Repairing Relationships
Written by Ed Allen
Saturday, 10 February 2007 18:00
Sermon Outline
Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I have done to others, except when to do so would harm them or others
1. Evaluate my relationships
- Doing relationships right is the point of our lives
- The 2 greatest commandments: Love God and Love others
- Having right relationships makes our lives easier
2. Forgive others (Colossians 3:12-13)
- Because we've been forgiven
- Because resentment kids us (Job 5:2 "Resentment kills a fool")
- Because God treats us as we treat others
How do we forgive others?
- Identify the hurt
- Release the offender (this means assuming the debt yourself)
- Allow Christ's peace to rule in your heart
3. Ask for forgiveness from others
- Because it keeps your relationships clean
- Because it is the loving thing to do (Ephesians 4:3-6)
How do we ask forgiveness from others
- We do it with the other person in mind
Luke 6:31 "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." - Give time for the other person to forgive
- Give space for the other person to identify what you have done to them (Psalm 19:12...)
Small Group Questions
This week Ed spoke from Colossians 3:12-15, in which Paul exhorts the church in Colosse how to have god and Godly relationships.
Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to all who?ve hurt me and make amends for the harm I?ve done to others except when to do so would hurt them or others.
Icebreaker:
What would constitute a ?perfect? evening for you?
Group Questions:
Evaluate your relationships:
Give people paper and pencils and ask them to take a few minutes to write down 15 of the most significant relationships of their life.
Read Col. 3:12-15.
- Do you have any relationships that have unreconciled hurts or unreconciled issues?
- Think about broken relationships in the past. Were they broken because you found it hard to forgive them or you never felt forgiven by them?
Read Matthew 6:12-15, and Col 3:13.
- Why should we forgive others who have hurt us?
- How do you forgive others who have hurt you in the past?
Read Hebrews 12:13-15, and Matthew 7:12.
- Why should you seek forgiveness for you?re past offenses?
- How should you seek forgiveness for you?re past offenses?