“If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.” We’ve all heard that before … and some of us likely swear by it! It points to the huge impact of having even one relationship out of sync. But did you know the Bible gives clarity on who, what and how to do relationships? For example, in the Old Testament, six of the Ten Commandments are about how to treat others, and in the New testament, when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, part of his answer was to “love your neighbor as yourself.” 

A couple weeks ago, I was able to go on a study break and get away from the office for a couple days to dive into preparing for our upcoming series this fall. It’s a series that can affect one of the most needed areas of our lives — relationships. We are calling it #Relationshipgoals: We Can Do Better, and I really believe this will be a series that everyone can relate to. Whether you are single and trying to figure out friendships and dating; or married and in the midst of a busy, busy family life; or older and trying to navigate the golden years — what we are going to discover this fall is soooo applicable to any relationships we have.

One of my greatest takeaways from that study break was the hope, healing, and wisdom God can bring into this subject. It is tragic that so often we are experiencing pain, anxiety, or even loneliness when God has a better way.

God wants our relationships to be awesome!

Photo by Josh Applegate

Pastor Mark Pope is the Lead Pastor and founding pastor of The Vineyard. He is the primary teacher on the weekends and, along with the Executive Team, oversees the staff.

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