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Building Healthy Relationships

TO BUILD HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS I MUST:

TRUST GOD’S VISION FOR MY RELATIONSHIPS

17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?” 18 “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house.’” 19 So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there. MATTHEW 26:17-19 NLT

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. PROVERBS 3:5-6 NLT

Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you… 1 CORINTHIANS 7:17 NLT

Trust God in your:

HAVE THE HARD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE PEOPLE I LOVE

The more you care about someone the harder it is to be honest with them.

20 When it was evening, Jesus sat down at the table with the Twelve. 21 While they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” 22 Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, “Am I the one, Lord?” 23 He replied, “One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. 24 For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!” 25 Judas, the one who would betray him, also asked, “Rabbi, am I the one?” And Jesus told him, “You have said it.” MATTHEW 26:20-25 NLT

…speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ… EPHESIANS 4:15 NLT

Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. PROVERBS 27:6 NLT

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive… COLOSSIANS 4:6 NLT

We want to be clear and kind, like Jesus.

NOT LET RELATIONAL STRESS KEEP ME FROM MY TIME WITH GOD

26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.” MATTHEW 26:26-29 NLT

USE WORSHIP TO HELP REDUCE MY WORRY

30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives. MATTHEW 26:30 NLT

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 NLT

GIVE GRACE TO PEOPLE WHO MESS UP AND HURT ME

31 On the way, Jesus told them, “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there.” 33 Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.” 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” 35 “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same. MATTHEW 26:31-35 NLT

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. COLOSSIANS 3:13 NLT

My Notes

Discussion Questions

Use the following questions to reflect on the sermon. Choose a couple from each section to discuss as a group:

  1. START HERE: Have you ever known someone who could challenge you without making you feel crushed? What made them different?
  2. START HERE: What’s one small thing that instantly makes you feel appreciated or cared for?
  3. START HERE: What’s something people do in conversations that immediately makes you shut down, zone out, or get annoyed?
  4. KEEP GOING: Read Matthew 26:17–19. Have you ever gone through a season where God felt silent, slow, or unclear, but later realized He was leading you the whole time?
  5. KEEP GOING: Read Matthew 26:20–22. None of the disciples immediately assume Judas is the betrayer. What does that moment reveal about appearances and what people can hide?
  6. KEEP GOING: Judas hears the same teaching and sees the same miracles as everyone else, yet his heart slowly drifts somewhere else. What do you think quietly pulls people away from God over time?
  7. KEEP GOING: Read Matthew 26:23–25. Jesus brings the tension into the open instead of letting it quietly poison the room. What types of conversations do people tend to avoid for way too long?
  8. KEEP GOING: Read Ephesians 4:15. Why do some people weaponize honesty while others use kindness to avoid honesty altogether?
  9. KEEP GOING: Read Matthew 26:26–30. In the middle of stress, betrayal, and uncertainty, Jesus still worships and gives thanks. What usually gets squeezed out of your life when you begin to feel overwhelmed?
  10. KEEP GOING: Read Matthew 26:31–35. Jesus already knows the disciples will fail Him that night, and He still shares a meal, worships, and walks with them. What stands out to you about the kind of relationships Jesus builds?
  11. LIVE IT OUT: What’s one practical thing you can do this week to become easier to talk to during conflict?