HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 342
page A340
Unity & Teamwork continued
activity involving more than one person requires cooperation and teamwork. Even living
the Christian life requires cooperation and teamwork within God’s plan in obedience to
his Word.
What are some guidelines for successful teamwork?
• DE U T E R O NO MY 2 2 :1 0 | “You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together.”
(See note on page 179.)
Choose team members who share your basic set of values and overall mission; otherwise
you will be pulling in different directions.
• PSA L M 1 3 3 :1 | How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!
(See note on page 550.)
When cooperating with others, always seek unity. Disagreements need not turn into personal attacks.
How do I cooperate with someone I don’t get along with?
• PR O V E R B S 2 7 :1 7 | As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. (See note on
page 582.)
Disagreements can produce a positive result—to introduce new ideas that may challenge
and stimulate our thinking.
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• 1 C O R I NT H I A NS 1 :1 0 | I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of
our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the
church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.
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Loving confrontation is different from being argumentative. Conflict is inevitable; when it
arises, true cooperation seeks the highest good for all.
What are some of the benefits of cooperation?
• MA R K 6 :7 | And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two
by two. (See note on page 901.)
• E C C L E S I A S T E S 4 :1 2 | A triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
Teaming up with another can give strength and encouragement when times get rough.
• E PH E S I A NS 4 :1 2 | Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up
the church, the body of Christ.
Cooperation exercises our spiritual gifts, allowing us to be productive for God and to
mature in our faith.
How is cooperation accomplished between me and God?
• PSA L M 3 7 :5 | Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.
• J O H N 3 :1 6 | “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
God is offering you his unconditional love and all the blessings that go along with it. All you
need to do is accept his love, believe in his Son, Jesus, and live in obedience to his Word,
the Bible.
With all the diversity in our culture, how is unity possible in anything but a very
small group?
• E Z E K I E L 3 7 :1 7 | “Now hold them together in your hand as if they were one piece of
wood.”
• R O MA NS 1 2 :5 | We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
• J O H N 1 0 :1 6 | “And there will be one flock with one shepherd.”
• E PH E S I A NS 4 :4 | For there is one body and one Spirit.
God is the creator of true unity. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the church will bring
unity and peace.