DATE: JANUARY 12-13, 2013
SERIES: RELATIONOLOGY
MESSAGE: IN LOVE, FOR LOVE
PASSAGE: GALATIANS 5:13-26
introduction – 5 MINUTES
What keeps people from great relationships?
Leader note: Let your group just throw out answers, they don’t need to take turns answering, just call out answers as they have them. Some of those they may come up with:
- Bad experiences
- Baggage
- Trust issues
- Abandonment
- Insecurity – or false security
- Pride – don’t need people
- Strongholds – control, porn, addictions
- Prejudice – they’re different from…difference is bad
- Time – relationships take time
- Selfishness – all about me, person fulfills my sense of identity
- Unhealthy, hurt, broken – tend to sabotage
- Personality differences, extra vs. intra, stay at home vs. party
- Bad models of good relationships
- Inability to manage conflict
- Dependency/Needy and independency
OBSERVATION – 20 MINUTES
READ GALATIANS 5:13-26. What do YOU learn about relationships?
Leader note: Take your time going through this passage, there is a lot of information in it. As your group answers ask them, “where do you see that?” Have them put it in their own words without changing the meaning.
- Expression of freedom is to serve one another in love in relationship with one another –
- Serve one another humbly vs 13
- Love your neighbor as yourself vs 14
- Walking in the Spirit vs 16
- Purpose of the law – give us relationship, it is fulfilled as we love one another – (the law doesn’t offer relationship, just religion and systematic faith)
- The law was inadequate
- Spirit not inadequate – produces what you need, gives qualities, (love, peace, patience, joy…)
- Walking in the spirit fights against selfishness which is the enemy
- No limits to the fruit, whereas the law has a limit, (a cap) – certain things it can’t do
- Can’t just man up – have to leave it to the power of the Spirit
- Bad relationships bring death, devour – bite (speaks of appetite – when we indulge we get enslaved, but led by the Spirit there is true freedom. v15)
- True freedom is life in the Kingdom – God’s freedom
- Spirit is at work to change our desires – Spirit and flesh at conflict with each other – polar opposites – can’t be brought together
Leader note: This passage offers interesting contrast between what it means to live by the flesh and by the law versus what it means to live by the Spirit. The Law ultimately brings out the fact that we are incapable of “righteousness”. Living under the law and by the flesh produces bondage and a sense of failure. Walking by the Spirit brings freedom in that we are joined by a strength and grace found outside of our human efforts. A Spirit-led life produces a whole new set of possible outcomes in our relationships with God, and with each other).
UNDERSTANDING – 20 MINUTES
What are things that sabotage relationships?
The list from verses 19-21
- Sexual immorality
- Anger
- Envy
- Selfishness
- Adultery/pornography
- Superstition/sorcery/spirit world
- Dissentions of factions/”in” group vs. “out” group
- Division/discord – gossip, criticize, resentment
- Drunkenness
- “other sins like these”
APPLICATION -20 MINUTES
Where have you allowed the flesh to sabotage your relationships?
What fruit might the Holy Spirit be developing in you?
Leader note: At this point when people try to self-identify the fruit the Spirit might be developing, you and the group members can to help them. Depending on your style you can gently press in, or have others try to help pinpoint what the Spirit is working on.
Leader note: Follow up is important when your group members make any commitment for change, reconciliation, etc – have the person who has the gift of shepherding in the group handle the follow up with the group. It can be an email, or in person the next time your group meets.
Before we leave, have you done anything on the list that might be affecting your relationship with someone here?
*You can soften the question by saying something like this, “Maybe you have said something you regret, or crossed over a boundary and you want to take a minute to clear it up with that person. Anyone need to apologize to anyone in the group?”
OPTIONAL EXERCISE: JOURNAL FOR ONE WEEK, AND SEE WHAT THE SPIRIT IS DOING IN YOU AND WHERE YOU SEE ANY LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS OR SELF-CONTROL BEING DEVELOPED IN YOUR LIFE.
LIVE IT OUT
If we were a group that lived less by the flesh and more by the spirit, WE WOULD SEE A DECREASE OF ______________ AND AN INCREASE OF _____________________.