Challenge #6

Mount Hope Men’s Ministry
CHALLENGE #6
“Connect”
Get to know one person from
Church each week.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35) NIV

   From the passage above it is easy to assign a generic meaning, to simply be kind to one another. However, loving someone is to invest yourself with your time and emotions. And as we are familiar referring to one another as brother and sister, an important question begs to be asked. Do we know one another like we know our biological family? In our church at Mt Hope, for example, you may recognize most everyone’s face, you may know half or more people’s names, but how many of your brothers and sisters’ lives do you know the intimate details of?
This month’s challenge is designed to help us men “connect” with our brothers in a more meaningful and intimate way. Isn’t it difficult to genuinely love and care about people you don’t know? The more time you spend with a man, the more you get to know him and he you. The better you know each other, a bond forms. And it is inside of those bonds that we are able to truly love one another. It is inside of those bonds that we are able to gladly carry each other’s burdens.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) NIV

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 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. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40) NIV

   Brothers, did you catch what Jesus said there? He said that loving you neighbor is like loving God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Wow! The kind of love he was talking about is intense. Let’s not miss this important command from Jesus.

   The command to “love one another” appears at least sixteen times in the New Testament and is the dominant theme woven throughout all of Jesus’ teachings, as well as the apostles. So, what are we supposed to do with this? Since we know it is of immense importance to God that we love one another, let’s get busy loving! And one of first steps we can take toward loving is getting to know one another.

Here are a few practical steps we can take:
• Since we are men, let's focus on connecting with other men.
• The next time you attend church, pick out a man that you have never spent time with, or rarely talk to, and talk to him.
• Ask him if he would like to get together for coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, or perhaps an activity that you may both enjoy.
• Make a plan. Set a day and time.
• Exchange contact info.
• When you get together, ask questions, get to know your brother.
• Ask him about his walk with Jesus.
• Ask about his family.
​
​   That’s it. This may be the easiest challenge for most, while for some it may be difficult. For some it may require stepping out of your comfort zone. But for everyone who participates in this challenge, remember this, we are brothers in God’s family and it pleases God to see his sons loving each other.