Series: The Parables of Jesus

Service: Sun Bible Study

Type: Bible Class

Speaker: Rory Salimbene

Series: Authentic Relationships

Service: Praise and Preaching Service

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

The Role of Forgiveness in Building Authentic Relationships

Introduction: Why Forgiveness Matters

There are few experiences more painful than feeling unwanted or unforgiven. Most of us, at one point or another, have carried the heavy burden of fractured relationships—times when we apologized, tried to restore trust, and yet still walked away with the uneasy feeling that forgiveness had not been granted. That lack of closure gnaws at the heart and makes it nearly impossible to move forward in an authentic way.

Forgiveness is not just a theological concept tucked away in Scripture. It is the heartbeat of Christian relationships. Whether with God or with each other, forgiveness is the lifeblood that keeps relationships alive, healthy, and authentic. Without it, bitterness festers, trust crumbles, and love is choked out. With it, grace flourishes, relationships heal, and the church becomes a living testimony of God’s mercy.

This article explores why forgiveness is so essential, drawing from the Bible’s teaching, real stories from Scripture, and practical steps we can take. We will see that forgiveness is not optional—it is central to what it means to follow Jesus and to live in authentic community.

Forgiveness in the Teaching of Jesus

Near the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus performed a curious miracle. As He approached Jerusalem, He cursed a barren fig tree, and by the next day, the tree was withered to its roots. The disciples marveled, but Jesus used the moment to teach them about faith and prayer. He explained that faith-filled prayer could move mountains. Then He added a sobering warning:

“Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
— Mark 11:25–26

Think about the weight of that statement. The same Jesus who said prayer can move mountains also said that unforgiveness can neutralize prayer. That truth should shake us. Forgiveness is not optional—it is a prerequisite for effective prayer and for receiving God’s forgiveness ourselves.

Jesus repeated this principle in other places. In Luke 6:37 and Matthew 6:14–15, He clearly stated that if we withhold forgiveness from others, God will withhold His forgiveness from us. In Luke 17:3–4, He went even further, telling His disciples to forgive a brother even if he sinned against them seven times in a single day. In Matthew 18:22, He expanded it to “seventy times seven,” teaching us that forgiveness is meant to be unlimited.

The message is clear: God’s people are called to practice radical, repeated, and complete forgiveness.

The Call to Unlimited Forgiveness

When we hear “seventy times seven,” our minds do the math: 490 times. But Jesus was not setting a numerical limit; He was describing forgiveness without limit. After all, if we’re honest, haven’t each of us sinned against God more than 490 times in our lives? And yet, every time we come to Him in repentance, He forgives us fully.

Forgiveness is not only about frequency but also about depth. It extends to small slights and to devastating betrayals alike. As Paul reminded the Ephesians:

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
— Ephesians 4:31–32

Paul also echoed the same teaching in Colossians 3:12–14, urging believers to put on compassion, kindness, humility, and forgiveness, “even as Christ forgave you.” The key is recognizing how much God has forgiven us. If we think our sins against God are small, we will forgive sparingly. But if we grasp the enormity of our rebellion against Him, we will forgive generously.

Forgiveness in Action: Joseph and His Brothers

It’s one thing to read verses about forgiveness. It’s another to see forgiveness lived out in real life. The Bible gives us powerful examples, and perhaps none more dramatic than the story of Joseph and his brothers.

Joseph was not just teased or mistreated by his siblings. He was hated, betrayed, stripped of his coat, thrown into a pit, and sold into slavery for twenty pieces of silver. His brothers watched him beg for his life while they ate a meal nearby, and then they profited off his suffering by selling him to traveling merchants.

Years later, Joseph rose to power in Egypt, becoming second only to Pharaoh. During a devastating famine, his brothers came to him for food. He had every opportunity to exact revenge, to make them suffer as they had made him suffer. But when the moment of revelation came, Joseph wept and declared:

“I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not be grieved or angry with yourselves… for God sent me before you to preserve life.”
— Genesis 45:4–5

Notice what Joseph did:

1. He acknowledged the wrong — “You sold me.”
2. He released them from guilt — “Do not be grieved or angry with yourselves.”
3. He focused on God’s purpose — “God sent me before you to preserve life.”
4. He made no demands for repayment.

Even when their father Jacob died and his brothers feared Joseph might finally take revenge, Joseph reassured them again:

“Do not be afraid; you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Genesis 50:20)

Joseph showed that forgiveness is not about waiting for the offender to grovel long enough. It is about choosing to release them and focusing on God’s sovereignty.

Forgiveness in Action: Esau and Jacob

Another powerful story comes from Jacob and Esau. Jacob had cheated Esau out of both his birthright and his father’s blessing. Esau’s anger grew so intense that Jacob fled for his life. For years, Jacob lived with the weight of guilt, dreading the day he might have to face his brother again.

That day came in Genesis 33. Jacob approached with gifts and fear, but Esau did the unexpected:

“Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept.”
— Genesis 33:4

Instead of exacting revenge, Esau ran to Jacob, embraced him, and accepted him as a brother again. He even refused Jacob’s gifts at first, saying, “I have enough, my brother.” Ultimately, Esau demonstrated forgiveness by releasing the offense and even relocating to a different land to honor God’s promise to Jacob.

Esau’s forgiveness shows us that reconciliation often comes when we are content with what God has given us. A heart satisfied in God is a heart that can let go of grudges.

Practical Steps to Forgive

Forgiveness is easier to admire than to practice. How can we live it out in our own relationships? Here are several principles drawn from Scripture and these stories:

1. Practice forgiving small things regularly. If you cannot forgive minor offenses, you will never be able to forgive major ones.
2. Prepare your heart. Both Joseph and Esau had already forgiven long before the reunion. Forgiveness is a choice made in the heart before the words are spoken.
3. Plan difficult conversations. Be ready, like Joseph, to offer forgiveness in a way that helps the other person feel forgiven.
4. Refuse to bring up past offenses. Once forgiveness is extended, do not weaponize the past. If the other person brings it up again, reassure them of your forgiveness.
5. Offer practical help. Joseph not only forgave but also provided for his brothers and their families.
6. Be willing to sacrifice. Esau uprooted his family rather than force repayment from Jacob.
7. Regularly reflect on God’s forgiveness toward you. The more we remember the cross, the easier it is to forgive others.

Forgiveness as a Witness to the World

Forgiveness is not only about healing personal relationships—it is about reflecting God’s heart to the world. Just as fathers teach their children something about God’s fatherhood, so our forgiveness teaches people about God’s mercy. When others experience forgiveness from us, they get a taste of what God’s forgiveness feels like.

That’s why unforgiveness is so dangerous. It doesn’t just harm our prayers or our personal relationships. It misrepresents God. An unforgiving Christian is preaching a false gospel with their life. But a forgiving Christian becomes a living testimony of the God who forgives sins fully, finally, and forever.

The Greatest Forgiver

At the end of the day, every story of forgiveness points us back to the cross. Joseph forgave his brothers, Esau forgave Jacob, but Jesus is the ultimate forgiver. On the cross, while being mocked, beaten, and executed unjustly, He prayed:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
— Luke 23:34

God’s forgiveness is total. He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west. He remembers them no more. And He calls us not only to receive that forgiveness but also to extend it to others.

Conclusion: Living as Forgiven and Forgiving People

Forgiveness is not easy. It cuts against our instinct for justice, our desire to see others “pay” for what they have done. But forgiveness is the way of the cross. It is the way of authentic relationships. And it is the way God deals with us.

As Christians, we are called to practice forgiveness in our marriages, our families, our churches, and our communities. We forgive not because others always deserve it but because we have been forgiven far more than we could ever repay.

If you are struggling to forgive someone, reflect on how much God has forgiven you. And if you are struggling to feel forgiven yourself, remember that God’s grace is real, complete, and freely offered through Jesus Christ.

Authentic relationships are built on the foundation of forgiveness. May we live it out daily, showing the world what God’s forgiveness looks like.

Series: N/A

Service: Lord’s Supper Service

Type: Lord's Supper Talk

Speaker: Brian Messerli

Series: N/A

Service: Wed Bible Study

Type: Invitation

Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

Series: The Parables of Jesus

Service: Wed Bible Study

Type: Bible Class

Speaker: Mike Allen

Series: N/A

Service: Sun Bible Study

Type: Bible Class

Speaker: Phil Story

Series: N/A

Service: Lord’s Supper Service

Type: Lord's Supper Talk

Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

We’ve spent the past few weeks remembering Jesus by walking through some of the most emotional moments of His life—moments that revealed not only His humanity but also His divinity. When His family rejected Him, He didn’t respond in anger or bitterness. When God’s family rejected Him, He didn’t retaliate or withdraw. Instead, He turned rejection into redemption, always using His emotions to draw people closer to God, never to push them away.

We saw Him enter the temple courts early in His ministry and drive out those who were turning His Father’s house into a marketplace. But near the end of His life, He returned to find the same abuse taking place. This time, His focus seemed to shift—not merely to the disrespect for God’s house but to the oppression of God’s people. The temple was supposed to be a house of prayer for all nations, a place where even Gentiles could draw near to God. Yet the very people meant to represent God had made that impossible.

Everywhere Jesus went, He experienced human emotion. But He didn’t simply feel what we feel; He responded to those feelings in a perfectly divine way. That’s what makes Him so remarkable.

There’s a Greek word used twelve times in the New Testament to describe this divine reaction to emotion. Each time it’s applied to a person, that person is Jesus. The word is splagchnizomai, and it’s usually translated moved with compassion.

Three other times the word appears in parables Jesus told: the king who forgave an enormous debt, the Good Samaritan who stopped to help a beaten stranger, and the father who ran to embrace his prodigal son. Those parables give us glimpses into the heart of God, but when Scripture uses this word of Jesus Himself, we’re seeing compassion not just described but embodied.

Jesus alone could take the deepest human feelings—sorrow, frustration, pity, tenderness—and channel them into a perfect, godly response. He was never ruled by emotion; He ruled over it, using it as a vessel for divine mercy.

One of the clearest windows into this compassion is found in Matthew 9:35–38.

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

At first glance, these verses can seem ordinary—just another snapshot of Jesus doing what Jesus does. But if we slow down, there’s a world of meaning here.

Matthew paints a picture of constant motion: Jesus traveling from city to city, village to village. That phrase alone says a lot. He went. He didn’t wait for people to come to Him. He didn’t stay home in the comfort of familiar surroundings. He went—again and again—to the people who needed Him most.

Travel in those days wasn’t convenient. No hotels, no luggage, no car rides with air-conditioning. Every trip required walking dusty roads, arranging lodging, feeding a group of disciples, and facing opposition at nearly every stop.

Most of us can relate to the feeling of being overwhelmed by endless demands. The to-do list never ends. As soon as we finish one set of tasks, another appears. That’s how Jesus lived—surrounded by needs, never short of people to heal, teach, or comfort. When He finished helping one crowd, another was already gathering.

He healed every sickness and every disease. He never turned anyone away. Yet He was human. He grew tired. He felt the drain of constant expectation. And wherever He went, enemies waited—scribes, Pharisees, and skeptics eager to trap Him or humiliate Him. Every step brought new people to help and new people determined to hurt Him.

No wonder He felt weary. He was sick of seeing sickness. He was tired of death and brokenness. He knew this was never how the world was meant to be. Sin had twisted everything, and He bore the weight of it daily.

And then, in that moment described in Matthew 9, He looked out over another crowd—“multitudes,” Matthew says. A sea of people, all needy, all broken. And instead of frustration, instead of resentment, something stirred deep inside Him: He was moved with compassion.

Jesus saw what we might have missed. To the casual observer, the crowd was just another mob pressing in for miracles. But Jesus looked deeper. He saw hearts that were weary, souls that were scattered, lives with no direction.

He compared them to sheep without a shepherd—vulnerable, exposed, wandering in confusion. Sheep without a shepherd can’t find food, can’t protect themselves, can’t stay together. They are completely helpless. That’s what Jesus saw when He looked at humanity.

We might have looked for an escape. We would have pulled away, sought rest, or shut the door for some peace and quiet. But Jesus didn’t retreat. His compassion compelled Him to act.

The word moved with compassion isn’t just an emotion—it’s a movement from the gut, a stirring so deep that it leads to action. Jesus didn’t just feel sorry for people; He stepped toward them.

And yet, He recognized something important. The work was too big for one person, even for the Son of Man living in human flesh. So He told His disciples, “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” In other words, Ask the Father to multiply compassion.

He didn’t pray for the crowds to go away. He didn’t ask for easier days or lighter burdens. He prayed for reinforcements—more workers, more hearts willing to feel what He felt and do what He did.

That prayer didn’t go unanswered. It began to unfold in the book of Acts. When persecution hit Jerusalem, the disciples were scattered. But rather than silencing the gospel, it spread it. Luke tells us, “Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.”

In that moment, God turned suffering into mission. The prayer for more laborers was being answered in a way no one could have imagined. Compassion multiplied. The shepherd’s heart was being reproduced in His followers.

But even that wasn’t the full picture. Because the deepest compassion Jesus ever showed wasn’t when He healed the sick or fed the hungry. It was when He saw our spiritual sickness—our sin, our separation from God—and chose to do something about it that only divinity could do.

He didn’t just touch the leper; He became unclean for us. He didn’t just raise a widow’s son; He went to His own death so we could live. He didn’t just feel compassion; He embodied it on the cross.

When He looked down from heaven and saw us—lost, weary, scattered—He didn’t turn away. He was moved with compassion. And the only adequate divine response to that emotion was sacrifice.

His body was broken. His blood was poured out. The Shepherd laid down His life for the sheep.

Think about that. Every human feels compassion at times, but our ability to act on it is limited. We see someone in pain and want to help, but we don’t always have the means. We want to comfort, but words fall short. We want to heal, but our touch can’t restore.

Jesus had no such limitation. When He was moved with compassion, power flowed from Him. Blind eyes opened. Broken hearts were restored. The dead lived again.

But even more, His compassion didn’t stop with temporary relief. It aimed for eternal restoration. He came not only to heal diseases but to conquer the disease behind every disease—sin itself.

That’s why His compassion is divine. It doesn’t just feel; it saves. It doesn’t just notice suffering; it ends it.

And that’s why Matthew 9 is so much more than a travel summary. It’s a glimpse into the heart of the Savior—the same heart that beats for you.

When we see need after need, it’s easy to grow numb. The world’s brokenness can feel overwhelming. The temptation is to retreat—to close the door, scroll past the pain, or tell ourselves there’s nothing more we can do.

But Jesus’ example challenges that instinct. He didn’t hide from the multitudes. He walked toward them. He felt the full weight of human weariness and still moved forward with divine compassion.

That doesn’t mean we can meet every need ourselves. Even Jesus called for help. But it does mean we should pray the same prayer He taught His disciples: that God would raise up more workers—people filled with His compassion, willing to go, willing to serve, willing to see others as He sees them.

Every time we extend mercy, every time we share the gospel, every time we sacrifice for someone else, we’re answering that prayer. We’re stepping into the harvest as part of His divine response.

And when we come to the Lord’s table, we remember where that compassion led. The same Jesus who was moved with compassion for the crowds allowed Himself to be moved to the cross for us.

The bread reminds us that His body was broken—not by accident, but by love. The cup reminds us that His blood was poured out—not because He lost control, but because compassion demanded a divine response.

As we eat and drink, we remember a Savior who didn’t just pity us but acted for us. He didn’t turn away when He saw our need; He moved toward it, all the way to Calvary.

There’s never been a time when Jesus looked at broken, shepherdless people and turned His back. From the leper who begged for cleansing, to the widow whose son lay lifeless, to the multitudes wandering without direction, His compassion always moved Him to act.

And that same compassion continues today. When He looks at your life—your exhaustion, your fears, your scattered thoughts—He still sees a sheep in need of a shepherd. And His response is the same: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

He’s still moved with compassion. He still invites us to follow. And He still calls us to pray that others will go into the fields to bring more weary souls home.

That’s what it means to remember Jesus—not only what He did, but how He felt, how He saw us, and how He responded.

So as we gather around the table today, let’s remember the One who met human emotion with divine mercy. Let’s thank the Shepherd who gave His life for the sheep. And let’s go into the world moved by the same compassion that moved Him.

Series: N/A

Service: Praise and Preaching Service

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

Sermon delivered August 10, 2025

Tags: Christian Fellowship, House-to-House Groups, Church Community, Biblical Relationships, Small Groups, Christian Living

Today marks a unique lesson in many ways. While we typically don't share sermon outlines with the elders beforehand, this message was important enough that we wanted everyone on the same page. After the elders reviewed it last week, they confirmed it's time to move forward with restarting our house-to-house groups beginning next month.

I'll be honest—in preparing this lesson, I was pleasantly surprised at how much the Bible talks about Christians being together and the value of believers sharing life outside this building. The scriptures reveal how valuable it is for brothers and sisters to sit around tables, eat together, and discuss life while being involved in one another's lives regularly.

Note: Every slide today features different pictures of us eating and spending time together. I switched from stock photos to real photos of our congregation late last night, so you might see yourself—or wonder why you're not in every picture! Don't worry, it doesn't mean you haven't been active in fellowship.

Let's start with this fundamental truth: Christianity is deeply relational. Ephesians 2:19 tells us, "Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

This passage reveals three crucial points:

We are no longer foreigners or strangers—we belong. As a congregation, we want everyone to feel a sense of belonging, knowing they are part of God's household. Every visitor, every member should know they belong here.

We are members of God's household, not just spiritual acquaintances. There's a difference between having a friend and having an acquaintance, between having a brother or sister and having an acquaintance. We are family—brothers and sisters.

We are being shaped together into a spiritual home where the Spirit dwells. This is deeply relational language.

The New Testament contains over 100 instances of Christians being called brothers and sisters. That says a lot about the family relationship God intends for us.

Romans 12 instructs us to "be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another" and to be "given to hospitality." Verse 15 commands us to "rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."

Here's the practical question: How can we rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep when we don't know who's rejoicing and who's weeping? You ever find out someone got a new job a year after they started it? "Why didn't I know so I could have rejoiced with you?" Or discover someone was suffering through a difficult time, but we weren't there to help because we didn't know?

If we're going to follow these commands, we have to know who's rejoicing and who's weeping when it happens. The only way we can do that is to spend time together.

Let's face it—this Sunday worship time is vital for worshiping God and studying His word together, but solid relationships really can't develop only here. Here it's "How you doing?" "Fine." "How are you?" "Good." You're trying to talk to thirty people before you leave, and you don't have time to sit down and really develop strong relationships.

Look at how Jesus demonstrated this principle. In Luke 5:27-32, Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) to follow Him. What did Levi do first? "Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house, and there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them."

The Pharisees complained about Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, but Jesus used this shared meal as the setting to call sinners to repentance. Without this shared meal, there was no motivation or setting to call these people to repent. Jesus shows us that hospitality can open people's hearts to the gospel.

In Luke 7, a Pharisee invited Jesus to eat with him. During this meal, a woman came and washed Jesus' feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed them with oil. The host was thinking, "If this guy were really a prophet, he'd know what kind of awful woman this is."

Jesus used this moment to teach about forgiveness through a parable about two debtors—one owing a little, one owing much. When both debts were forgiven, which debtor loved more? The one forgiven more. Jesus then compared the woman's lavish attention to the host's minimal hospitality, declaring her sins forgiven.

This meal became the platform for deep spiritual transformation.

Even after the resurrection, Jesus chose to share meals with His disciples. At the Sea of Galilee, He cooked breakfast for them—fish and bread over a fire. John 21:12 records Jesus saying, "Come and eat breakfast." This setting allowed Jesus to restore Peter's heart and give him his mission.

Side note: One of our upcoming groups will focus on food and the Bible. We'll discuss meals throughout scripture and which biblical meals we'd want to attend. This breakfast on the Sea of Galilee with Jesus cooking would be pretty amazing, wouldn't it? I think Jesus probably cooked the best fish you'd ever taste in your life.

Acts 2:42-47 describes the early church: "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers... So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people."

This is where we get our phrase "house to house." These early Christians shared their faith, their meals, their possessions, and their time. Their connection was both spiritual and deeply personal. Biblical fellowship means sharing together or having something in common—it's more than just being together; it's sharing life together.

In John 13:34-35, Jesus gives us our defining characteristic: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Jesus says our love for one another—not just our doctrine or worship (though both are important)—will be the defining mark of our discipleship. We can agree doctrinally and worship together, but if we don't love one another, we've missed the defining mark of being a spiritual family.

This connects to our growth cycle: We worship God, we study His word, and we love one another. Today's focus is on how we can develop opportunities to be together outside these four walls and love one another.

First Thessalonians 5:14 instructs us to "warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all." Galatians 6:1-3 tells us to "restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness" and "bear one another's burdens."

These commands require closeness. We can't warn, comfort, or uphold from a distance. What if we don't know people well enough to distinguish between someone who's unruly (knows better but chooses wrong), someone who's fainthearted (struggling and needs encouragement), or someone who's weak (tired and needs support)? If we comfort the unruly and warn the fainthearted, we're treating people incorrectly because we don't know their hearts.

Jeff mentioned this as his defining verse for shepherding—knowing who needs what. Some people need direct confrontation because they know what they're doing is wrong. Others are struggling with sin but trying not to do it and need gentle support. Some are just tired. How do we bear one another's burdens if we don't know what those burdens are?

The goal isn't that everybody shares their burdens with every member. You need some people in this group who, when you have a problem, you can turn to for help.

This brings us to our practical application. The elders, deacons, and preachers have been working on this for quite a while. We've even run pilot programs for all four groups we're announcing today.

The Goal Remains the Same: Give members opportunities to get closer to one another and love one another more deeply. That was always the goal of house-to-house groups.

Personally, I wouldn't have known how wonderful the Allens are without house-to-house groups. We probably wouldn't have spent as much time together. I wouldn't have understood what important pillars the Crowders are to this church without getting to know them better through these groups. When we arrived here, house-to-house was already going, and it was so helpful for jumping in and getting to know people automatically.

We are a very good and loving group. The elders want us to keep doing what we're doing. We have a shortage of "instigators"—people who are very outgoing and want to plan everything. We have many people willing to participate and attend, but planning takes work. This system helps ensure everyone has opportunities to grow together as scripture intends.

More Flexible Format: Each group will look different. All will include Bible discussion, but some will center on service, Bible characters, or building relationships across generations.

Monthly Meetings: Instead of six straight weeks, we're meeting once a month for three months (September, October, November). This allows relationship depth while being less overwhelming than six consecutive weeks.

Emphasis on Shared Meals: We're encouraging (not mandating) hosts to include meals. This doesn't mean the host does everything—you can have potlucks. The point is being together and eating together, sharing our lives.

Integrated Spiritual Discussion: Historically, we've drawn a stark line between "spiritual" activities and "non-spiritual" ones like eating. We're going to be spiritual around the table together. Some spiritual discussions will happen while we're eating, just as Jesus and the apostles modeled.

No More One-Point Prayers: We'll pray together, but not in the format where everyone says one thing around the circle. If that was keeping you from coming, that's no longer a concern.

1. Food and the Bible - Exploring incredible meals throughout scripture and relationships built around food
2. Book Discussion - Reading "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis, led by Dave
3. Bible Characters - Discussing real people making real decisions with real consequences, and how we relate to them
4. Multi-Generational Component - Sign up by your generation (Baby Boomers and older born before 1964, Generation X, etc.) to build relationships across age groups, focusing on biblical mentoring relationships

Shelly and I want to support your kids' activities—baseball games, soccer games, spelling bees, talent shows. We want to come show support and know your activities are important. If you're open to church friends attending and want to share schedules, let me know. We'll try to organize groups to attend together.

I want to be honest—some people might not want us coming, and that's okay. The last thing we want is for someone to strike out because they're nervous about church people watching. We're just looking to support you.

Sign-up sheets will be posted in the back when we dismiss. You can sign up today or think about it. Visitors are welcome—we're opening these up so family members visiting or neighbors you've been talking to can join your group.

The most important relationship you can have is with God through Jesus Christ. He looked at you, knew you were a mess, had compassion on you, and died on the cross so we could be brothers and sisters in the same household, citizens of heaven, part of the same body.

If you're not in proper relationship with God, talk to me, talk to an elder, talk to someone about how to establish that relationship. We'd love to help you. If you already know how, we can take care of that today. Getting right with God through Jesus is the most important thing, and we're here to help.

This article serves as a written summary of the sermon delivered on August 10, 2025, announcing the restart of house-to-house groups beginning in September.

Series: N/A

Service: Praise and Preaching Service

Type: Sermon

Speaker: Dwayne Gandy

Sermon delivered August 10, 2025

Tags: Christian Fellowship, House-to-House Groups, Church Community, Biblical Relationships, Small Groups, Christian Living

Today marks a unique lesson in many ways. While we typically don't share sermon outlines with the elders beforehand, this message was important enough that we wanted everyone on the same page. After the elders reviewed it last week, they confirmed it's time to move forward with restarting our house-to-house groups beginning next month.

I'll be honest—in preparing this lesson, I was pleasantly surprised at how much the Bible talks about Christians being together and the value of believers sharing life outside this building. The scriptures reveal how valuable it is for brothers and sisters to sit around tables, eat together, and discuss life while being involved in one another's lives regularly.

Note: Every slide today features different pictures of us eating and spending time together. I switched from stock photos to real photos of our congregation late last night, so you might see yourself—or wonder why you're not in every picture! Don't worry, it doesn't mean you haven't been active in fellowship.

Let's start with this fundamental truth: Christianity is deeply relational. Ephesians 2:19 tells us, "Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

This passage reveals three crucial points:

We are no longer foreigners or strangers—we belong. As a congregation, we want everyone to feel a sense of belonging, knowing they are part of God's household. Every visitor, every member should know they belong here.

We are members of God's household, not just spiritual acquaintances. There's a difference between having a friend and having an acquaintance, between having a brother or sister and having an acquaintance. We are family—brothers and sisters.

We are being shaped together into a spiritual home where the Spirit dwells. This is deeply relational language.

The New Testament contains over 100 instances of Christians being called brothers and sisters. That says a lot about the family relationship God intends for us.

Romans 12 instructs us to "be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another" and to be "given to hospitality." Verse 15 commands us to "rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."

Here's the practical question: How can we rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep when we don't know who's rejoicing and who's weeping? You ever find out someone got a new job a year after they started it? "Why didn't I know so I could have rejoiced with you?" Or discover someone was suffering through a difficult time, but we weren't there to help because we didn't know?

If we're going to follow these commands, we have to know who's rejoicing and who's weeping when it happens. The only way we can do that is to spend time together.

Let's face it—this Sunday worship time is vital for worshiping God and studying His word together, but solid relationships really can't develop only here. Here it's "How you doing?" "Fine." "How are you?" "Good." You're trying to talk to thirty people before you leave, and you don't have time to sit down and really develop strong relationships.

Look at how Jesus demonstrated this principle. In Luke 5:27-32, Jesus calls Levi (Matthew) to follow Him. What did Levi do first? "Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house, and there were a great number of tax collectors and others who sat down with them."

The Pharisees complained about Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, but Jesus used this shared meal as the setting to call sinners to repentance. Without this shared meal, there was no motivation or setting to call these people to repent. Jesus shows us that hospitality can open people's hearts to the gospel.

In Luke 7, a Pharisee invited Jesus to eat with him. During this meal, a woman came and washed Jesus' feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, and anointed them with oil. The host was thinking, "If this guy were really a prophet, he'd know what kind of awful woman this is."

Jesus used this moment to teach about forgiveness through a parable about two debtors—one owing a little, one owing much. When both debts were forgiven, which debtor loved more? The one forgiven more. Jesus then compared the woman's lavish attention to the host's minimal hospitality, declaring her sins forgiven.

This meal became the platform for deep spiritual transformation.

Even after the resurrection, Jesus chose to share meals with His disciples. At the Sea of Galilee, He cooked breakfast for them—fish and bread over a fire. John 21:12 records Jesus saying, "Come and eat breakfast." This setting allowed Jesus to restore Peter's heart and give him his mission.

Side note: One of our upcoming groups will focus on food and the Bible. We'll discuss meals throughout scripture and which biblical meals we'd want to attend. This breakfast on the Sea of Galilee with Jesus cooking would be pretty amazing, wouldn't it? I think Jesus probably cooked the best fish you'd ever taste in your life.

Acts 2:42-47 describes the early church: "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers... So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people."

This is where we get our phrase "house to house." These early Christians shared their faith, their meals, their possessions, and their time. Their connection was both spiritual and deeply personal. Biblical fellowship means sharing together or having something in common—it's more than just being together; it's sharing life together.

In John 13:34-35, Jesus gives us our defining characteristic: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Jesus says our love for one another—not just our doctrine or worship (though both are important)—will be the defining mark of our discipleship. We can agree doctrinally and worship together, but if we don't love one another, we've missed the defining mark of being a spiritual family.

This connects to our growth cycle: We worship God, we study His word, and we love one another. Today's focus is on how we can develop opportunities to be together outside these four walls and love one another.

First Thessalonians 5:14 instructs us to "warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all." Galatians 6:1-3 tells us to "restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness" and "bear one another's burdens."

These commands require closeness. We can't warn, comfort, or uphold from a distance. What if we don't know people well enough to distinguish between someone who's unruly (knows better but chooses wrong), someone who's fainthearted (struggling and needs encouragement), or someone who's weak (tired and needs support)? If we comfort the unruly and warn the fainthearted, we're treating people incorrectly because we don't know their hearts.

Jeff mentioned this as his defining verse for shepherding—knowing who needs what. Some people need direct confrontation because they know what they're doing is wrong. Others are struggling with sin but trying not to do it and need gentle support. Some are just tired. How do we bear one another's burdens if we don't know what those burdens are?

The goal isn't that everybody shares their burdens with every member. You need some people in this group who, when you have a problem, you can turn to for help.

This brings us to our practical application. The elders, deacons, and preachers have been working on this for quite a while. We've even run pilot programs for all four groups we're announcing today.

The Goal Remains the Same: Give members opportunities to get closer to one another and love one another more deeply. That was always the goal of house-to-house groups.

Personally, I wouldn't have known how wonderful the Allens are without house-to-house groups. We probably wouldn't have spent as much time together. I wouldn't have understood what important pillars the Crowders are to this church without getting to know them better through these groups. When we arrived here, house-to-house was already going, and it was so helpful for jumping in and getting to know people automatically.

We are a very good and loving group. The elders want us to keep doing what we're doing. We have a shortage of "instigators"—people who are very outgoing and want to plan everything. We have many people willing to participate and attend, but planning takes work. This system helps ensure everyone has opportunities to grow together as scripture intends.

More Flexible Format: Each group will look different. All will include Bible discussion, but some will center on service, Bible characters, or building relationships across generations.

Monthly Meetings: Instead of six straight weeks, we're meeting once a month for three months (September, October, November). This allows relationship depth while being less overwhelming than six consecutive weeks.

Emphasis on Shared Meals: We're encouraging (not mandating) hosts to include meals. This doesn't mean the host does everything—you can have potlucks. The point is being together and eating together, sharing our lives.

Integrated Spiritual Discussion: Historically, we've drawn a stark line between "spiritual" activities and "non-spiritual" ones like eating. We're going to be spiritual around the table together. Some spiritual discussions will happen while we're eating, just as Jesus and the apostles modeled.

No More One-Point Prayers: We'll pray together, but not in the format where everyone says one thing around the circle. If that was keeping you from coming, that's no longer a concern.

1. Food and the Bible - Exploring incredible meals throughout scripture and relationships built around food
2. Book Discussion - Reading "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis, led by Dave
3. Bible Characters - Discussing real people making real decisions with real consequences, and how we relate to them
4. Multi-Generational Component - Sign up by your generation (Baby Boomers and older born before 1964, Generation X, etc.) to build relationships across age groups, focusing on biblical mentoring relationships

Shelly and I want to support your kids' activities—baseball games, soccer games, spelling bees, talent shows. We want to come show support and know your activities are important. If you're open to church friends attending and want to share schedules, let me know. We'll try to organize groups to attend together.

I want to be honest—some people might not want us coming, and that's okay. The last thing we want is for someone to strike out because they're nervous about church people watching. We're just looking to support you.

Sign-up sheets will be posted in the back when we dismiss. You can sign up today or think about it. Visitors are welcome—we're opening these up so family members visiting or neighbors you've been talking to can join your group.

The most important relationship you can have is with God through Jesus Christ. He looked at you, knew you were a mess, had compassion on you, and died on the cross so we could be brothers and sisters in the same household, citizens of heaven, part of the same body.

If you're not in proper relationship with God, talk to me, talk to an elder, talk to someone about how to establish that relationship. We'd love to help you. If you already know how, we can take care of that today. Getting right with God through Jesus is the most important thing, and we're here to help.

This article serves as a written summary of the sermon delivered on August 10, 2025, announcing the restart of house-to-house groups beginning in September.

Series: N/A

Service: Wed Bible Study

Type: Bible Class

Speaker: Daniel Fritz