Love Must Have an Object

In one paragraph

This message was the eighth installment in the pastor's series walking through the twelve steps as a biblical framework for the Christian life. He recapped the first seven steps before turning to step eight, which he described as the hardest one to present: making a list of all the persons we have harmed and becoming willing to make amends to them all. Step nine, with its supporting scripture, was...

Read together

1. Psalm 51 Carl read it before one of the songs; cited as a model for self-examination: 'Search me and see if there be any wicked way in me'
2. 1 John 1:9 if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness
3. James 5:16 be confessing your sins to each other and praying for each other so that you might be healed; the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective
4. John 3 Jesus speaking to Nicodemus about rebirth; unless you are born from above you will not get free from these things
5. John 5 the man by the Pool of Bethesda; Jesus asks 'are you willing to be well?' used to illustrate being entirely ready for God to work
6. John 15 the Holy Spirit's jobs: to illuminate scripture, convict of sin, and convince of righteousness
7. Ephesians 4 just as God in Christ has forgiven us, cited on how we are to forgive others
8. Colossians 3 just as God has forgiven us, cited alongside Ephesians 4 on how we are to forgive
9. Romans 5:8 while we were yet sinners Christ died for us; He took the first step even though we might not accept it

Talk about it

1. The pastor described steps one, two, and three as needing to be revisited whenever we recognize a new problem we had not seen before. When have you found yourself needing to go back to the beginning and admit powerlessness over something you thought you had handled?
2. The pastor talked about the fearless and searching moral inventory in step four, and asked how you can even know if you are self-deceived. What role do you think the Holy Spirit, God's Word, and other believers each play in helping us see what we cannot see on our own?
3. Step five involves admitting the exact nature of our wrongs to God, to ourselves, and to another person. James 5:16 was brought up as the biblical basis for that third part. What makes confessing to another person so much harder than confessing to God, and what might be lost if we skip that step?
4. The pastor said that step eight is where we realize our sins and shortcomings have consequences that land on other people, not just on our relationship with God. Can you think of a time when you became aware that something you considered a private struggle had actually affected someone else?
5. The reading from the Twelve and Twelve described learning to live in peace and partnership with all people as a moving and fascinating adventure that we never really finish. What does it look like, practically, to stay willing to make amends rather than treating it as a one-time task you can complete and move on from?