluge, a friend, a “special” friend… a wife, a husband, a mother a father…

Human relationships are so important.  A premature spending the first few weeks of life in an incubator thrives on human touch, without it they struggle.  Thats how God created us.

Even God is in relationship, the three in one.  In the beginning He says, “let US make man…”

The Bible often refers to us as brother/sisters. (Check out Hebrews 13:1, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Peter 3:8 plus heaps more) In fact Jesus called us His brothers and sisters.

So why the emphasis on brothers and sisters?

1. Grow up in the same family you grow up with the same values.  Sure, kids grow up and choose which of those values to live by, but they’re presented with the same values as each other.  There might be different personalities, but siblings similar ways, mannerisms, experssions etc.

As brothers and sisters in Christ we need to share the same values.  There will be many different expressions, but the same underlying values. So, what is the ultimate value?  Jesus made it clear as day when He said…

” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. ‘This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” (Mattew 22:37-39)

Some questions to ask myself:

• Do I treat others as I want to be treated?
• Am I putting my agenda ahead of caring for others?
• What kind of impact would it have on others if I really loved them like I love myself?

2. The relationship that you have with your siblings will be the longest relationship you have.  You’re stuck with them for the long haul.

We need to be prepared to be in it for the long haul with each other, to endure conflicts and survive rather then run from it when it gets tough.  We need to be quick to forgive and address issues.  We also need to realise that we’ll get dissapointed and also be the one to do the dissapointing.

Some questions to ask myself:

• Am I tempted to run from conflict rather then deal with it?
• Are there any disappointments that I need to forgive?

3. Your brothers and sisters have got your back.

As God’s family we need to have each others back.  If someone is going through a rough time we need to be there for them. One of the biggest ways that we can do this is by avoiding gossip.  The book of James tells us clearly that when we gossip we’re falling into judgment.

Some questions to ask myself:

• Is there anyone that I need to be looking out for?
• How am I doing with the gossip thing?  Do I talk about others when it’s really none of my business?
  

Relationships #1

Ps James Roy, 3/5/09

Revolution is our Sunday night service at SouthLife Church.  We’re currently doing a series on relationships.  It’s good stuff, so here are some notes for your reading pleasure…

Life is relationships, everything else is just detail.

Here are three things we can learn from Psalm 139 about our relationship with God and also every other relationship we have, wheather its work, home, friends, ministry… it applies to all.

1.  Transparency: allowing light to pass through, allowing others to see whats going on in our lives.

• The worlds way is to put on a mask to impress
• v11 What are you like in the dark areas of your life?  What don’t you let people see?  What do you try to hide from God?
• When we’re not transparent and honest with others about how we feel it’s like a trail of dynamite… the enemy uses it to blow up relationships.  Relationship messes happen when someone hasn’t been honest and transparent about their heart.

2. Authenticity: when the outside matches up with the inside

• Don’t use authenticity as an excuse to stay bitter and angry or complacant.  It’s too easy to say… “this is just the way I am, I’m not going to change”…
• David is a good example, in a lot of the Psalms he started out grumbling and being real about how he felt but always came out praising God.  He didn’t stay in the pit.
• Don’t use “transparency” and “authenticity” to manipulate others into felling sorry for you.

3.  Intimacy

• Happens when we invite someone or something into our live and allow them to influence us.
• v23-23 allowing God to point out any wrong way in us creates intamacy with Him.
• We become intimate with people when we allow them to speak into our lives. That sometimes means pointing out our stinky attitude and flaws.