Being My Sister's Keeper - Part I

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin” (John 1:7).

This past week we have been reviewing Part 1 in a series on Being My Sister’s Keeper by Elyse Fitzpatrick. After having settled some foundational issues about biblical fellowship we also explored ways to actually engage in this activity God has modeled for us. Resisting the temptation to hide things about ourselves we’d rather keep in the darkness, making ourselves known to others; especially when we are most tempted to protect ourselves and our reputation, confessing our temptations, flaws, weaknesses and sins and inviting the observations, correction and counsel of others are only a few that were mentioned.

Elyse passionately portrayed the death of Christ. She explained that the resurrection tells us the sacrifice of Jesus was completely accepted. Therefore, we don’t have to live for our reputation anymore because the only person who matters says we are welcome! She also said, “I am more sinful and flawed than I dare to believe, yet more loved and welcomed than I dare hope.”

Because of what Christ accomplished for us through his death and resurrection we are able to be our sister’s keeper. We have a Savior who saves from sin, so now we can freely talk about our sin to one another without being self-righteous, judgmental and/or embarrassed.

Ladies, we are image-bearers of the one who said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness” (Genesis 2:26). The one who created light and walks in unapproachable light (1 Timothy 6:16) calls us to “walk in the light as he is in the light.”

In light of the above truth here are a few questions to ponder:

· Am I willing? Am I willing to be yoked together with others? Am I willing to help my sister’s in their struggles against sin? Am I willing to wash their feet?

· How can these truths affect your friendships with others and what will change look like?

· How can this understanding of your sinfulness change the way you think about and relate to others?

· How has reputation-consciousness hindered your friendship and how can this truth change you as a friend?

· What typically hinders you from freely talking about your own sin and helping others with their sin, and how has this pattern negatively affected your relationships?

Ladies, we have hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ! We are now able to live for the glory of the one who saved us, free of all condemnation. This should determine our motivation to be our Sister’s Keeper.

Join us next week as we continue exploring ways to be our Sister’s Keeper.
~ Rhonda Calabello

Being My Sister's Keeper - Part I

We are so consumed with our daily lives that sometimes it's hard for us see outside our own little worlds. We may hear of a sister in need but because we are busy we justify why we can't serve. Or we may think that we have nothing to offer someone we don't know very well and so we choose to not serve. Whatever the reason is we have been called to walk closely with one another. We have become a society of people, especially in America, where we feel the more independent we are the stronger we are.

So what keeps us from living life together? Are we are concerned with not wanting to get too close because we might get hurt? Or maybe we don’t ask how others are doing because we really don’t have the time to get “involved” and so we go on our way. Perhaps we tell ourselves that we don’t have to care for someone because we don’t go to the same home group and therefore it’s not my responsibility to ask how she’s doing. I know, sadly, that I am guilty of thinking all of those things.

As ladies we all share common goals, struggles, desires...the list could go on. We each have something to offer and if you never reach outside your comfort zone you may never know what a blessing you can be to another lady or what a blessing she could be to you. Challenge yourself this week to reach out to other’s whether their in your home group or not, or whether they go to your church or not. Has the Lord placed a certain individual on your heart? Have you acted upon it or are you putting it off for a time when you are less busy? How can we serve one another? Let’s help one another to be a means of grace in other’s lives. ~ Sharlyn Eddy

Being My Sister's Keeper - Part I

Who keeps us? Believe it or not, the answer to this question is what encouraged and provoked me most in desiring to be my “sister’s” keeper. How is it that we can even have biblical fellowship with the women God has placed in our lives? It is possible because God first had fellowship with us. He is involved with us at the core of our soul. Fellowship looks like the incarnation. He sent His precious Son to die on a cross, so that we can have fellowship with Him!

“Keeper” or “shamar” – To hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to.

God is our shepherd. Shepherd’s use to gather thorn bushes and make a pen for the sheep and place them inside. There was one opening, a door that the shepherd would lay down in so that he could allow what came through. He was actually willing to lay down his life for his sheep. In the same way, God has surrounded us with a hedge and everything that comes into our life can only come through Him. He guards our soul.

Knowing this truth doesn’t cause us to live haphazardly, but makes us love God. It spurs us on to love the people He has sovereignly placed in our life. It inspires a desire in us to have biblical fellowship with our sisters. To be keepers of their soul.

“A charitable concern for our brethren, as their keepers, is a great duty, which is strictly required of us, but is generally neglected by us. Those who are concerned in the affairs of their brethren, and take no care, when they have opportunity, to prevent their hurt in their bodies, goods, or good name, especially in their souls, do, in effect, speak Cain’s language.” –Matthew Henry

Cain made it clear to God that he was not his brother, Abel’s keeper. He wasn’t concerned with his brother’s good, safety and soul…in fact it was the exact opposite. Cain was concerned with himself. In a world full of individualism, God is calling us to be others focused. Knowing what I know about how God keeps me, I pray that it will only continue to permeate my heart, mind and actions in loving my sister’s, for their good and His glory.
~ Lana Calabello

Being My Sister's Keeper - Part I

Here's an excerpt from yesterday's blog

"As we humble ourselves before God and one another, as we worship together, pray for one another, carry one another’s burdens, and serve one another we will experience true biblical fellowship. Our lives together are intended to present to the world a compelling witness of the grace of God. Our unity and love for one another is one of the most powerful testimonies we can give to unbelievers who are lost, isolated, fragmented, and ultimately without hope, but also it is a powerful testimony we can give to each other."

Let's unpack the "one anothers" and give some ideas for how to flesh this out.

Humble ourselves: We are all familiar with the words, “confess your sins to another”, in the book of James. It's one thing to confess to God in private, but there is a spiritual power released when we reveal a hidden sin to another sister in Christ. Sin's hold over us is greatly weakened when we know that a sister will continue to ask us about our progress in this confessed area of sin.

Worship together: our first thought when we read this is Sunday morning. But there are many other ways we can walk this out. We can meet a sister to go through a book together, meet for a time a prayer about a specific sin, even escape from the regular routine of life for an extended prayer retreat. These times of worship can even be accomplished creatively by meeting at the beach or a nearby park while your children play nearby.

Pray for one another: besides praying for our sisters as we go about our daily tasks it’s also a joy to take a moment and pray for our friend over the telephone directly after she has shared her request. This doesn't have to be long. You can even take a quick moment to bow your heads in a store parking lot, a social gathering, or particularly after church on Sunday morning. Our souls can be very tender after sitting under the Word.

Carry one another's burdens: many times heavy burdens are of a confidential nature. Ask the Lord to teach you how to become a trusted confidante. As women we can be so tempted to share things we know. We need God’s grace to not reveal secrets.

Serve one another: depending upon your season of life, this will look different. Women with young children can serve other sisters in the same situation by watching children as the friend makes a trip to the doctor or hairdresser. Rather than feeling the need to give a shower gift that requires money give a young bride a few of your favorite recipes or even a thought out page or two of the things you wished you would have known as a young bride. She will be blessed by your presence at her shower and may treasure these "sisterly" gifts as more precious than anything you could have bought from her registry list.

These are just a few ideas to stimulate your thinking as we learn to care for one another. As we practice biblical fellowship with our sisters in Christ we will experience new levels of depth in our relationships which will lead to growing in godliness. ~ Brenda Edwards

Being My Sister's Keeper - Part I

Some months back in our ladies accountability care groups we went through a series of teachings by Elyse Fitzpatrick on Being My Sister’s Keeper (you can find all the notes here). In light of this topic join us as we continue to explore what it means to form relationships that will result in true biblical fellowship which is simply to know and be known by one another, with a primary goal of growing together in godliness. May we be reminded that all of the Christian life takes place in the context of our relationships with other believers in the context of the local church. And though we enter into a relationship with God as individuals, something greater than our own individuality was and is God’s plan: the church-the community of God’s people.

Throughout the history of redemption, God has been acting to create “a people for His Own possession.” (1 Peter 2:9-10) Christ’s finished work on the cross not only provided forgiveness of sins, but it advanced God’s work of creating a people for Himself by bringing into existence the church.

Our true nature as the church, and as Christians, is corporate. God is saving a people, not an unconnected group of isolated individuals. Our lives are to give expression to the reality of our existence as the people of God. To deny this by pursuing individualism or independence is to isolate ourselves from the express purpose of God.

So what does this mean practically? What is God’s intention for our lives together? Is it simply attending the same meeting on a Sunday? Is it merely acknowledging the same body of doctrines? Yes, I do believe it is that, but so, so much more.

The biblical picture of the church can best be described as a community: a group of people, joined by a common life, united by common values and a common purpose. This is the type of church life God calls us to-a life that shines as a testimony to His work in our lives. Our fellowship is nothing less than our participation together in the very life of God, made possible by Christ’s work on the cross and brought about by the Holy Spirit. Such fellowship is both profound and precious.

Fellowship begins with speaking the gospel. (1 John 1:3) The starting point of fellowship is simply speaking the truth in love. Love is central to the process of restoring one another and bearing one another’s burdens. The platform of the cross is the only place we can pursue fellowship, for it is the source of all fellowship. If fellowship does not begin with the cross it will lack the ground and power for its purpose. If our common goal in relating to one another is something other than being conformed to his image and growing in his likeness, we will stop short of pursuing fellowship. The purpose of fellowship is that we would glorify God as we grow in godliness and are conformed to the image of Christ.

All too often many of us want the privileges of such relationships but not the responsibilities. But the fruit of such fellowship is so worth it.

We need the consistent encouragement of others. We need others to help us resist sin and to strengthen our resolve for godliness. We need the input of others to help us see our sin and repent from it. We need to confess our sins to others so as to weaken sin’s power and invite accountability. But more than all that we need to live our lives in view of God’s grace and mercy. Our gaze to needs to be fixed there. Apart from God’s grace and mercy we cannot grow. So as we offer ourselves as living sacrifices it is in response to what God has done and this is what God uses to bring about change and growth in our lives in order for us to be a means of grace to others.

As we humble ourselves before God and one another, as we worship together, pray for one another, carry one another’s burdens, and serve one another we will experience true biblical fellowship. Our lives together are intended to present to the world a compelling witness of the grace of God. Our unity and love for one another is one of the most powerful testimonies we can give to unbelievers who are lost, isolated, fragmented, and ultimately without hope, but also it is a powerful testimony we can give to each other.

Join us over the next few weeks as we continue to look at what it means to walk in the light as it pertains to Being My Sister’s Keeper. ~ Rhonda Calabello