Relationships

January 10, 2016

What does the bible say about relationships?

Small groups for church? Why?

Types of relationship: marriage, friendship

Genesis 2:5-25

*purpose in life
*understand ourselves
*gardner: need to tend to this world
* original design before sin came to this world

Genesis 2:18
* first time God said something is not good
* we're created to have personal relationships

Often think 'God is enough' and if I'm a strong enough Christian, then I don't need other people.

Missionaries are very independent. Relationship with Jesus is very important.
But.
We all need other people.

Need to know the reason why tools were made, not to misuse

During worship, God asked: why are you hiding your love for me?

January 17, 2016

Friendships

Proverbs 18:24
(Proverbs- by Israel's 3rd king, Solomon)
- people who don't have the right kind of friends around them
- choosing on the right friends to be with
- ゆうじょう  友情
- sometimes even Christians overlook the importance of friendships
-''よわいChristian needs friends''
- too many companions is not a bad thing, but no good friends yet is hard.
- Companions are still blessings and friendships takes time to grow
- one true friend is better than a whole room of companions

Solomon's culture: friendship is very important, yet he mentions that a certain kind of friendship can override family

The shaping of people: we can't choose the family that shapes us when we were young, but friends shape us as we grow older

しんげん  箴言 27:6,9
- earnest counsel, someone who can speak into your hearts/life
- someone whose words might hurt us
- so few people who will tell us what we're really like
- should pray for someone like that to walk into my life
- really hard to hear or say
- words are bound to wound you
- we have too many people who tell us we're doing great when we're not, maybe they're just trying to encourage you

"I need to tell you something that might hurt you." .... "I want to help you."

John 15:12-15
- Abraham, a friend of God
- we can be friends with God through Jesus
- someone who accepts me for who I am
- to long for the friend that Solomon talked about and embrace the friendship with God
- friendship with Jesus should be the most valued friendship

The father will naturally want to befriend whomever is friends with his children.

はげます 励ます to encourage

It's God's mercy not to show everything to us at once.

Being intentional to build relationships knowing we don't have much time left.

Having friendships is one of the ways we grow un community. 

February 14, 2016

Conflicts in Relationships

Mark 14:32-42
"Are you still sleeping?''
- when you share life together
- closer with Peter, James, and John
- night before Jesus's arrest
- ドキドキの感じ
- やりたいですけど、心配する
- 友達一緒に、一人じゃない
- 親友と一緒に欲しい
- should connect more and learn to depend on others

When you volunteer but then realize what you signed up for later...
- not what was exected originally
- in troubled times, what do we do? Do we hide by ourselves? Do we pray by ourselves?
- Jesus wanted to pray alone yet wanted close friends to be near by

When was the last time I prayed with someone?
Do we actually pray for each other like we said we would?

"Wake up! Pray with me!''

Most Christians don't pray that way because they don't believe in the power of prayer.

Christian Community
- 親友
- いつもある人は自分よりもっと上ですと思います
- ペテロはイエスの親友ですけど、３回で、イエスを知らない
- denial had to cause a lot of pain
- close friends are dangerous
- the closer the relationship, the more hurt possible
- what do we do when we get hurt? How do we react?
- could a brokem relationship be restored? Yes, but very difficult. Lots of forgiveness needed on both sides.
- ペテロはイエスから許してから、ほかの人に簡単で許して
- since we have received so much forgiveness, it makes it easier to forgive others