Introduction
- John 15:12 – Jesus was the example of brotherly love.
Help them center their lives around serving God and going to Heaven.
- Luke 9:57-62 – Nothing was more important than kingdom word. The way Jesus loved people was by telling them how to love God.
- Luke 9:23-25
- Do people feel like their spiritual cup is being filled when they are around me?
Allow them to move on from sin.
- Luke 19:5-10 – Jesus said Zaccheus was also a son of Abraham. He helped Zaccheus to move on from sin. The grumblers were working against Jesus. Are we doing the same?
- Luke 15:1-7 – Jesus corrects the grumblers. They should have been rejoicing!
- If people have put sin behind them, we must let that be in the past and move on. Don’t continue to label them with sin from their past.
- Galatians 5:14-6:2
- Let us not create a culture where if we ever sin, we will always carry that label and never be equal to other Christians.
Express optimism about their future.
- Luke 22:31-34 – Jesus told Peter what would happen but was already preparing Peter for his recovery after sin.
- Philippians 1:6-11 – Paul was looking forward to the great things they would do.
- There is something powerful about optimism.
- I Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love is optimistic!
- II Corinthians 7:3-4, 16 – Paul was saying this about a church riddled with problems!
- Hebrews 10:24