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REAL TALK | February 11, 2018 | Pastor Steve Pixler

People generally want to go straight to “The Steps” that we can take to improve relationships. But that compounds the problem. We must first get the big picture by asking:

Why do relationships matter?

In order to have the stamina to press through the inevitable challenges that relationship bring, we must first be convinced that relationships matter.

And here is the answer we will explore today:

“Relationships matter because we cannot be fully alive alone.”

Let’s look at two texts:

Texts:

Romans 14:7— “For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.”

This scripture tells us first of all that, whether we live or die, we impact others. We are all connected.

Our second scripture shows us that love leads to life.

John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Love is objective—it requires an object. Therefore, love, which leads to life, is social. It is relational.

Our Relationship Circles

God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit
Male/female
Children/parents
Siblings/cousins
Friends/neighbors
Colleagues/community
Plants/animals

Let’s observe three things about these circles of relationship, this target:

1. All the circles create a whole person. Relationships make us whole—integrated.

This is seen most clearly in the effects that relationships have on the very young and the very old.

2. All the rings are interconnected (like ripples on a pond)

We are spiritually integrated beings: the spiritual network, the “brain wi-fi,” the collective mind/consciousness, of human existence.

Digby Tantam, a professor of psychotherapy at the University of Sheffield, UK, thinks he has the answer and explains all in his book, “The Interbrain.”

3. God is at the center

All relationships are a competition for power. But when we encounter the love of God, the relationship shifts from power to love.


HOMEWORK:

Real Talk — Table Talk — Talking Points

Be intentional this week about conversation around the table about the Word of God.

1. Why do relationships matter?
2. What does love look like in real life?
3. How do we keep God at the center of our relationships?


Post-service KOINONIA:
Ask someone, “Who are you bringing next Sunday?”

Benediction