Building Jesus-Focused Friendships for Spiritual Growth

Devotional

Day 1: The Vital Role of Jesus-Focused Friendships

Relationships are essential for our spiritual growth and maturity. Ephesians 4:1-16 teaches us that we are the body of Christ, and God desires us to grow from spiritual infancy to maturity through relationships where we speak the truth in love. These friendships are vital for our spiritual nourishment and growth. Jesus-focused friendships help us to mature in our faith, providing a safe space to share our struggles and victories. They are the means through which we experience the love and grace of God in tangible ways. [29:15]

Ephesians 4:15-16 (ESV): "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

Reflection: Think of a friend who has helped you grow spiritually. How can you intentionally invest in that friendship this week to continue growing together in Christ?

Day 2: The Necessity of Exhorting One Another

Hebrews 3:12-13 warns us about the deceitfulness of sin and the need for daily exhortation to prevent our hearts from hardening. We need close, intimate relationships where we can admonish and encourage each other. This kind of relationship helps us stay aligned with God's will and prevents us from drifting away. Exhortation is a loving act that keeps us accountable and helps us to remain faithful in our walk with Christ. [36:15]

Hebrews 3:12-13 (ESV): "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin."

Reflection: Identify one person in your life who you can encourage and exhort today. What specific words of encouragement or admonishment can you share with them to help them stay aligned with God's will?

Day 3: The Healing Power of Confessing Our Sins

James 5:16 emphasizes the importance of confessing our sins to one another for healing and restoration. Grace-filled friendships allow us to be brutally honest about our sins and struggles, pointing us back to Jesus and the gospel. This practice helps us live free from guilt and shame. Confession is a powerful tool for spiritual healing and growth, as it brings our hidden struggles into the light and allows us to experience God's forgiveness and grace. [44:22]

James 5:16 (ESV): "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

Reflection: Is there a sin or struggle you have been hiding? Consider sharing it with a trusted friend or mentor today and ask for their prayers and support.

Day 4: The Importance of Encouraging Each Other

Hebrews 10:24-25 and Galatians 6:2 call us to encourage one another and help carry each other's burdens. We need to be intentional about building these relationships, as they are vital for our spiritual growth. Encouragement is life-giving and essential for building each other up in the faith. When we encourage one another, we reflect the love and support of Christ, helping each other to persevere in our faith journeys. [49:37]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Reflection: Who in your life needs encouragement today? Reach out to them with a message, call, or visit to offer your support and uplift their spirit.

Day 5: Practical Steps to Build Jesus-Focused Relationships

Life groups, Regen, and Reengage are excellent environments to develop Jesus-focused friendships. If these options don't work for you, consider meeting regularly with one or two other Christ-followers to share and pray together. These relationships help us live out the one another's of Scripture for our good and God's glory. Building intentional relationships requires effort and commitment, but the spiritual growth and support they provide are invaluable. [57:26]

Galatians 6:2 (ESV): "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Reflection: What practical steps can you take this week to build or strengthen a Jesus-focused friendship? Consider joining a life group, starting a prayer partnership, or setting up regular meetings with a fellow believer.

Sermon Summary

### Summary

In three weeks, we will gather for a special outdoor service at 10 AM, followed by lunch and various activities. This Community Fest on September 29th aims to bring hope and share the gospel with our community. We encourage everyone to download free tickets online to help us prepare adequately. Relationships are central to our lives, both as sources of joy and pain. They can be messy and complicated, often leading us to withdraw to avoid hurt. However, God calls us to engage deeply with one another for our spiritual growth and maturity.

Ephesians 4:1-16 teaches us that we are the body of Christ, and God desires us to grow from spiritual infancy to maturity. This growth happens through relationships where we speak the truth in love, helping each other mature in Christ. We need Jesus-focused friendships for our spiritual nourishment and growth. These relationships are essential for exhorting one another, confessing our sins, and encouraging each other.

Hebrews 3:12-13 warns us about the deceitfulness of sin and the need for daily exhortation to prevent our hearts from hardening. We need close, intimate relationships where we can admonish and encourage each other. James 5:16 emphasizes the importance of confessing our sins to one another for healing and restoration. These grace-filled friendships point us back to Jesus and the gospel, helping us to live free from guilt and shame.

Hebrews 10:24-25 and Galatians 6:2 call us to encourage one another and help carry each other's burdens. We need to be intentional about building these relationships, as they are vital for our spiritual growth. Life groups, Regen, and Reengage are excellent environments to develop these Jesus-focused friendships. If these options don't work for you, consider meeting regularly with one or two other Christ-followers to share and pray together.

###

Key Takeaways

1. Focused Friendships**: Relationships are essential for our spiritual growth and maturity. Ephesians 4:1-16 teaches us that we are the body of Christ, and God desires us to grow from spiritual infancy to maturity through relationships where we speak the truth in love. These friendships are vital for our spiritual nourishment and growth. [29:15]
2. Exhorting One Another: Hebrews 3:12-13 warns us about the deceitfulness of sin and the need for daily exhortation to prevent our hearts from hardening. We need close, intimate relationships where we can admonish and encourage each other. This kind of relationship helps us stay aligned with God's will and prevents us from drifting away.

3. Confessing Our Sins: James 5:16 emphasizes the importance of confessing our sins to one another for healing and restoration. Grace-filled friendships allow us to be brutally honest about our sins and struggles, pointing us back to Jesus and the gospel. This practice helps us live free from guilt and shame.

4. Encouraging Each Other: Hebrews 10:24-25 and Galatians 6:2 call us to encourage one another and help carry each other's burdens. We need to be intentional about building these relationships, as they are vital for our spiritual growth. Encouragement is life-giving and essential for building each other up in the faith.

5. Practical Steps to Build Relationships: Life groups, Regen, and Reengage are excellent environments to develop Jesus-focused friendships. If these options don't work for you, consider meeting regularly with one or two other Christ-followers to share and pray together. These relationships help us live out the one another's of Scripture for our good and God's glory.

### [29:15]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[25:19] - Community Fest Announcement
[27:03] - The Messiness of Relationships
[29:15] - Ephesians 4: Growing in Maturity
[30:21] - Spiritual Infancy and Vulnerability
[31:34] - Speaking the Truth in Love
[33:08] - Four Reasons for Jesus-Focused Friendships
[34:33] - The Role of Hurt and Disappointment
[36:15] - Exhorting One Another
[38:03] - The Deceitfulness of Sin
[39:39] - The Meaning of Exhortation
[41:10] - The Sight-Giving Ministry of Others
[44:22] - Confessing Our Sins
[46:06] - Grace-Filled Friendships
[49:37] - Encouraging Each Other
[51:12] - Bearing One Another's Burdens
[54:11] - Practical Steps to Build Relationships
[57:26] - Life Groups, Regen, and Reengage
[59:03] - Developing Intimate Friendships
[65:05] - Closing Prayer and Song

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

According to Ephesians 4:1-16, what is the goal for the body of Christ? How does Paul describe the process of moving from spiritual infancy to maturity? [30:21]
In Hebrews 3:12-13, what warning does the author give to the believers? What is the purpose of exhorting one another daily? [36:15]
James 5:16 emphasizes the importance of confessing our sins to one another. What are the benefits mentioned in this verse? [44:22]
The sermon mentioned several practical steps to build Jesus-focused friendships. What are some of these steps? [57:26]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize the need for speaking the truth in love in Ephesians 4:15? How does this contribute to spiritual maturity? [31:34]
Hebrews 3:12-13 talks about the deceitfulness of sin. How can close, intimate relationships help prevent our hearts from hardening? [38:03]
James 5:16 speaks about confessing sins for healing and restoration. Why might this practice be difficult, and how can grace-filled friendships make it easier? [46:06]
The sermon highlighted the importance of encouraging one another and carrying each other's burdens. How does this align with the teachings in Hebrews 10:24-25 and Galatians 6:2? [49:37]

Application Questions

Reflect on your current friendships. Are they Jesus-focused? What steps can you take to develop more Jesus-focused friendships this fall? [33:08]
Have you experienced the deceitfulness of sin in your life? How can you create a habit of daily exhortation with a close friend or group to help guard against this? [36:15]
Confessing sins to others can be challenging. What are some practical ways you can create a safe and grace-filled environment for confession within your friendships? [44:22]
Think about a time when you were encouraged by someone. How did it impact you? How can you be more intentional about encouraging others in your life? [49:37]
The sermon mentioned practical steps like joining a life group, Regen, or Reengage. Which of these options could you commit to, and how do you think it will benefit your spiritual growth? [57:26]
Identify a burden you are currently carrying. Who can you share this burden with, and how can you seek their support in prayer and encouragement? [51:12]
Consider the relationships in your life where you might be keeping people at a distance. What is one step you can take this week to be more open and vulnerable with them? [27:40]

Sermon Clips

1. "Because relationships, are messy. They're complicated. They're woven into relationships as disappointment, unmet expectations, hurt, even betrayal, rejection. And because of all of those dynamics with relationships, you and I are going to be tempted to withdraw. We're going to be tempted to isolate ourselves. Because we don't want hurt. We don't want to be hurt. We don't want to be disappointed. We don't want to be rejected." [27:03] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "What if I told you this morning that God has something far better for you and me than isolating, than keeping people at a distance, than being self-sufficient. What God desires for us as the church, as the body of Christ, is for our good and for his glory. And when I refer to the church, I'm not talking about this building. I'm talking about what the New Testament teaches, that we are God's people. We're the church." [28:21] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "It's clear from Ephesians chapter 4, that the goal for all of us who are part of body of Christ is that he wants us to grow and mature. So this morning, I wanna share with you from the New Testament, with four reasons to make Jesus focused friendships, a priority this fall. Regardless of how busy you are, my challenge is to make Jesus focused friendships a priority this fall, regardless of how busy you are. My challenge is to make Jesus focused friendships, a priority this fall." [33:08] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "What is God's goal for us? Not our comfort, but he wants spiritual maturity. He wants to mold us into the image of Jesus. And guess what he's going to use to mold us into the image of Jesus, to mature us? He's going to use relationships. He's going to use hurt. He's going to use disappointment because we're going to need to have our rough edges rubbed off as we rub shoulders with other followers of Jesus." [34:33] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "You and I need others who will exhort us and call us out. My guess is that you did not use the word exhort this week. It's not a word that we use in everyday conversation. It's a biblical term. It's a term that we see in the Bible. It's a term that we see throughout the New Testament. Specifically, we see it here in Hebrews chapter 3, verses 12 and 13." [36:15] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "The natural drift in our lives is not to God. Whether we're 15 or whether we're 55 or 80, the natural drift is not, the natural drift is towards ourselves. The natural drift is away from God. And that's true for every single one of us. And why is the natural drift towards us away from God? It's because this is what is in our hearts. There's evil and unbelief in our hearts. Even as followers of Jesus, we deal with the sin nature." [38:03] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "You and I need grace-filled friendships where we can confess our sin. This flows directly from Scripture, James chapter 5, verse 16. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. You and I want to experience spiritual growth and healing. We need to confess your sins. This is a directive. It's a command. It's what we're called to do. Confess your sins one to another." [44:22] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "Every single one of us in this room has a desire to be loved and to be known. We want people to love us and to know us. But subconsciously, or maybe consciously, many of us determine that we need to choose between the two. That if people really knew me, if they knew my past, if they knew my struggles, if they really knew me, they wouldn't love me. And what God desires for us, his people, is to be loved and known." [47:44] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "Encouragement is simply affirming someone, expressing appreciation to someone. Every single one of us, in this room needs encouragement. I don't care how mature, how long you've been a follower of Jesus, how optimistic you are by nature, you and I all need encouragement. Yesterday, Michelle forwarded a text that she got from one of the Regen women leaders, and she's like, Jeff, take a look at this. This is so encouraging." [51:12] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "You and I need to carve out time for Jesus-focused friendships where we can live out the one another's. For our good, for his glory. You say, well, where do I find these kind of relationships? You and I can develop Jesus-focused friendships in life groups. We have men's life groups, Sunday morning life groups, women's life groups, intergenerational life groups. We have life groups that meet on Sunday morning. We have life groups that meet during the evening. We have life groups that meet in the morning. We have life groups that meet during the day." [55:49] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?