By Brandon Lemons
The last couple years have been hard on relationships. COVID caused separation and loneliness. Political animosity has pervaded too much of life and strained too many relationships. Stress brings out the worst in people.
It’s important to recognize, though, that relational challenges are not new. In fact, difficult relationships are as old as humanity. As soon as sin entered the world, even Adam and Eve began blaming one another. The Bible is littered with countless examples of messy, difficult, broken, and even tragic relationships.
The Bible also contains God’s instructions for how to have healthy relationships. In the sermon series that is beginning on Sunday, we will be examining God’s design for healthy relationships. We’ll start by looking at our own heart and about what it means to love others well. We’ll invest several weeks in how to resolve conflict and, when necessary, how to disagree well. We’ll dig into the power and meaning of forgiveness. Then, we’ll apply the biblical principles for healthy relationships to specific contexts, such as family, friendship, and church. Above all, we will see how the Gospel empowers healthy relationships.
I am looking forward to this series. Relationships are fragile, so we need to handle them with care. But when relationships are healthy, they inspire us to thrive! Please make plans to join us in person or online as we all grow in experiencing healthy relationships. In addition, this series provides a great opportunity to invite others to church or to share the online worship service with those who may be interested in healthy relationships.