Family … For some, the very word strikes fear into the heart.

For others, it brings a smile to our face.

And for lots of the rest of us we land somewhere in between, depending on the day, the circumstance, or how recently our in-laws came to visit!!

For good or bad, we all live in families. No matter our situation, we can experience spiritual growth in these little communities called family.

Jesus’ teachings can apply to family life in powerful ways. In John 15:9-15 Jesus tells his disciples (his spiritual “family”) that - above all else - he wants them to love each other in the same manner in which he has loved them: sacrificially.

He also - amazingly and perplexingly - calls this rag-tag group of misfits not just his family, but his friends. This friendship is what gives his disciples the power to love each other in supernatural ways.

All of this gives us a grounding truth as to how we are to live in our families today - lovingly, sacrificially, as age-appropriate friends, grounded first in God’s sacrificial love for us through Jesus.

In our teaching series, Friends and Family, we will explore the topic of family through the lens of friendship. No matter your stage of life, no matter the shape or form of your family, we believe this will be an amazingly helpful series for each of us!