Sunday review: September 13-18

Think about those you meet every day, your family members or co-workers or neighbors. Have you thought about how your relationships with these people are a reflection of or boost to your relationship with God? This week’s posts help here. Choose a couple to read again. Maybe you’ll find one to share with one of these people in your life!

September 13
We are called to live in harmony with each other. Of course we will have different opinions and understanding about many things, but we simply shouldn’t make our opinions more important than our relationships. Paul adds words to this effect: don’t think you know it all and certainly don’t act like it. We are not better than the people down the street. If the people down the street have needs, then we are to help them.
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September 14
Just as Paul was changed by the power of the gospel, our life’s purpose must also change. Your job as a teacher, lawyer, doctor, accountant, coach, or whatever may stay the same. You may make a living and provide an important service to others. But once we experience the grace and forgiveness of the Lord, we have a new life agenda. We are called to share God’s love with others both with our words and with acts of service. We do this not for anyone’s approval here on earth but rather to please God.
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September 15
We cannot prevent bad things or hard things from coming our way. On this side of eternity, there will be many challenges. Being a follower of God doesn’t mean you are immune from problems. In fact, we know from many examples in Scripture that the opposite is actually the case. In a long discussion with the disciples just before Jesus went to the cross, he told them that in this world there will be many challenges. But he also shared this important piece of information: “Take heart, I have overcome the world.”
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September 16
Inside the community of Christ-followers we have a responsibility to help the fallen sister or brother get up and get their life back in order. But we do it carefully, lovingly, and not in isolation, or we might just trip ourselves. As believers, we have a family obligation to assist each other with the burdens we bear. When we do, we look like Jesus to the world and to each other. When we don’t, we look selfish and unloving.
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September 17
Faith expresses itself in love. How we love others is evidence of our faith and our transformed life. Believing that there is a God and even that he sent his Son to pay the penalty for our sins must translate into a love for others consistent with how Jesus loves us.
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September 18
It’s true there are different levels of friendship. We naturally will be closer to one friend than another. We may have a close friend in one season of life and then drift away from them for any one of several understandable reasons. But we do well to remember an oft-repeated quote from a novel by S.E. Hinton: “If you have two friends in your lifetime, you’re lucky. If you have one good friend, you’re more than lucky.” We need to think twice about careless use of the word friend.
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Photo by Joshua Rodriguez on Unsplash 

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