Do You Have a Safety Net?

[Do You Have a Safety Net?](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) Current Teaching Series [You Make Me Crazy](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) [Listen to Today's Broadcast](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) [Do You Have a Safety Net?](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) By Rick Warren — Mar 16, 2018 [Facebook](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) [Twitter](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) [Pinterest](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) [Email](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) [Devotional image from Rick Warren](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble” (1 Peter 3:8 NIV). As a pastor, I see situations daily that nobody should ever have to go through alone. Nobody should ever have to wait in the hospital while a loved one is in life-or-death surgery. No woman should ever have to wait alone for the lab report on a problem pregnancy. Nobody should ever have to wait for news from a battlefield alone. Nobody should ever have to stand at the edge of an open grave alone. Nobody should ever have to spend the first night alone when his or her spouse has just walked out. Life’s tough times and tragedies are inevitable. Each of us will face our share of them. But we don’t need to go through them alone. We need God’s safety net to help hold us up through these difficult times. What is God’s safety net? It is a group of other believers — a handful of people who are really committed to you. We call this kind of group a community. Here’s God’s plan for community: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26 NIV). Community is God’s answer to despair. Romans 12:15 expresses a similar idea: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (NIV). The first part of that verse is easy. When something good happens to someone, it’s often natural to join in on the party. But when someone is experiencing a tough time, it can seem more difficult. But, really, it’s simple. When you’re going through a crisis, you don’t want advice; you just want somebody to be there to sit with you, hold your hand, put an arm around your shoulder, or cry with you. As Paul tells us, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV). Encouraging someone else doesn’t always mean giving a pep talk or offering words of wisdom. Sometimes the best kind of encouragement is just sitting in silence, and then waiting and weeping with a friend. Do you have a safety net — a group of fellow Christians you know you can count on in life’s toughest times? If not, go out today and begin building those friendships. The hard times in life are inevitable, and it’s unwise to go into them unprepared. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) Talk It Over - Who is part of your safety net? How do you build community with people and reach that level of commitment? - What are some practical ways you can provide someone with a safety net? - What is the difference between being part of a Bible study and being part of a community? [Facebook](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) [Twitter](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) [Pinterest](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) [Email](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r [Our Gift:](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r)You Make Me Crazy Study Kit When you’ve had all the “crazy” you can take… Do you have a relationship that drives you crazy? Maybe it’s a spouse, sibling, parent, co-worker, or the crazy relative that really pushes your buttons. Pastor Rick shows how you can turn crazy relationships into peaceful ones through his You Make Me Crazy Study Kit. This 6-week video study includes a DVD and study guide—and helps you . . . • Reconcile with the people who drive you crazy • Start healing from past hurts caused by others • Understand the emotions simmering beneath people’s words • Turn conflict into cooperation • Offer God’s immeasurable love even when it’s hard [LEARN MORE](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) Includes 8 full-length teaching CD's from Pastor Rick's series You Make Me Crazy. [LEARN MORE](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r [Series Summary](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) Session 1: Six Keys to Peace In Relationships Session 2: Who's Pushing Your Buttons? Session 3: Resolving Conflict Session 4: Finding the Love of Your Life Session 5: Breaking Free from Abuse Session 6: When Escaping the People Pleaser Trap Session 7: Keeping the Crazymakers from Making You Crazy Session 8: How to Keep Your Marriage Growing [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) [Twitter](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) [Instagram](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) [Linkedin](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) Enjoy today's Devotional? [Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio.](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r) This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at [pastorrick.com](JCcdhrCAN:m:1:2618166767:8E2E69144C9369066C6E2BED614A3539:r). Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. 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