Change Requires Honest Community

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Better Together

Change Requires Honest Community By Rick Warren — May 23, 2015 “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.” (Ephesians 4:21-25 NLT) To change the defects in your life, you have to have people in your life who tell you the truth. You’re not going to get well on your own; you’re going to need other people in your life. You’re going to need support. You’re going to need a small group. Change requires honest community. There are some things in your life you’re never ever going to be able to change on your own, typically the things that are the most difficult in your life and that you don’t want anybody else to know about. You’re never getting over those things until you share them with someone. You don’t have to tell everybody. You just need to find one person who will trust you and whom you trust — someone who will be confidential, love you unconditionally, not be judgmental, and pray for you. Revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing. This does not mean a small group where you get together on a superficial level and everyone is “fine” or “doing great.” You have to get to the level of maturity in your small group where you can say, “I had a tough week this week. Life stinks. Here’s what happened.” “So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body” (Ephesians4:25 NLT). If you’re a believer, you’re also a belonger. You belong in the family of God, and every other believer belongs to you. You cannot become until you belong. You can’t become what God wants you to be until you belong in a group that’s going to have gut-level, honest community. Put away falsehood. Talk to your neighbor. Tell your friend the truth, because we belong to each other. If you are serious about changing the deepest hang-ups in your heart, the deepest defects in your life, you’re going to have to face the fear of being honest. You’ve got to stop faking it. You’ve got to put away falsehood. You’ve got to be real. You can go through life with one of two choices: pretending like you’ve got it all together or getting it all together. But you’ll never get it all together as long as you pretend you’ve got it all together. And you’re never going to get well, get healed, get rid of that area that’s bugging you in your life until you talk to somebody about it. Talk About It How would you describe your small group’s level of transparency? Are you “real” with each other? What has been the result of pretending like you have it all together? How do you feel? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuargQgY7GA Today’s Scripture “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6–7, NIV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Overflow with Thankfulness Are you overflowing with thankfulness? Is your thankfulness spilling out on to the people around you? Don’t just think your thanks, show it! Don’t let the kindness of others go unnoticed. Sometimes it’s easy to take for granted the people who are closest to us, but those are the people we should thank the most. Your family, your friends, the ones who love and support you are the ones who should feel your thankfulness the most. And notice this verse says to live in Christ and be built up in Him. When you build yourself up by studying the Word and praying in the Spirit, then the second part of the verse will just come naturally — you will be strengthened in your faith, and your heart will be filled with thankfulness. Take a step of faith today and begin to show your thankfulness to those around you. Let it overflow! Sow seeds of gratitude and blessing so you can reap an abundant harvest of blessing in return! A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for strengthening me with Your faith and love today. Help me be a blessing to those around me and give me creative ways to let my life overflow with thankfulness. I bless You today in Jesus’ name. Amen”