Essence: Serving One Another (Galatians 5:13)

a discussion series from the pages of -
Authentic Relationships: Discover the lost art of “one anothering”
by Wayne and Clay Jacobsen
ISBN 978-0-8010-6451-7

Lesson Focus: Serving one another  (Lightening the Load  – chapter 7 p.79-87)

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. (Galatians 5:13 NLT)

Paul actually said “when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.” (Galatians 5:18)

What does that mean to us?

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22 NLT)

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.  (Galatians 6:2 NLT)

What’s important is that we let love motivate us as the Spirit makes us aware of opportunities to serve. Serving out of obedience alone is slavery; serving with love is a joy. (p. 83)

“When a friend is in trouble, don’t annoy him by asking if there is anything you can do. Think up something appropriate and do it.” – E.W. Howe (Publisher of the Golden Globe Newspaper, Golden, CO 1873)

So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT)

Nourishing one another’s spiritual life is simply serving spiritual food to those who cross our paths. How can we do that? Whenever you get some time with another believer, look for ways to share what God is teaching you and doing in you. (p. 86)

Wrap Up: The single most important one is to be one in Christ, after that the one anothers will flourish around you. The more one anothering you do, the more vividly you will see the hand of God working through you. It is environments like this that build up the body of Christ from its Origins.