Archive for January 25th, 2009
Welcome!
In my Heartlight.org post this week, Welcome One Another, I reflect on Romans 15:5-7. There the focus is on how important it is to welcome one another into our lives and into the life of the church family. I hope you will take a look at the article and reflect on it. But in the blog today, I want us to focus more on things that we allow to be barriers to our welcoming folks into our church families. Let’s get honest and identify these barriers and then find ways to break through them. Here are some questions that might help “prime the pump” on this issue. I’d love to get your response and feedback on this.
What keeps us from having “the same mind” and being of “one heart” and glorifying God together with “one voice” Romans 15:5-7)?
Paul describes how we were welcomed by Christ (Romans 5:5-11). What does that mean for the ways we are to welcome others (Romans 15:5-11)?
Paul speaks strongly to his Christian friends in Philippi about “the same mind” and points us to having the “mind of Christ” (Philippians 2:1-11). What is “the mind of Christ”? How is it displayed in our lives?
What do you need to do to more deeply value and welcome brothers and sisters in Christ who are different from you?
What keeps you from reaching and welcoming others into the body of believers?
What barriers do we often let get in our way that keep us from more openly welcoming those who are different from us?