What matters most?

Someone famously said, “Money makes the world go round.” It’s not money that makes the world go round, it’s relationships. If you want to make life work, live life to the fullest, get the most out of this life, it is not about acquiring more money, more stuff, more influence, more prestige, or more recognition; it’s about building more healthy, God-honoring relationships… first and foremost with God and then with one another. Nothing matters more. The longer I live, the more convinced I am that is absolutely true.

Over and over again, the Bible makes clear how important relationships are. Healthy, God-honoring relationships are foundational for making life work today and forever! The great news for us is that the Bible has much to say about how to build these healthy relationships with God and with one another.

Jesus makes clear how we are to relate to God and to others in what we refer to as The Great Commandment. This commandment drives our relationships! 37 …“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40

Jesus makes clear how important relationships are in life and He gives us the driving force in healthy, God-honoring relationships… LOVE! In fact, Jesus made love for one another the identifying characteristic of His disciples. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

Jesus didn’t say, people will know you are my disciples, if you are hyper-religious, if you are judgmental, if you memorize the Old Testament, if you sing like an angel (that rules me out; how bout you?)… He said, people will know you are my disciples if you “love one another.”

From the beginning of time, it is clear that God wants a relationship with us! Even when that relationship was broken by mankind’s sin in the Garden of Eden, God went about mending that brokenness, crafting His plan of redemption, and ultimately showing His great love for us by sending His only Son to be our Savior. 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

The New Testament is filled with commands about how we are to relate to one another, especially as Believers. These “one another” commands help us to live selflessly as we honor God and one another in the way Jesus taught and the New Testament instructs.

At Watermark, we are focused on building healthy, God-honoring relationships! God created us to live in loving relationship to Him and to one another. We will do that in two primary ways at Watermark:

1) Build a vertical relationship with God through the corporate worship experience. What we do in the corporate worship experience is all about strengthening our relationship with God, showing our love for Him - offering God the worship He alone is due. We sing songs of praise, we sing songs of commitment, we offer prayers filled with adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. We look to God’s Word for hope, understanding, direction and clarity for making life work in a way that honors Him. Our corporate worship inspires our daily, personal worship!

2) Build horizontal relationships with one another through the Life Group experience! Life Groups are a vital part of who we are at Watermark Church! In fact, we call them the heartbeat of our church. Spiritual growth rarely happens in isolation. God uses people and relationships to help us become more like Jesus Christ…. to grow deeper in our relationship with Him and with one another. Just as God constantly invites us into deeper relationship with Him, He calls us into significant relationships with one another. As Believers, we need those relationships… At Watermark, we are committed to helping you to build those relationships. Life Groups are one way we do that at Watermark.

There are 59 “one another” commands in the New Testament! These are specific commands teaching us how (and how not) to relate to one another. Obedience to those commands is imperative. It forms the basis for all true Christian community, and has a direct impact on our witness to the world (John 13:35)…. as Jesus said, “People will know you are my disciples, if you love for one another.”

Over the next eight weeks, we are going to explore these one another commands to know how to build healthy, God-honoring relationships in our church, homes, marriages, workplaces, teams, schools… in every significant relationship of life! For much more, click here to watch One Another: Part 1 - Doing Life Together.