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Charles Stanley
Accountability is a relationship between believers wherein one has invited the other to monitor the development of character in one or more areas
Chuck Swindoll
A willingness to explain your actions
Chuck Swindoll
Opening ones life to a few carefully selected, trusted, loyal confidants who speak the truth who have the right to examine, to question, to appraise, and to give counsel
Head Start
The number one dilemma facing Gods men today is isolation. When a guy is under pressure or his relationships are suffering or life has simply thrown him one too many curves, he tends to keep his suffering to himself.
Overcoming isolation then is not about getting and giving warm fuzzies or any occasional high-five.
It involves war for your spiritual well being It involves war for your spiritual effectiveness It involves war for your impact on those closest to you.
What Gods man needs to know is that isolation from other men is not just bad, it is deadly!
Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].
Lesson
2. Our Faults The wrong way men live The wrong way men live
out their lives
We hide and mask anger Prov 28:13 We internalize pressure We bury losses We deny being wounded We withdrawal in the face of hard truth We perceive openness as weakness
We push people away We ignore facts We deceive ourselves We close off We fear failure We deflect mistakes We hide struggles We change the subject
17)
Nothing on the back need a fighting partner to guard your back Shield of faith
4 tall, 2 wide, covered with 6 layers of leather, made of wood, soaked in water. But a very unique is there was a lip on each side so shields could connect to each other.
Two are better than one when it comes to warmth (v.11) Two are better than one when it comes to watch care(v.12)
Accountability is not asking someone to be a cop for us. The key is to choose to be accountable; we choose this as a lifestyle for ourselves.
We choose to live
in community, in honesty, in real open relationships. 1 Peter 5:9 Brethren who are in the world (not of the world) Ephesians 4:25 speak truth to one another
Someone you Trust Someone you let into your Life Someone you give the right to ask tough questions Someone you will be Honest and Open with Someone who wants you to become more like Christ
"Weak prayers come from weak people; strong prayers come from strong people. The energetic prayers of a righteous man are potent force in calling down the power of God for restoring weak, struggling believers to spiritual health." John MacArthur
I like to think of Elijah when I want to remember how to pray earnestly and strongly. Take a look at James 5:16-18
Who is Righteous?
Consider Abraham. His faith was credited to him as righteousness. Paul rights about this in Romans 4:21-25 When we have faith in the promises of God we are credited with righteousness. So we can all have pray the prayers of a righteous man and stand before God without guilt because Jesus bore it and buried it upon the cross.
Results of confession
Healing Restored to a spiritual tone of mind Restored to a spiritual tone of heart
They should help you become the man God created you to be
Galatians 6:1
We cant go to unbelievers and expect to be sharpened. We have to be sharpened by our believing brothers.
Let me stress; that you need to get and stay accountable to a gracious and loving person (or group), bringing everything you do into the light with them. Pray with them and meet with them weekly if possible. Dont keep silent about your sins and failures-no matter what happens. Practicing active accountability will help you live in the light every day with Jesus and with your brother in Christ! The healing will begin.
-Lowell Seashore-