Friendship

Jesus’ Conflicts, Your Conflicts

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Conflict happens. Whether it’s physical or digital, conflict invites others to join in on the riot, and according to Pastor James, this is just part of being sinners in a fallen world. But, he says, conflict need not be worldly—we can engage in a kind that’s godly.

Jesus’ Conflicts, Your Conflicts

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Conflict happens. Whether it’s physical or digital, conflict invites others to join in on the riot, and according to Pastor James, this is just part of being sinners in a fallen world. But, he says, conflict need not be worldly—we can engage in a kind that’s godly.

IX. DO NOT LIE

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A lie is two things: saying what is untrue or not saying all that is true. When we lie about others, we’re saying we’re OK with benefitting at their expense because we’re more important than them. And once that lie is released, the truth can never be regained for them.

Empowered by the Spirit to Pray

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The church moves forward against an increasingly strong headwind of suffering, persecution, and opposition, and this text is a case study of why Christians suffer and how they should. It’s important to remember that when Christians and non-Christians disagree, they’re disagreeing on the issue under the issues: whether or not the Bible is the very word of God. Amid persecution, do you have Christian friends to pray with? How do you keep trusting in God’s sovereignty?

I Am Gifted

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Jesus is in heaven, serving the church and giving gifts. He gives us himself, the Holy Spirit, and other people. To each Christian he also gives spiritual gifts to be cultivated (1 Cor. 12; Rom. 12; Eph. 4; 1 Pet. 4). Some have multiple gifts and different levels of a gift. God gives gifts to equip the saints and build up the body of Christ. Your gift is not your identity, but how are you gifted?

I Am Appreciated

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If you’re a Christian, Jesus appreciates you. This means that God’s faithful people can receive encouragement and thankfulness from Jesus, even if they don’t receive such from other people. When you know that Jesus appreciates you, you exchange grumbling for praying, competing for celebrating, bitterness for thankfulness, performing for serving, and boasting for encouraging.

The Respectful Wife

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A wife is incredibly powerful in the life of her husband. The wife is to respect her husband (Eph. 5:33), which means “to notice, regard, honor, prefer, defer to, encourage, love, and admire” him. A respectful wife has a head of respect (How do you think about your husband?), a heart of respect (How do you feel about your husband? What do you say about him?), and hands of respect (What do you do for your husband?). A disrespectful wife may be silent and compliant, or loud and contentious. Still, it is possible to disagree respectfully. Do you respect your husband?

Friend with Benefits

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God the Trinity is a friend and has friends, and he made us in his image and likeness for friendship with him and one another. Marriage is about friendship. Your spouse is to be your “lover and friend” (Song 5:16); in other words, your friend with benefits. Marital friendship is to be: Fruitful, Reciprocal, Intimate, Enjoyable, Needed, Devoted, Sanctifying. How’s your friendship with Jesus? With your spouse?

Jesus Heals a Leper and a Paralytic

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Jesus changes lives, and we see two examples in Luke 5:12–26. There, Jesus heals a man full of leprosy; not only that, but he reaches out and touches him, like he touches all who are unclean. Jesus also heals a paralytic and forgives him of his sin. The religious people question Jesus and accuse him of blasphemy. They just don’t get it: Jesus cleanses us from our filth, Jesus forgives our sin, and Jesus saves us from our religion.