Are we supposed to just be ok with loneliness?

Genesis 2:4b-9, 15-18

Big Ideas

• God made us to rule along with him
• Helper = partner, co-creator
  • Can’t mean “lesser” or “subservient” because it’s most often used to describe God
• Before loneliness is felt or articulated, God sees the solitude of man. Something is wrong. So he fixes it.
• Many of us have been told that religion is a private thing, that the most important thing for us is just relationship with God
  • God seems to disagree
  • The human was alone, and in a good creation, this state was not good
• Our religion is love
• We started Redemption because of this conviction, that we need each other
• We can’t be fully human without relationships
• The Lord’s Prayer is communal. “Our Father”, not “My Father”
• You do not need permission to love the people around you
• Sunday mornings are about us loving each other, not entertainment or shows
• Spiritual fruit exists if and ONLY if you are growing in love shown to others
• Everybody serves because the church needs to know you

Questions

• How would you react if I told you I was lonely?
• What do you do when you’re lonely?
• What would God say if you told him you were lonely?
• Have you understood religion to be something private?
• What do you think about the statement, “We can’t be fully human without relationships and community.”
• What if we judged our Sunday experienced based on this, “who did I get to love today?”
• How can we help you get more plugged in at Redemption?
• How can you serve your church?
• Redemption is less complete if you’re not serving. We need you.
• If someone needs encouragement, try telling them something you love about them, that you think Redemption needs to experience through their service?