Part 02 | The One Anothers in Scripture

Download One Another Scriptures

House to House Part 2- The One Anothers of Scripture

Sermon Discussion Guide:

In part two of our House to House series, Pastor Jeff Abshire focuses on the importance of Christian community and the biblical commands that govern our relationships with one another.

Jeff uses the analogy of GPS navigation to illustrate that while we receive clear "what" commands from Scripture about Christian relationships, we also need the proper "how" - the environment of love - to successfully live them out. 

The teaching emphasizes that love serves as the binding agent that holds all Christian virtues together, much like how binding agents in cooking or construction create cohesion and stability. Without this foundation of deep, strenuous love - the kind Peter describes as "ektanos" (at full stretch, all-out effort) - our attempts to follow biblical commands become hollow and ineffective. 

Jeff then explores the roughly 60 "one another" commands found in the New Testament, categorizing them into areas like yielding and serving, spending time together, showing patience and forgiveness, building up with words, showing empathy, and living in unity. 

Key Scriptures 

1 Peter 1:22 - "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply from the heart." 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 

Romans 13:8-9 - "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not covet,' and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" 

Colossians 3:12-14 - "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 - "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact, you are doing."

Discussion Questions

Choose a few of these questions to discuss as a group and put the truths of Scripture into practice. 

1. Loving at Full Stretch: Peter calls us to love "ektanos" - at full stretch, in an all-out manner with intense strain. Using the 1 Corinthians 13 characteristics as a mirror (patient, kind, not envious, etc.), where do you see people in your group loving like this? Take time to encourage group members who exemplify these traits. 

2. The Continuing Debt: Romans 13:8 calls love "the continuing debt" we owe one another - a debt that never ends. How does viewing love as an ongoing obligation rather than a feeling challenge your current approach to difficult relationships in your life or church community? 

3. Isolation vs. Community: Jeff warned that trying to love Jesus alone leads to stunted growth, vulnerability to spiritual attack, and robbing others of your gifts. In what ways might you be standing alone like a single redwood tree instead of being interconnected with the body of Christ?

4. One Another Commands in Action: Jeff shared the powerful story of how the Echols Lifegroup loved them through the loss of baby Houston. Share about a time when your Christian community practiced one of the "one another" commands with you during a difficult season. How did their love make a practical difference? 

5. Contributing Your Gift: Romans 12:5-8 describes how each member belongs to all the others and has different gifts to contribute. Can you share about a time when you brought your unique gift (encouragement, mercy, service, teaching, etc.) to your Christian community? How did you see God work through you?

6. Harmony vs. Uniformity: Romans 12:14-16 calls us to "live in harmony with one another," which Jeff explained is like musical harmony - not identical notes but compatible ones. How does this distinction between harmony and uniformity help you understand how Christians can have different opinions while still maintaining unity in Christ? 

7. The War Within: 1 Peter 2:11 warns that "sinful desires wage war against your soul," making love complex and challenging. How does understanding this internal spiritual battle help explain why loving one another requires such intentional effort and God's help? What practical strategies help you win this war?

8. Your One Another Assignment: Looking at the six categories of "one another" commands (yield/serve, spend time, be patient/forgive, build up with words, show empathy, live in unity), which area is God calling you to grow in most urgently? What's one specific way you could practice this in your Lifegroup or Christian community this week? 

9. Moving from Consumer to Contributor: Jeff confessed his weekly struggle with wanting to skip Lifegroup, but always leaving glad he went when he chose to give rather than just receive. How can you shift from going to "get" to going to "give"?