Gardens Part 10-BUILDING BRIDGES
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2 Corinthians 5:11-6:1
Message Summary:
In a world of broken relationships and relational systems, God has called us to relate to the broken world through the transformative historic event of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
In that event:
Jesus died for all
New Creation began
God reconciled us to Him
God forgave all sin
God made Christ sin
Because of that event…
Christ’s love compels us
We regard everyone from a new creation point of view
We have a ministry of reconciliation
We are Christ’s ambassadors and God’s coworkers
We become the righteousness of God
In a world that builds walls, we are called to build bridges. We cannot build bridges if we are not first reconciled to God. As we are reconciled with Him, we partner with Him to share His grace with everyone we meet. Receive His reconciling arms today and build bridges with him everyday.
Explore more ideas on how to cultivate growth in the Relationship Garden with the Growth Plan at:
For Further Study:
Check out the Bible Project’s Summary of 2 Corinthians https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/2-corinthians/
Message Reflection Questions
Begin with silence.
What did God say to you through the message?
Where do you see relational brokenness in our world? Where do you experience that brokenness?
Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth was an attempt to rebuild a relationship. As you read 2 Corinthians 5:11-6:1 how does Paul describe God’s relationship towards humanity? How does Paul act as an ambassador for Christ in this passage?
Why does being reconciled to God through Christ affect how we relate to others?
What do you think it means to be a “Christ’s ambassadors” who are given the ministry and message of reconciliation?
Being an ambassador is about building bridges in relationships. Make a list of 5 ways we can build bridges with family, coworkers, neighbors and strangers.
What is one way that you want to incorporate a “bridgebuilding” mindset into your everyday life?
Close in prayer. Include prayers for renewal and revival in the church in America.
DAILY READINGS
For the Relational Garden series, we’re reading through the second letter to the Corinthians, to whom Paul was appealing for reconciliation and collaboration.
Monday: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
Tuesday: 2 Corinthians 1:12-22
Wednesday: 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11
Thursday: 2 Corinthians 2:12-17
Friday: 2 Corinthians 3:1-6
Saturday: 2 Corinthians 3:7-18
Helpful Instructions for reading
Start with silence. Recognize that the Jesus Paul talks about is the Jesus who is with you now.
Thank God for something that happened in the last 24 hours.
Read the verses. Ask: What is God saying about how we relate to Him and how we relate to others in this passage?
Review the memory verse for the series: 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.
Finish in prayer for yourself, your family, your neighbors, your co-workers, your church. Pray through the nations at www.prayercast.com/nations.html.