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Jesus identified the nature of the relationship that God has always wanted with us. We are not just servants of God, but friends, as it says in John 15:15. Jesus was a builder of relationships. He centered on God’s love, and served others sacrificially. He was the most selfless man that has ever walked on planet earth. Jesus became friends with Zacheaeus, James, John, Peter, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, the woman at the well, and countless others. He engaged with them, built relationship with them, and centered his relationships on God’s love. He served others with no thought for Himself. He was the best example of one anothering ever! All his disciples had to do was to imitate Jesus and their actions would be in line with the Word, because Jesus, the Living Word, showed them how to live. They watched how He treated others. When we become others focused, the world will be amazed, and it has the power to transform others just by being around us. Let’s put some of the love that is on the inside of us into action, and be authentic in our relationships, as we act like Jesus. Transformation can happen in us first, and then transform people around us as we demonstrate the love of God. What a wonderful cycle will begin, and before long, our world will be turned right side up!

I’m sure you have friends from elementary school to college that you are might be currently in contact with. With Facebook, and other social media, it is easier than ever to connect with those in our distant past. But if you have moved to a new town, or even a new neighborhood, sometimes the friends in your old town or old neighborhood are not as high on your priority. It happens to everyone. Christians have a wonderful advantage, wherever we are, because we have brothers and sisters around the world. Often we have an instant connection just because of Jesus. But unfortunately, many people, including Christians, have many acquaintances and few real friendships. Typical relationships are often defined as the mutual accommodation of self-need. We know deep down that we are created for relationship, but often approach friendship from a selfish basis. Everyone wants to share the joy of our journey and the hurts that may happen in life with others. We can pool our wisdom and our resources to the benefit of both. The answer to our quest for friendship is found in living the way Jesus did, not trying to get love for ourselves, but learning how to share it with others. We can effectively one another those in our world.

Jesus used simple acts of one anothering in his everyday life. He just happened to rock Zachaeus’s world when he asked to come to his house for dinner. Jesus had amazing encounters with people where ever He went. Jesus was looking for ways to let the life of God inside of Him, pour out on those who needed that Zoe kind of life. Jesus was totally focused on others. He was able to see right into the heart of each person’s need. Then he would give them little nuggets of God’s love to begin the transformation process in their lives. Romans 5:5 says that the love of God has been placed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We have all of the unlimited resources of love that we need, and we can be a conduit of love to the many hurting people that we come in contact with. So often, we are so consumed by our own issues, or situations in our own lives, that we forget what we are put on this planet for. We have a purpose! We have a destiny. It is not all about us. Jesus wants us to touch other people’s lives, and He has given us the ability to do that. Zachaeus was a recipient of God’s love, and His life was changed forever. We might have a similar story. Who showed you the love of God, that drew you to the love of God and into salvation. Thank God for that person or people. Now God wants you to do the same for someone else. That is one anothering!

One anothering starts with loving one another. All the other, one anothers are expressions of how we let God’s love live out through us. These scriptures will show us how to express that love and expose to us the deepest treasures of what it means to be part of God’s family. Let’s keep our eyes open for the opportunities we have to love others in the same manner. Let’s jump in together and discover just how transforming a life lived in love can truly be! In an age of social media explosion, people are longing for real relationships. We have unlimited ways to connect, but real authentic connections are not common. People often feel more isolated than ever. We use all types of communication, from texting, email, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the list continues with apps galore. But we live in a world where these tools have not necessarily enhanced communication, and definitely have not eliminated loneliness. We need to capture God’s heart for life giving and life changing relationships. Jesus found that love could reach anyone. Social media can be an awesome tool in spreading the gospel, and reaching the lost, with the love of Christ. As powerful as the internet and web can be, sometimes people need love with skin on. Let’s begin to see how we can start loving more authentically to enhance our relationships. Loving authentically is a great start to an amazing journey of loving one another.

Intro:
In a world where division and strife is rampant, in personal relationship and on a larger scale, now seems like a great time to talk about unity and living authentically. Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with your dailyeword. Life is nothing without relationships, and this week is all about giving practical examples of how to apply the principles of “one anothering” so that our relationships can be dynamic. Let’s learn together how to be the church, and to not just attend church. Here is your dailyeword about dynamic, authentic relationships.

Wouldn’t you love to capture Jesus’ heart for life-giving relationships? This we will investigate two questions, “How can we share meaningful and supporting relationships with other believers?” and “What is the New Testament model for loving, nurturing friendships”? We will talk about new methods for opening doors to deeper friendships and for developing more meaningful interactions with strangers. We will discuss ways to avoid the pitfalls of judging others and be inspired to engage people with love, acceptance, kindness, and respect. As we seek to strengthen our relationships with other believers, we will discover the joys of being the church rather than simple going to church.

Here are some One Anothers in the Bible:

Loving one another (John 13:34)
Forgiving one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Accepting one another (Romans 15:7)
Bearing with one another (Ephesians 4:2)
Being devoted to one another (Romans 12:10)
Honoring one another above ourselves (Romans 12:10)
Greeting one another (2 Corinthians 13:12)
Being hospitable to one another (1 Peter 4:9)
Being kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32)
Sharing with one another (Hebrews 13:16)
Serving one another (Galatians 5:13)
Carrying one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
Building up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Encouraging one another daily (Hebrews 3:13)
Comforting one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)
Stimulating one another to love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24)
Instructing one another (Romans 15:14)
Admonishing one another (Colossians 3:16)
Praying for one another (James 5:16)
Confessing your sins to one another (James 5:16)
Being of the same mind toward one another (Romans 12:16)
Submitting to one another (Ephesians 5:21)
It’s a long exciting list! Let’s be all about loving one another!

Oh be careful little mouth what you say, oh be careful little mouth what you say, for the Father up above is looking down in love, oh be careful little mouth what you say. We really do need to be careful of the things we say from our lips. Do you know what David said about his words in Ps 17:3? He was talking to God and asking God to hear his prayer. He said, though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing, I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. I think those are excellent words. We can make that same kind of resolve. Our mouth doesn’t have to lead us down the path to trouble, it can lead us in the path of righteousness, when we choose to speak words that bring life. If we want to be careful about what we say, we also have to be careful about what we think about. We have to be cautious about our thought life, because if we let thoughts hang around which aren’t Godly, we will begin to speak words that aren’t Godly. Taking it back another step, we need to watch what we let in our eyes and our ears, so that the things we hear and the things we watch don’t make our thoughts go any place they should not go. That sounds really bad, but a place your thoughts shouldn’t take you is that you are ugly, or worthless, or unloved, or nobody wants you. God would never say that about you, and if your thoughts are telling you those things, they are not God thoughts. So if we want to watch what we say, we need to watch what goes in our eyes and our ears, and especially watch what we think about. So I want to remind you…..cover your eyes, or put in ear plugs! It is that important. To keep your mouth from sin we must resolve to think about, listen to and watch only things that build us up on the inside.

Is it time for you to find your voice? That may seem like a funny question but once you learn how important words are, it is time for us to speak up! We can speak words that lift up and build up, and we can also start speaking about what we are passionate about. God has given you a voice, and it is time to start using it! I know many of you might be trembling in your shoes right now, but God has called the body of Christ to stand up for righteousness, to stand up for truth, and to stand up for Godliness. What area within the body of Christ are you passionate about? Because we have adopted a child, I love speaking up about adoption. Because I’ve miscarried a baby, I love encouraging women who have as well. Because I had 4 pregnancies and deliveries pain free, I love speaking about supernatural childbirth. I love teaching God’s Word, and I love speaking God’s truths to anyone who will listen. So I’ve told you some of the ways I speak up, what has God called for you to speak up about? Have you been delivered from alcohol or drugs? There are lots of people who need to hear your voice. Has God brought you out of bondage, into freedom in Christ, speak up! If you’ve experienced the goodness of God on any level, others need to hear about it. You can use what you have been through to be a blessing to others. Don’t be shaking in your boots! His promise is that when you need to speak He will give you the words. So get ready. Find someone who needs to hear your story. Find someone who needs encouragement, and speak UP!

If we really are a new creation, our mouth should show it! I love the verse in II Cor 5;17 that says if any man (or woman) is in Christ, he/she is a new creation, old things are passed away, behold all things have become new. It sounds like our mouth should be different too, because we are a new creation on the inside! Romans 12:2 reminds us not to be conformed any longer to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. How we think affects what we say, and the new creation on the inside should change how we think and talk. Here are some things a new creation doesn’t do:
Nag Prov 21:19 – desert is better than a nagging wife
Meddle Prov 26:17 like one who seizes a dog by its ears
Brag Prov 27:2 – let someone else praise you
Quarrel Prov 17:14 – starting a quarrel is like unleashing a dam
Swear or Curse Prov 4:24 – put away corrupt speaking

So what are some things a new creation does say? Just the opposite of what we just talked about!
Instead of nagging, we ask nicely once, and make sure they hear you.
Instead of meddling, we become problem solvers by believing the best.
Instead of bragging, we have a humble heart, that brags on others.
Instead of quarreling, we become peacemakers in the midst of turmoil.
Instead of cursing, we speak words of blessing.
Is your mouth showing you are a new creation? I hope it does! The old is gone, let the new you speak words of life and blessing!

Words are important in prayer! Have you been praying for our nation? We are just a short time from an important election. What should we be praying for our country today? Two very familiar passages of scripture come to mind. The first is in II Chron 7:14 which says that if God’s people who are called by His name will humble themselves and pray and seek His face, He will hear us, and forgive us, and heal our land. God’s answer to forgive us and heal our land is available, our assignment is to humble ourselves and pray to Him. The second familiar scripture is in I Tim 2:1-4 which reminds us of these important things:
1) We should offer intercession and prayer for everyone, especially leaders, spiritual and political because it is our priority assignment as believers.
2) We can affect culture by our prayers, and live a quiet and peaceable life.
3) By praying this way, we can see the gospel have an open door so more and more people will come to know God.
Each of these scriptures reminds us that we have a job to do. We don’t usually find evidence in the history books where leaders took time to pray, but there are many instances when prayer changed things dramatically, from overcoming disagreements during the writing of the Constitution, to overcoming slavery during President Lincoln’s term in office, to more recently bringing down the Berlin Wall, and the Iron Curtain. God only knows how many unrecorded events were altered because of the prayers of God’s people. Everyday is an important day to pray for our nation. Our words matter in prayer, so take some time today, to pray God’s Word over our country. Especially now, we need His guidance, His direction, and His wisdom, so we can continue to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Do you know that it is possible to have a Spirit controlled tongue? We really need the Holy Spirit’s Power to control what we say. If we look at some key verses in James chapter 3, we can see that the outcome of this little rudder in our mouth can be pretty deadly. I’ve experience it both ways, and you probably have to! You’ve probably said some poisonous words, and you’ve probably had some spoken to you. Either way, we know the result isn’t good. When we say words we wish we wouldn’t have, we feel bad, and when words are said to us that shouldn’t have been said, it makes us feel bad. Feeling bad is no good! So how can we keep from speaking words that bring death and destruction?
First we need to reprogram our minds. We must make a decision to change how we think (as a man thinks so is he/she!). Then we need to discipline ourselves to change our resolve. Lastly, we know what we need to do, so let’s put it into practice! Here’s some great scriptures for you as a reminder:
Col 4:6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Eph 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
Phil 2:14-15 Do everything without grumbling or complaining, so you may become blameless and pure, children of God without guile in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like lights in the universe.
The Bible is full of reminders for us about the words we speak. So let’s watch what we think, discipline ourselves, and just put it into practice. Our words are powerful!