One Another: Comfort One Another

2 Cor 1:3-11
1. God comforts us in all of our troubles. 2 Cor 1:4.
2. Affliction is a part of the human experience. 2 Cor 11:23-26; Jas 1:2-4
3. God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but he comforts us to make us comforters. 2 Cor 1:4. Comfort: to come alongside. God will come alongside us, even as we walk through the most painful things. He uses our pain, and wants us to comfort others.
4. Don't waste your pain. Acts 16:30-33. Paul was wounded, but he was praising Jesus and comforting others.
5. Our hope is in God. When you really need comfort, lean in to God. 2 Cor 1:8-9.
6. Put a little praise on your pain.

One Another: Forgive One Another

It's easy to love forgiveness when I'm the one being forgiven. It's hard to forgive others.

Reasons we give for not forgiving others:
1. I can't forgive, it's too big, too painful.
2. I need some time.
3. I'll forgive when they say they're sorry.
4. I can't forgive if I can't forget.
5. If I forgive, they'll just hurt me again.

Col 2:13-14, 3:5, 8, 12-13; our sins were forgiven through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.
Mt 18:21-35

1. There is no scorecard in forgiveness. We need to have a heart of forgiveness.
2. Unforgiveness with affect you.
3. Unforgiveness will affect everyone around you.
4. Unforgiveness will affect your relationship with God. Mt 6:14-15 If you forgive others, your Father will forgive you.
5. Because we've been forgiven much, we forgive.
6. Forgiveness is a command, not a suggestion.

One Another: Love One Another

Jn 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

How Jesus loved us:
1. Jesus Loved Conspicuously: (standing out so as to be clearly seen) Agape - love is an action, a choice (i.e. healing the sick, being a servant, stood up for the outcasts and spent time with sinners). Eph 5:1; 1 Jn 3:18; 1 Cor 13:1-3
2. Jesus Loved Sacrificially: Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 4:8. To love sacrificially the way Jesus loved, is often inconvenient.
3. Jesus Loved Unconditionally: Rom 5:8; Jn 6:32, 35; Lk 6:35; 23:34
4. Jesus Loved Deeply: The woman at the well - Jn 4; 1 Pet 4:8

What is the distinguishing mark of my life? What characteristic would people say about me?