CreatingCommunity is an email devotion to guide your preparation for worship next weekend. Imagine how much more clear and relevant God's Word will be if you have had an opportunity read, reflect, and dwell in the Word prior to worship. You may do this devotion alone, with others, as a family, or over Zoom as a small group.

This devotion is to be done in preparation for this coming weekend's worship.

Please follow these three steps:

1. Read through the text
2. Respond to the questions (select one of the sets of questions)
3. Offer a Prayer
Matthew 18:15-20
[Jesus said to the disciples:] “If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.”
No Experience Necessary Questions:
  1. What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text?
  2. What delights me in this text?
  3. What stories or memories does this text stir in me?
  4. What is God up to in this text?
Family Questions:
  1. Have you ever experienced conflict? Tell of a time.
  2. Some people think that the church should always be nice place where people are always nice to one another. What do you think?
  3. It has been said that being nice can mean that "no one is challenged enough". What do you think of that? What is lost and what is gain when behavior, attitudes, and/or words are mot challenged? Is that something that should happen in the church?
Advance Questions:
  1. Jesus’ words in today's gospel are often used in situations having to do with church discipline. Have you experienced or witness such discipline? Does discipline belong in the church?
  2. The fact that there are these verses in scriptures indicates that Jesus anticipated a non-perfect church. What has been you experience of the sinful church? Describe your experience of Christians sinning against one another.
  3. It has been said that what makes a congregation healthy is not the absence of problems, but learning to properly deal with the problems in a healthy and constructive way. How do we deal with problems at Prince or Peace? Is there a healthier way?
Click here to listen to this week's CreatingCommunity song
“The Window Pane" by Tom DeFrange.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, may the words of Christ dwell in me richly and help me to speak the truth in love in every situation that I may face. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer, in Whose name I pray, AMEN.
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