29 Jun 8 Relationship Lanes | Real Relationships
Our early years of ministry & a few thousand people in our home
- Longer you live, more jobs/cities/churches, larger your family becomes, more you get connected (e.g. church, kids school, community) = more relationships
- Introverts and some jobs create way more relationships than normal
- Like highway, some people turn their blinker on, others want to ride in your car
- Technology & social media make relationships very complicated to keep healthy
John 2:23-25 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.
Proverbs 18:24 “A person of too many friends comes to ruin…”
Lane 8 – Enemies
Cause pain, harm, & chaos – may have been close friends or family but are now unsafe
Lane 7 – Former Acquaintances & Distant Relatives
-No longer have meaningful contact (former coworkers, classmates, neighbors)
-People we rarely see except for major events like weddings, funerals, or reunions
Lane 6 – Professionals
-A relationship that w/o socializing, (doctor, attorney, accountant, or counselor)
Lane 5 Neighbors, Acquaintances, Coworkers
-People we engage in surface chat, but don’t spend time in each others homes or lives
-People in loose circles like school or kids’ sports, or people we bump into at church
-People we spend time with on the job without a deep relationship apart from work
Lane 4 Friends & Mentors
-People alongside of us we do things with as a group, like a Bible study, or hobbies
-People ahead of us who are safe & helping us learn & grow
Lane 3 Close Friends & Extended Family
People we choose to spend with one-on-one time as peers, to know us intimately
People we feel most committed to &devote significant parts of our life to
Lane 2 Immediate Family
Spouse, children, grandchildren
Lane 1 The Lord
Our #1 relationship, example & source for all other relationships
Discussion Questions
- Who keeps trying to ride in your car with your marriage/family?
2. Who keeps putting their blinker on trying to merge closer to you? - Who needs to be in a lane further away?
- Who needs to be in a lane closer?
