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AfterThoughts: July 22, 2018

July 22, 2018

“Life Together”

James 5:16-20

 

This week, Pastor David concluded the sermon on the book of James with a focus on the impact of unconfessed sin in our lives. Unconfessed sin isn’t something we talk much about, but, if left unaddressed, could have serious spiritual and/or physical effects.  Verse 16 focuses on confessing our sins “to one another” and the benefit this could have in our lives.

 

Reread James 5:16-20 as you consider these questions.

 

  • Describe what it means to YOU for Christians to “do life together”.
  • What spiritual and/or physical effects have you experienced when there was unconfessed sin in your life?
  • What encourages you as you read these verses?
  • Is there someone in your life you can trust and confess to? Who can trust YOU in this way?

In your time with God this week,

 

  1. Thank Him for the gift of other believers and for the way He created us to need them.
  2. Ask God to give you trusted believers to confess to. If you have those already, ask Him to help you become that for someone else.
  3. Commit to “relationally, lovingly, confessionally and prayerfully” seek restoration in areas of your life where you have tried to accomplish things by yourself.

NOTE: This week’s message was the 2nd half of a message that Pastor David started last week. If you missed that message, you can watch it here.

 

If you have someone you trust to confess sin to, even the deepest and darkest areas of life, you are blessed.  If you do not, here are some suggestions for finding a trusted “one-another”.

 

  1. Pray that God would lead you in your search. Spend time listening to Him and be open to whatever name(s) He places on your heart. It may not be your spouse or best friend, but He knows what you need most and He will provide the right people to fill this role in your life. NOTE: If you are married and, for whatever reason, you feel like you cannot share your struggles with your spouse, ask God to give you someone of the same gender to share with to protect your relationship.
  2. Identify someone you TRUST – As Pastor David shared, “You don’t need to confess to everyone and you don’t want to confess to just anyone, but you must confess to someone.” Trust is not something that is built quickly. Start by identifying people you respect spiritually and who you know will protect your confidentiality.
  3. Take the first step – Ask that person if they would be willing to help you be accountable. When they accept, agree on when, where and how you will share with each other consistently.
  4. Share confidently - Confession doesn’t have to start with specifics.  The important thing is you’re not alone anymore, fighting this on your own.  Now you have someone praying specifically for you and with you. You might start with – when you struggle, how often and when this person could specifically pray for you and keep you accountable.  The specifics might come later as you build trust and respect.
  5.  Give permission – Give this person permission to help you stay accountable.  Give them permission to ask hard questions.  Commit to being honest with them, even when you fail.  The goal is to help you find strength, not condition you to lie more. 

Still have questions? Contact us at Dawson! We would be honored to discuss this process and walk through it with you. If you need additional guidance, contact a member of the ministerial staff to get started.