Get real about your people, your purpose, and your priorities. Sometimes we resist getting real with people in friendship because are caught up in making a name for ourselves and don’t want others to see or know our flaws. But walking in truth requires faithfulness, not flawlessness. It means we do things for the sake of Jesus’ name, not our names. And to live faithful lives centered on the glory of God, we need friends to help us.

The power we need to live faithfully in friendship is found only in the name of Jesus.

3 JOHN 1:5-9 (NASB)

5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; 6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.

9 I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.

1 CORINTHIANS 4:1-2 (NASB)

1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

ACTS 4:12 (NASB)

12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.

PHILLIPIANS 2:9-10 (NASB)

9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

PROVERBS 18:24 (NASB)

24 A man of too many friends comes to ruin,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

1 JOHN 4:11 (NASB)

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

UNDERSTANDING

• What hints are there in these verses that John and Gaius were close friends?

• Who is someone who regularly encourages you by noting ways you’re walking in faith? Who is someone who has permission to exhort you to further faithfulness, as John did Gaius in verses 6 and 8?

• Do you often verbally encourage and exhort other believers to walk in faith? Why or why not?

• In this week’s message, we learned that deeper friendships equal a better life. In terms of your faith walk, how have you found this to be true in your own life?

• What are some practical ways we can develop those kinds of friendships with the freedom to “get real”?

• What did Paul note was important for people to see and understand about those who believe in Jesus Christ?

• We are called to be faithful, not flawless. What is the difference?

• Reread 3 John 1:5-6. What would you say was Gaius’ understanding of his purpose in life?

• Is it possible to get real with people who do not share your God-given purpose? Why do we need to get real about our purpose if we desire to get real with other believers?

• Reread 3 John 1:7. What overarching priority did John attribute to the believers in his words to Gaius? From Acts 4:12, why is the priority of Jesus’ name imperative?

• In this week’s message, we learned that God can’t fill you with Himself, if you are full of yourself. In what relationships or situations do you experience the difficulty of this truth?

• What would other people say is your greatest priority in life?

APPLICATION

• What would change in your life this week if you were to get real about your people? Your purpose? Your priorities?

• How are we doing as a group at being real with each other? At being real about faithfulness? At being real about making Jesus our one and only priority?

GIVING

Everything that happens at LCC is because of your generous gifts. When you give to God through LCC, you're helping reach thousands with the Gospel each week and are making a difference for the Lowcountry and around the world.