Dr. David Whitaker | 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; 1 Peter 2:21-23
Do you assume the worst? Or believe the best? In every single relationship, there is a gap. What you put into that gap will eventually determine the direction of your relationship. We come into our relationships with baggage, and often our expectations are built based on that junk we carry.
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These questions are provided for your further study and application of this message. It is helpful to discuss your answers with others such as your Community Group, family, friends or an accountability partner.
- What is your take away from this message?
- What is the best piece of advice you've heard about making a relationship last?
- What has been the most practical piece of advice from this series that you can apply to a current relationship (or future relationship)?
- Do you have high expectations from your relationships? Or do you expect very little from those around you? Explain.
- When there is a gap between what you expect from people and what they actually do, do you fill that gap by "believing the best" or "assuming the worst"? Give an example.
- In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, the apostle Paul defines love with multiple descriptors. Which descriptors of loving come easy to you? Which aspects of loving do you find difficult?
- Read 1 Peter 2:19-25. How does Christ's example guide you in your relationships? What specific steps can you take this week to fill the gaps in your relationships by choosing to trust and believing the best?
- Moving Forward: Gaps occur all the time in relationships. There are gaps between what we expect from others and what they actually do. And in response, we can choose to trust and believe the best or we can choose the opposite and fill those gaps with negative assumptions. Or we can fill it with the description of love found in 1 Corinthians 13. Relationships will grow or die depending on what you choose to place in those gaps.
- Write out a prayer in response to what the Lord has taught you through this study and what steps in response that He might want you to take.
