God has graciously provided us with a diverse community of faith. Rather than judging or worrying about our differences, let’s strive to love one another. When issues come up, we can work them out rather than dividing.
Romans 12:3-8 God just loves diversity. We see this so clearly by looking at how many kinds of fish, or dogs, or flowers he made. Within the church too, we find lots of diversity with respect to gifts. Rather than worrying about differences, let’s work together to serve God as a community.
Romans 12:9-13 The great key to community unity is love. Rather than thinking of yourself as a spectator or, even worse, a critic, get involved and find ways to contribute to the community of faith.
Romans 12:14-18 All groups of people face conflict from time to time. Thankfully Jesus did not leave us without clear guidance on what to do when you’re offended (Mat 18:15-17, 21-22).
Romans 14:1-6 Some of us are weaker in our faith while others are stronger. We should cut each other some slack and prioritize community over our individual rights.
Romans 14:13-20 It’s easy to judge one another on secondary issues that are not clearly stated in the Bible. Everyone has their own shortcomings and limitations, which may be quite different than yours.
Romans 16:17-19 Divisiveness, however, is to be avoided. The issue is not whether or not you should stay part of the community, but how can you work the issue out that’s bothering you in a godly way.
Pastor Sean used the Bible version NRSVUE
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