SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON - AUGUST 1ST

Relationships: The Integrity Factor

LESSON PASSAGES OUTLINE
1. Live for Others (2 Cor. 1:3-7)
2. Live in God’s Strength (2 Cor. 1:8-11)
3. Live So God Approves (2 Cor. 1:12; 2:14-17)

BIBLICAL TRUTH - Christians can exhibit integrity amid imperfect relationships.

Bible Commentary - by Terry Ellis, Senior Pastor of Spring Hill Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama.

Have you ever met someone who had a master’s degree in nursing a grudge? I have. This person was a member of a church I served as pastor years ago. This church member had had run-ins with several other members throughout the years and had socked away the details of each and every incident in a “grudge bank.”
Whenever I visited with this member, I knew what I was in for: a step-by-step litany of each incident plus animated explanations of why each situation led justifiably to this person’s present hard feelings against others. What was saddest to me was that the church member never took steps to resolve any of these disputes! This person seemed to prefer letting hurt feelings fester and harden into bitterness.

How do you handle disagreements with other Christians? What steps have you taken to repair a frayed relationship?

People are flawed, and these flaws lead to disruptions in relationships. The church, of course, should be a model of love and grace. However, church members have flawed relationships too. Handling disagreements as they arise and with Christian integrity, patience, and mutual understanding better ensures that flawed relationships will not continue to fray around the edges.
This lesson focuses on Paul’s efforts to address his sometimes contentious relationship with the Corinthian Christians. The lesson passages demonstrate the vital connection between Paul’s commitment to Christ and his commitment to working out difficult relationships. His example of gracious integrity can help [Christians] move toward the Life Goal of living with integrity.