Emotionally Healthy Spirituality #6 :: Who Is My Neighbor? // Josh Osborn

Sermon Summary:What does it actually mean to love our neighbor? This week we explored one of the most familiar stories Jesus ever told and discovered it might be more challenging than we have let ourselves believe.The story begins with a lawyer testing Jesus, asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. He gets the answer right, loving God and loving neighbor, but wants to narrow the field. Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan, and in doing so, flips the question entirely. The real question is not "Who is my neighbor?" but "To whom will I be a neighbor?"The priest and the Levite both had reasons to keep walking. We do too. We are busy, distracted, insulated by climate-controlled homes and cars and screens that show us pain from a safe distance while requiring nothing of us. But the Samaritan stopped. He saw a human being in need and co-suffered with him, which is the literal meaning of compassion.Pete Scazzero reminds us that many of us can recite the commandments and practice spiritual disciplines without ever connecting them to how we actually treat people. John Mark Comer puts it plainly: the single most important question on the spiritual journey is whether we are becoming more loving. The spiritual practices we have explored throughout this series are the trellis. Love is the fruit.We closed with five practical ways to grow in love: Believe that every person has intrinsic value. Behold the image of God in others. Be Listening with our full attention. Be a true peacemaker who leans into healthy conflict rather than avoiding it. And be curious, not judgmental.Love is what came down and changed the world. May we be known for that kind of love.URF WEBSITE: ➤ http://www.urfellowship.comSOCIALS: ➤ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urfellowship/➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/urfellowship