This week is about living in truth. The basic gist of this whole week is living in community. I feel like this is a hot topic right now with all the political and social ordeals swirling about. How do we live in community with others? What does that require of us?
The author opens the study this week by saying this about community in Hebrews 10:19
"The context of this passage shows a community of believers made up of both Jews and Gentiles. That was groundbreaking business at the time. If Jesus was their admission into this faith community, shouldn't this also define who is welcome in our community of faith?"
The areas of discussion this week are:
Reach Up
Reach Down
Remind Each Other
Close Your Bible (What?!?)
REACH UP
When I say mentor who comes to your mind? If I had to guess all of us have that one person or people that we look up to. They may be older or they may be younger. You just know that this is the person that if you need help is there and they will know "just what to do or say". It feels SO good to have those people in our lives. WHO is that for you? Are you that person for someone else? How would things have been differently had you not had that person for advice and counsel? Here is the kicker of a question we all knew was coming. Have you ever been that person for someone and as they called you just ignored the call because of the investment of time and energy you knew was about to need to be extended? That is tough and if we are all honest sometimes we may have done that to someone or had this done to us. Folks, we cannot take this type of relationship lightly. We will all be in one of the two positions at some point or another and NOTHING hear me say that is more important than loving our neighbors. I am sorry but nothing trumps that. We have one goal in this life and that is to love others.
The truth is we were meant to form these types of relationships. We were meant to reach UP to those who have walked before us. Those who have lived through things we have not. The bible tells us that we do not have to go this life alone. We were meant for this deeper community whether we are walking through something simple or severe I guarantee there is someone around you who has been there and done that. Not in a bragging way but someone you can reach your hand up to and say pull me up too! Tell me what I need to know to get through this season. It is ok for our lives to be personal but it doesn't all have to be so private. We are all running towards the same goals and though our struggles are different NONE of them are new. How does this look in your life? Who mentors you? Who do you mentor? Who do you see around you that may need help reaching up? You can only come to these relationships through fostering a sense of community and being willing to share experiences with one another. Reaching up and out is not a sign of weakness or defeat it is a victory cry that you really get what this life is all about. It is about rallying your people and saying let's do this!
Open Your Bible and take a look at the suggested scriptures about Reaching Up
Proverbs 13:20
Proverbs 27:17
Hebrews 13:17
James 5:16
REACH DOWN
"Jesus modeled reaching down for us his entire life. It isn't an act of condescension, judgement or pity and it isn't an offer based on one's faith status. It is the hand of Christ simply saying "Let me help."
Reaching down is being hospitable. We take the time to allow other people into our lives and our spaces even the messy parts. We have a chance to show unconditional love. What we have to offer others is not hinged on what they have or do not have.
Read Luke 14:13-14 & contemplate these questions
What does Jesus teach us about extending invitations?
Is there anyone you're currently reaching down to or could be?
What have you learned that could benefit someone else?
What has stopped you from reaching down in the past? Fear that you did not have anything to offer? That you were too young or too old?
Something that I have heard discussed many times is how Paul uses the language older and younger when he speaks of a mentoring type relationship. Many times age does bring a perspective and a wisdom that younger people just don't have BUT it doesn't mean that has to be the case. We are not taking about a certain number here. We are just talking about someone mentoring a person who is younger in their faith than you are. That will look different for all of us because we are all at different points in our walk.
Open Your Bible and read these passages about sharing our time, energy and resources with others. Make notes and think about how it applies to you.
Proverbs 22:6
Romans 10:15
Romans 12:13
2 Corinthians 2:14
1 John 4:21
The authors share their top 3 reaching down stories that happens in scriptures and I will list those for you to read and dig in deeper to see the connections that happened.
Jethro and Moses Exodus 18:1, 5-27
What was unexpected about this exchange?
Moses was already an established leader of Israel when this happened. What does this tell you about our need for mentorship?
Was the exchange successful and what does it teach us?
Elizabeth and Mary Luke 1:39-56
What are the similarities in their situations?
How important are similarities and differences in a mentor relationship?
What does this tell us about how God uses reaching up and down to prepare and bring forth leaders?
Paul and Timothy 1 Timothy: 1:1-2, 12-17
How does Paul refer to Timothy?
What is Paul telling Timothy in verses 12-16.
What sticks out to you through all of these examples? WHO sticks out to you in your own life? What can you do to be more aware of opportunities to reach down?
Remind Each Other
If you are like me what comes to mind is that moment when my kids are literally screaming like banshees in Target (yes I still shop there...thats a whole other conversation) and someone so sweetly offers up the idea that I will miss this phase. My blood pressure is raised and I have less than an ounce of patience left and I might be loosing hair as we speak but yes....I will miss this. If you are a mama of littles as I call them you get that a lot. It is true and so well intentioned and we just can't take it for what it is sometimes. Outside our community it feels like maybe we are being talked at or down to and not to.
However, inside the community of faith these words have an undertone of love and peace and are meant to be a strategically placed life preserver rather. Have you ever just gotten a random text or scripture on a super hard day? How did it make you feel? Certainly it did not make you mad. It reminded you of something you already knew and somehow in that moment just lifted your spirits. Right? Are you afraid to remind people?
One of our love languages with one another that we are in community with should be regularly exchanging scripture. The scriptures are for all of us and for all times and there is nothing wrong with reminding each other of that. Sometimes the burdens get too heavy and we can't see past them to what we know is right there so when someone reminds us it shifts our perspective and we can see over or around that burden.
Open you bible to 2 Peter 1:12-15
Is the writer delivering new information or reminding them of what they already know?
According to the second half of verse 13, what is the reminder intended to do?
Why is it important to reiterate gospel truths?
When we spend time together as a community in small group, sunday school class or around tables and in homes we have intimate relationships that allow us the ability to speak life giving words into tough situations. The things that seem so cliche coming from a stranger carry a different meaning with those we "do life" with. They have the ability to anchor us in the truth that we already know.
While I cannot abide for your or your for me we can encourage and champion one another to stay the course. Stay firmly rooted in the life giving words of the scriptures and the communities in which we invest in and invest in us. Commit to put that fear or whatever is getting in your way and sharing these truths with others on a daily basis.
Close Your Bible
This is exactly as it sounds. Sometimes we can spend so much time in the word and in prayer to prepare us to go out and do good things that we miss what is going on around us. Have you ever been so busy doing things and sometimes even church related things that you missed a person in need or an obvious opportunity to help? The writer of the bible study said that once she missed an entire season of one of her close friends being sick because she spent so much time reading, writing and praying. Granted she does that for a job but it is a lesson for all of us and the overall big picture applies. I want to be involved in church and so many other things but I also want to leave a little room for the Holy Spirit to lead me as well. That requires some time in my schedule each week for where ever he leads and a willingness to just go and live out the scriptures I love so much.
Sometimes we are just more comfortable in the pages of scripture where we do not have to make ourselves vulnerable to anyone or anything. Sometimes when you offer help it may be turned down and maybe when you listen you will be burdened with others problems. We hurt and rejoice together so that feeling you have is how it is supposed to be. That is living in deep community with people. It is real and it is not always pretty but what is beautiful is the picture it paints of us going pulling up beside one another to listen, love, serve and commune in whatever that looks like. That is living our faith out loud except sometimes we don't even speak a word for the point to come across loud and clear.
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