Post on 24-Jan-2016
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“LOVING OUR NEIGBOR”CW All-Church Retreat 2014
• Session 1 What Will the Neighbors Say?
—Getting off the Performance Track
• Session 2 The Crazy Neighbor —When People Try Your
Patience
• Session 3 Jumping the Neighbor’s Fence
—Getting to People Where They Live
• Session 4: Oh That Neighbor!
—Meeting the Hurting with an Open Heart
The Crazy Neighbor —When People Try Your Patience
Psalm 103:8-14; Matthew 17:17
Pastor Frank Riley
Session 2 [Saturday Morning]All-Church Retreat 2014
“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably
because generally they are the same people.”
G.K. Chesterton
God made the mountains….God made the Sky….
God made the people…God knows why.
He fixed up the planet as best as he could,
then in come the people and gummed it up good!
The Crazy Neighbor Sing Along
Crazy Neighbor Stories
When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on
my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is
suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the
water. I brought him to your disciples, but
they could not heal him.”Matthew 17:14-16
Jesus’ Crazy Neighbors
“You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with
you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring
the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon,
and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
Matthew 17:17-18
When things go bad…1. We leave too soon.2. We stop the conversation too easy.3. Instead, make a deal – I am gonna
love ya anyway.
Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t
we drive it out?” He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you,
if you have faith as small as a mustard
seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move
from here to there,’ and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:19-20
Is Compassionate and Gracious Even When Yours Isn’t.
God’s Heart Toward that Crazy Neighbor
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:13 NIV
Put up with each other. Forgive the things you are holding
against one another. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:13 [NIV Readers Version]
Put up with each other. Forgive the things you are holding
against one another. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:13 [NIV Readers Version]
Is Not Looking for Payback Even When Yours is.
God’s Heart Toward that Crazy Neighbor
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will
not always accuse, nor will he harbor his
anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins
deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
Psalm 103:8-10
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed
our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:11-12
Remembers Who They Are Even When You Have Forgotten.
God’s Heart Toward that Crazy Neighbor
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear
him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Psalm 103:13-14
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
1. Where do you struggle with having God’s heart for Crazy Neighbors?
2. Name a time in your life when God changed how you saw a neighbor.
3. We’ve all had times in our life when we have made mistakes and people have walked away. Talk about those walked and those who stayed to speak into your life.