Biblical Community - Sharing

Good morning, Five Minute Families! How has this week been for you? It’s been a bit crazy for us! Let’s dive back into our discussion about biblical community. Listen to this story. A man went to church. He forgot to silence his phone and, of course, it rang during prayer. The pastor scolded him. The worshippers admonished him after prayers for interrupting the silence. His wife kept on lecturing him on his carelessness all the way home. One could see the shame, embarrassment, and humiliation on his face. After all this, he never stepped foot in the church again. That evening, he went to a bar. He was still nervous and trembling. He spilled his drink on the table by accident. The waiter apologized and gave him a napkin to clean himself. The janitor mopped the floor. The female manager offered him a complimentary drink. She also gave him a huge hug and a peck while saying, “Don’t worry man. Who doesn’t make mistakes?” He has not stopped going to that bar since then. Do your home and family sound more like the church scenario or the bar scenario? Romans 12:10 tells us to love one another deeply as brothers and sisters and outdo one another in showing honor. We all make mistakes, some bigger than others, of course, but we must learn to live authentically, sharing our struggles with one another. James 5:16 encourages us to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another so that healing may begin. If we have a cut or scrap, just bandaging over it with all the dirt and damaged tissue left inside will cause the wound not to heal or to heal very badly. God knows that when we sin, if we do not bring that sin into the light and find true cleansing, it will harm us and those we say we love. We need to be authentic with one another in our struggles and in our triumphs. We need to be able to share our hopes and our fears. As Christians we are not to simply take in knowledge, but we are to encourage one another and we are also to pass along what we have learned. One way to do that is to be grace-filled. I love th