Proverbs 27:17 ¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

James 5:16 ¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

I.   3 Critical needs of humans (by Kary Oberbrunner, The Fine Line)

1. 1. Community, Purpose, Transcendence

II.    Definition of Transcendence and Transparency

1. 1. Transcendence— We are part of something bigger (our existence transcends ourselves); our lives play a role in the great cosmic Meta-narrative and therefore we have a critical responsibility to help others along the journey—“We’re-In-It-Togetherness”
   2. Transparency—We are able to be fully known, yet fully excepted

III.   Beyond the surface Friendships

1. 1. Proverbs 27:7—do your friendships challenge you, make you sharper?
   2. A willingness to discuss real life; a willingness to be wrong

IV.  The Need for Accountability

1. 1. James 5:16—admitting you don’t have it all together
   2. Pray for one another- purpose of confession is not to condemn but to go to God on behalf of each other
   3. Purpose—healing: part of the process of becoming transparent; restoration: Galatians 6:1

V.   Encouraging one another

1. 1. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.” (Philo of Alexandria, 5^th century A.D.)
   2. Isaiah 35:3-4—We come along beside
      1. A willingness to get into each others’ lives
      2. A willingness to be vulnerable
   3. Carry each others’ burdens—Galatians 6:2

VI.   Recognizing the Bigger Picture

1. 1. You are part of God’s story
   2. Abundant life is not self-seeking, but rather God-seeking
   3. We help each other become more Christ-like and live in God’s plan

“Fear threatens to sabotage, and when we cultivate fear, we give it the chance to do what it does best: paralyze. Fear seeks to immobilize us—to keep us from doing much of anything. We’ll never get to the place where we eradicate fear. That’s ok. ‘Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.’ Local churches provide us with a context to encourage other Christ-followers. Our words of encouragement breathe fresh air into weary souls. These words can be in the form of prayers, stories, compliments, or the Word of God itself. We bump up against transcendence when we encourage others.” (Kary Oberbrunner, The Fine Line, p. 98)