If not careful, it’s easy for a Christian to become self-righteous in their walk with God, especially in seasons of strength and grace, when the battle is going well, storms are being settled, and sin has lost its luster.  It is in those times that holy living seems to come easy.  So when we see a fellow believer stuck in their sin, we can quickly become angry towards them.  But this is not how God wants us to relate with others in their struggle.  Paul encouraged the Galatians to restore each other in “gentleness.”  We do this by remembering that we too are sinful and at any moment, apart from grace, can commit any sin under heaven.  But with an attitude of humility, we are able to gently lift up and restore one another to the grace of God.

Are you angry towards those who are stuck in sin, or are you broken over their sin?

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When we read this passage and come across the word “burdens,” we automatically think of difficult situations and circumstances.  We think that this is a command to bear one another’s burdens in the way of being with each other in the midst of a storm.  Though this may be true, the main point of the verse is actually to bear the burdens of each other’s sins!  Paul is emphasizing the need for us to lovingly “restore” those who are living in sin by redirecting them to the truth of the Gospel, thereby escaping the entanglement of their flesh.  Is there a greater way to imitate Christ than to refuse to leave a loved one stuck in their sin?  Christ did that for us on the cross and loved us enough to not see us stay there.  Understanding that it is only the work of Christ in their lives, should we not also consider how to lovingly bring others to a place of repentance?

Is there someone you love who is stuck in his or her sin?

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Several times in his letters, Paul emphasizes that we are “members of one another.”  This phrase denotes diversity within unity, just as a human body has many different parts, or”members,” yet is a single body.  The church is to be the same.  Even with all of our different giftings, talents, and backgrounds, we are called to use them for the building up of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 14:26).  God has made the church to function in a way where we have a responsibility for one another, just like members of a family.  And as a family, we belong to one another, and in order to function as God intended, we must speak truth to one another, even when it is hard or painful.

Are you speaking the truth in love toward your brother and sister in Christ who may be living in a way that doesn’t please the Father?

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The world we live in is a world that demands you look, act, and live a certain way in order to be accepted.  And since we desire acceptance, we usually put on cultural masks that help us look the part, allowing society to shape how we live a life of falsehood.  But when we live in submission to Christ, His life becomes our life.  As He lives through us, we begin to live a life that is true and transparent with one another, a life where masks are no longer needed.  So when you come into community with one another, remember that you are free in Christ to be true and transparent.  And it is also your responsibility to live and speak truth with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Are you laying aside falsehood and living transparently with your small group?

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The process of sharpening iron sounds simple enough, but in reality, it’s a pretty intense procedure.  Think about it:  in order to sharpen a sword, one must apply and create great pressure to gain any long-lasting results.  Through this process the blade is smoothed and shaped through much heat and sparks.  Now think of this in terms of each other.  If iron sharpens iron like one man sharpens another, the process won’t always be easy and pretty.  Sometimes sparks are going to fly.  In His sovereignty, God will bring people who will speak into your life in order to smooth and shape your life for His glory.  The key is not relieving yourself of this kind of fruitful friction.  God may just want to use it to bring about change and transformation in your life!

Who in your life is sharpening you?

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According to this passage, there are three characteristics that define biblical community, the first being”the word of Christ.”  We should be in and around the Word together, both in Gather Time at church as well as Group Time throughout the week.  Secondly, we should be”teaching and admonishing” one another with the Word of God, speaking it into each other’s lives for both correction and protection.  And finally we should be defined by “thankfulness in [our] hearts to God.”  We are to be a people that are thankful, joyful, and hopeful because of Christ, and God desires that we would remind each other of that reality week in and week out as we do life together in community.

Is your small group community marked by these three characteristics?

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The healthiest trees are those next to the riverbank, constantly drawing from the water next to it.  But the opposite is also true.  A tree without a good source of nourishment will eventually wither and die.  It desperately needs a consistent spring of refreshment in order to flourish.  The only way for you and I to flourish and prosper is to find our consistent source of nourishment and refreshment by trusting the Lord.  This reality drives us back to daily fellowship with God in His Word and prayer.  That is how we keep ourselves from becoming malnourished which can lead to a weak and brittle Christian life.  Take an inventory of the past month.  How has your God Time been?

Which are you currently experiencing:  a refreshing season with the Lord or a dry season with little nourishment?

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In the Bible, there are warnings about what not to do, and there are encouragements of what to do.  This passage has both.  First, it warns us not to exalt ourselves.  What does it mean to exalt ourselves?  In the overall context of this parable in Luke, to exalt ourselves means that we place our trust in ourselves which leads to an inaccurate view of others.  We look down upon others.  We consider them as lacking of worth or value because we are so focused on ourselves.  On the contrary, this passage encourages us to humble ourselves.  This is done by trusting in God which leads to an accurate view of self.  It leads us to the understanding that but for God’s grace in our lives, we would run headlong into every form of wickedness.  It’s this posture of humility before Him that God promises to exalt.

How might this warning and encouragement play into your life today?

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Praise, if not received with humility, can stroke the flesh.  And if anyone was worthy of praise for all that he accomplished, it was the apostle Paul.  He was an apostle, an office held by only a few in the early church.  He was a preacher of the Gospel.  He planted churches.  He was a missionary.  And in all those ventures, he worked really hard.  Paul had accomplished many great things.  And in the eyes of the world, he was entitled to receive praise for a job well done.  But despite his accomplishments, he would not attribute anything to himself.  It was all because of grace; God’s favor.  Grace is what made him a preacher.  Grace is what gave him the strength to continue on working hard for the expansion of God’s Kingdom.  Grace.  It was just grace through and through.

Do you recognize God’s grace in your everyday life?

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Before following Jesus, the apostle Paul’s life was anything but apostolic.  He held the coats of those who eventually killed young Steven (Act 7:58).  Also, he tried with all his might to stop this new thing called Christianity (Acts 9:2).  He persecuted Christians until one day Jesus knocked him off his donkey and radically changed his life.  Despite the horrendous things Paul had done, he understood that his new life in Christ was only due to the amazing grace of God in his life.  This reminds us of the reality that the darkness of our past allows the light of the grace of God to shine all the brighter.  Whatever happened in your life before you began following Jesus, God wants to use as a testimony of His grace so that others can turn to Him and be saved.

How might God want to use your story of redemption to bring others to Jesus?

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