Chew on the ramifications of this statement:
"The bowing of rights and liberties of the stronger brother to avoid offending the weaker brother is not intended to be a permanent situation. The goal of all fellowship, interaction and discipleship in the church is to mature believers in their faith and thus move them from "weaker" to "stronger". Therefore, we must train the weaker brother and work with them through the issue (biblically challenge their worldview) so that they can grow and improve and move on in their faith. They need to have help getting to the point that they both, the stronger AND the weaker, can enjoy the liberty that is ours in Christ."
Doug Evans, Sr. Pastor WyBC
Mike
6 comments:
So is that Thad, Mark, or me? I think that I can take both of them!
Well, I'll never claim to be the stronger one in this category
But, I 'll take you in any other category!
Leave it to you two to take a great quote and reduce it to an argument. :)
We can all be in the stronger category if we will develop this accountability group thing. The joy of confessing your faults one to another is not the confession part! Its the growth and the support of knowing that the brothers will uphold you and weave three cords together. That bond is not easily broken!
Mike
Sniff...I'm tearing up.
My thoughts - Biblical or not?
I'm not so sure about accountability groups. I think close relationships where you can share openly is a better solution. If you want to call that an accountability group that is OK but that sounds like one is superior and dictating what others should do.
Let's make it Biblical!
Gal 6:1-5 describe a community of believers interested in the success and failures of each other to the effect that they both come out ahead. What do you want to call that if its not accountability?
I can see the stronger/weaker brother thiong really snagging someone into thinking about superior and inferior. But I simply used Biblical language. (1 Corinthians 8)
I think that the key to effective men's ministry groups is found in 1 Cor 8:1b "knowledge puffs up, but love builds up" I believe that this describes an accountability group of trusted friends who do not beat each other with truth, nor do they shy away from using it to bring my best.
We could call them love groups but I don't think that this would draw men's attention or participation. My friend Dan, was involved in a 2 yr men's group that called themselves the "rotten husbands recovery group" or something like that. Their goal was not to sing each others praises or brag up the success that they had found. Their goal was to sharpen each other to become better husbands by holding each other ACCOUNTABLE to the Scriptures and to each other.
Thanks for posting Dad. Good to have you here!
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