The heart of Christian community is about loving each other as God has loved us. One aspect of tangibly loving people is to accept one another as God has accepted us. A practical description of what it looks like to have an accepting home group is presented. Though we may not agree with everyone, through the power of the Holy Spirit we can learn to accept each other and have a dynamic group.\r\n

Encouragement is a powerful way to love others and to strengthen their spiritual resolve. Life is challenging and we have a spiritual adversary who wants us to fail but the Holy Spirit is our comforter, strengthener, and encourager who gives us the resources we need to love. As we rely on Him, He can work through us to encourage others through observing, reminding, warning, and consoling.\r\n

Forgiveness is the supernatural ability to not punish or to not withhold love from someone who has hurt us. Our capacity to genuinely forgive others from the heart will make or break our spiritual lives. If we choose not to forgive, we will live a life of bitterness and be ineffective in our witness for Christ. By the grace of God, it is possible to develop a lifestyle of forgiving others which is a tangible way of loving one another.\r\n

The first part of a two-part series on admonishing one another. This is perhaps the most difficult of the one another commands because it deals with a continuum of difficult conversations spanning from corrections to rebukes. The fool and the wise man are compared in their response to admonition. God wants to transform our character through our close friends who courageously speak the truth into our lives.\r\n

The second part of a two-part series on admonishing one another with the focus on how to properly give admonishment. We must spend time in reflection and prayer thinking about the other person rather than react out of anger or hurt. Relational closeness, encouraging rapport, humility, and grace are all key when addressing someone's hurtful behaviors. It is an unpopular task because it is difficult to do well, but an important task that can change someone's life. It is also a practical way that we can love one another.\r\n