Stir One Another Up

One of my more guilty pleasures has been the quirky television show Arrested Development. There's a running gag about how one of the primary characters let the excitement of a first date get just a little bit carried way. As narrator Ron Howard explains, "GOB met a woman one night, and after a series of escalating dares, married her." One can only imagine how intense these characters must have been to have allowed things to escalate from playful flirting to legal documents so quickly! But perhaps we can all relate to the exhilaration of a relationship that stretches us beyond our normal propensity to take a risk. I can't be the only other one besides GOB who has gotten caught up in the moment and done things due to social pressure I would never have done alone.The writer of Hebrews recognizes this universal human phenomenon and actually exhorts believers to capitalize on it when he says in chapter 10 that we are to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds (NIV)." It seems that the writer pictures the Christian community as participating in a series of escalating dares, to the glory of God. Paul adds his own voice to the chorus of positive peer pressure when he encourages us in Romans 12 to "outdo one another in showing honor." This Sunday as we conclude our study on "The Lost Tools of Loving," we'll explore that Hebrews passage together a little more closely, and we'll find that in many ways, the proof really is in the Church, and how we inspire one another to great things in the name and image of Christ our Great High Priest.