We gathered together as normal and kicked off with a time of sharing one of the community shared that they had made a spontaneous decision and got baptised at their local church that Sunday (GtG). Then one of the leaders shared how last week’s talk “What Love Isn’t” had made them realise that they needed more healing, as always this was such beautiful and precious time.

Before we had our time of praise and worship a prophetic picture/word was shared, a picture of leaves falling to the ground representing the stuff that binds us, emotionally, physically and spiritually falling of us and Jesus is going to use these leaves to produce fertiliser for new growth and that this is a time where He is planting the seeds in this newly prepared soil. During worship another two prophetic pictures/words were shared one of a tree deeply rooted in the soil representing those who are pressing into Jesus at HC having strong foundations. The second talked about the song Egypt and how God was taking HC into the promised land in this season, a land of milk and honey. With the milk representing God’s abundant and sustaining goodness and the honey representing Gods blessings, love, strength, wisdom, things of great worth in and through Jesus

We then moved on to the third talk in our relationship series “Godly vs Worldly Love”. Where we unpacked the following: 

What the Bible Says – Cor 13: 4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour 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.

God created us for relationships. He revealed that truth to us at the beginning of the Bible. What was the first thing that God said was not good? Surprisingly, it wasn’t sin, but Adam being alone in the garden. In Genesis 2:18 He said “It is not good that man should be alone.” After God made this declaration, He created woman from man. Not to serve or be a tool for the man, but to be a companion

Godly vs Worldly Relationships – The easy way to distinguish between the two is that “worldly love” can be about self, whereas the “love of God” is always driven by a deep commitment for the other. Worldly love can be self-focused, self-centred. People often give the reason why they love someone because of the way he or she makes them feel

Godly Love	Worldly Love
Love is an action.	Love is a feeling.
Love is about those around me.	Love is all about me.
Love is unconditional.	Love is based on what you’ve done for me lately.
Love is a commitment.	Love is a phase.
Love is about giving.	Love is about getting.
Love is about serving.	Love is about receiving.
Love is about physical, emotional, and spiritual intimacy.	Love is about sex.
Love focuses on meeting the needs of those around me.	Love focuses on getting my own needs met.
Love works through conflict.	Love withers in conflict.
Love is forgiving.	Love is bitter.
Love moves forward.	Love gets stuck in the past.
Love is about transparency.	Love is about hiding and covering up.
Love is about trust.	Love is about suspicion
Love is about responsibility.	Love is about blame.
Love is about peace.	Love is about anxiety.

How are Good Christian Relationships different from Worldly Ones – 

Before we looked at the differences, we look at what is similar in both types of relationships

All humans crave love. It does not matter what race or creed you are from – ‘Humans form relationships’

“Love is to the soul what food is to the body” We all long to love and be loved. There are basic needs that we seek to satisfy in a relationship whether we are Christians or not.

They include but not limited to:

• Valued – to be admired, appreciated, acknowledged, approved of, significant, believed in, to feel worthy
• Secure – to feel safe, cared about, accepted
• Respected – to be heard, listened to, to be recognized, to be understood
• Challenged – to help and to be helped
• Trusted – to trust and t be trusted
• Forgive and to be forgiven
• Loved – to be needed, cared for, to be important to, to be noticed, to be reassured, supported, be valued

All these emotional needs are common to most if not all relationships….

We discussed the different Emphasis

Worldly relationships tend to put a lot of emphasis on attraction, chemistry and feelings. The model seems to mostly based on chemistry and compatibility.

While Christian relationships accept these factors are an important, a spiritual dimension is factored in. The bible warns Christians not to get involved with non-Christians in 

2 Corinthian’s 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

The Bible also advises that we should not put to much emphasis on external beauty 

Proverbs 31:30“ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised

Christians are encouraged to love God more than they love each other

Christianity asks that lovers, love God more than they love each other, while modern / western relationships tend to be consumed with each other 

Mat 22:37,38 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.This is the first and greatest commandment.

That does not mean that loving God is at odds with loving each other. Actually, loving God tends to deepen and embellish the love we have for each other, For example husbands are asked to sacrifice themselves for their wives and wives are asked to submit to their husbands 

Eph 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 

Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Christians are asked to put the needs of others above and beyond their own

Secular relationships tend to be based on the egalitarian system I.e.. It is expected that you should contribute to my happiness as as much as I do to yours

Society encourages us to value ourselves above others. If we are not happy in a relationship we are encouraged to leave and either be happy by ourselves or find someone else who will make us happy

The Bible encourages a different set of values. We are expected to give 100% to the relationship whilst valuing the other person above ourselves.

Romans 12:10 – Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Philippian’s 2:3 – Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves

We finished by discussing Modern Definitions of Relationships

Casual. This describes a type of relationship that is not yet defined or labelled and often requires less commitment than relationships that are formal or exclusive

Getting Together/Dating or Seeing someone. In simplest terms, people who are dating are literally just two people who are going on dates together

Situationship is a relationship that lacks a clear definition. It’s more intimate than casual dating but lacks labels and commitment

Boyfriend/Girlfriend/Significant Other. Are you seeing other people? If the answer is no, a couple could decide they’re officially in a relationship.

Partner. This is an inclusive term used to refer to someone you’re in a relationship with or have loving, emotional, romantic, or sexual feelings towards.

Engagement leading to marriage

Friendships – Platonic relationships can occur in a wide range of settings and can involve same-sex or opposite-sex friendships

Family – You can have a relationship with a wide range of people, including family

Other more nuanced types of relationships might include work relationships, teacher/student relationships, and community or group relationships

Friends with benefits (FWB) In this arrangement, two individuals engage in sexual activities while maintaining their friendship. 

Open relationship. Also known as a non-exclusive type of relationship, an open relationship is an intimate relationship that is sexually non-exclusive

Polyamory is the practice of engaging in multiple romantic relationships simultaneously, with the knowledge and consent of everyone involved

Codependent – This is a relationship dynamic that lacks the emotional and physical boundaries that are necessary to have a healthy and respectful relationship

Interdependent – This is a healthy relationship where partners support each other while maintaining their own identities. Interdependent partners share roles and lean on each other emotionally, but they don’t lose their own goals

Cor 13: 4-7 Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He does not dishonour others, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres

Thank you, Jesus, for another great night at Hope Central, You will build Your church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it…

Our Mission (Isaiah 61)

To proclaim good news to the poor. 

To bind up the broken hearted,
To proclaim freedom for the captives and release them from darkness, 

To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,

To comfort all who mourn,  

To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. 

Thank you Taste & See for your continuing prayer support please continue to do so it is vital

Our declarations – This is the generation of those that seek him, that seek your face, O God of Jacob (Psalm 24v6)

A generation with clean hands and a pure heart

A generation with baptised with fire

A generation who pursues and loves Jesus

A generation with a simple but powerful faith

A revival generation 

Can you hear those dry bones rattling as God rebuilds his temple in us and through us….