Matt's House: Arbutus, MD

Man with all this Snow and Craziness the past few weeks I’m feeling Relationally Distant from many of your guy’s…How the heck are you?

We thought Valentine’s Day would be a great Day to launch into a Series on Relationship!

Relational Force Poll

 Question: Raise your hand if you’ve ever been negatively impacted in a Relationship?

 Question: Raise your hand if you’ve ever been positively influenced in Relationship?

 Question: If you find being relational difficult raise your hands?

 Question: If you find being relational easy raise your hands?

Introduction

In Galatians 6 we are challenged by the Apostle Paul to Live out of The Force of Relationship with our fellow human beings and he writes, “Carry each others Burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

 Relationship is the Most Powerful and Influential Force operating on this Planet…The success of Valentine’s Day can be attributed to it…

Think About it for A Moment…

 Question: Isn’t Engaging in Authentic Relationship with God and Others what Following Christ is all about?

 Question: Where would Haiti and it’s people be right now if the World had not have engaged Haiti with it’s Resources and engaged Haiti and it’s people?

Statement: To us this sounds unthinkable, but yet the truth is Many People Responded to meet Haiti’s Emergency Needs, and just as many chose NOT TO Respond…the Force of Relationship.

Illustration: Snow Plowing…Result of Good Relationship = All Streets Plowed; Result of Bad Relationship = Some Streets Plowed.

 If the Command Center has designed a perfect strategy and the Drivers/Operators perfectly complete their assignments then All Streets are Plowed!

 If the Command Center has a flawed Strategy and/or the Drivers/Operators choose not to complete their Assignments then ONLY SOME Streets are Plowed!

 Question: Who wants to live on the street that isn’t plowed? Anyone?

Diagram Relationship – Positional and Proximal (Engage/Disengage).

Illustration: Movie “Couples Retreat,” Vince Vaughn; gives a great example of the difference between Engaging in or Disengaging in Relationship as the couples undergo Couples Therapy…Position/Proximity.

Intimacy vs. Distance and Trust vs. Distrust

 Illustration: My sisters Text: “How are you doing…I know George means a lot to you.”

 Illustration: Desire and Promise of Sledding – If I take the time and engage my son this experience builds a stronger relational bond; If I don’t take the time or engage my son during this experience it cause distance and distrust a turning away from me.

 Illustration: George & Family…

Statement: Think about the Force of Relationships in your life…

 Question: How have Good Relationships impacted you or influenced you?

 Question: How have Bad/None Existent Relationships impacted you or influenced you?

Small Group Questions

 Question: Why is Good Relationship so valuable, so important to human beings?

 Question: How can Relationships be destructive or harmful to people?

 Question: Can you recall a Relationship you once had or have that had a positive influence in your life? Now, share that memory with the group?

 Question: Name a relationship that had a negative impact on your life? How did that negative impact affect you?

Bible

Ephesians 1:3-5 (Speaks of The Force of God’s Relationship and Plans for us before the Creation of the World)

Psalm 139:1-10 (Speaks of The Force of God’s Relational Presence with us and how we cannot escape that Relational Presence)

Genesis 1:26-27 (Speaks of high value of The Force of Relationship…God only chose one thing out of all His Creation, everything he made to Bear His Image, to be like Him…Man! God is Relational – thus, Man is Relational…We Carry With Us The Force of Relationship…the single most powerful weapon on earth…we are impacted by it and through it we impact our world.)

 Illustration: Faith’s “I want to Serve you Daddy.”

 Team Building Exercise

During this Series we will explore The Force of Relationship in Three Different Contexts:

 Relationship as a Force in Your Life

 Relationship as a Force in Church

 Relationship as a Force in Our World

Relational Temperature Check

 Question: How is your Relationship with God?

 Question: How are your Relationships within the Church…Matt’s House?

 Question: How are your Relationships in your world: home, at work, at school?

Statement: If there is any tension in these Relational Arenas, then you have a problem that needs addressing!

Statement: If you don’t address the tension in these Relational Arenas, then The Force of Relationship will affect you and others negatively!

Gatherings on Sundays

Time: 11:07 AM

Directions (Google Maps)