Transcript Beyond Families - Laestadian Lutheran Church

God’s Word Encourages Us to
Reach Out to Others
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself.”
- Matthew 22:37-39
“As we have therefore opportunity, let us do
good unto all men, especially unto them who
are of the household of faith.” - Galatians 6:10
Reaching Out to Those In Special
Need Is Especially Important
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and
the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and
widows in their affliction, and to keep
himself unspotted from the world.”
- James 1:27
Home, Family, & Diaconal Work
Includes All
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Traditional Families
Single Parent Homes
Couples Without Children
Single Adults
Elderly Adults
Those with Special Needs (Handicaps)
Those Who Are Grieving
Others
Diaconal Work –
An Exhortation to Serve Our Neighbor
• Reaching Out to One Another
• Listening to and Honoring the Individual
and Family Situation
• Visiting Around Meaningful Matters
• Remembering Those Who Do Not Have
Anyone with Whom to Share Everyday
Difficulties and Problems
How Do We Support Others?
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Visiting and Fellowship
Babysitting
Substitute Grandma and Grandpa
Running Errands
Providing Transportation
Welcoming New Families and Individuals
Needs can be very concrete.
Reaching Out to One Another
• One may not have anyone
with whom to share
everyday difficulties and
problems.
• Every individual, and every family, has struggles.
Sorrows are part of everyday life, just as sunny days.
• Even challenging issues in everyday life should be
kept in the forefront, openly and naturally.
Bear Ye One Another’s Burdens
• The connection of the
believers is a source of
strength that helps one
to cope in the midst of
everyday life and also
many difficulties.
• God’s unchanging word offers a foundation for life
which will not disappoint when all else fails.
• The gospel is the source of strength for all.
The Goal is Heaven
• Above all, living faith keeps
hope and the future in our
sights.
• In the midst of all stages of
life we can have childlike
trust that God will help.
• The Old Testament prophet expressed the thoughts
of the Lord toward His own - thoughts of peace,
and not of evil, to give them a future and hope.
(Jer. 29:11)
Discussion
• What is home, family, and diaconal
work to you?
• What are some of the needs that you
experience or see in our time that
make this work important today?
• What is “preventive gospel work”?
What can we do to help
• married couples?
• young families?
• childless couples?
• single believers?
• youth and children?
• elders?
• one another?