Find Your Five, “Tail Kickers”
December 4, 2022

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Message Review

We all need people in our lives that will love us on different level. The problem with this is that love doesn’t always feel loving. Sometimes love requires that we speak up, confront, and challenge each other. The reason people don’t kick our tails is because they fear rejection, they have discomfort in the conflict, and they do not like confrontation. The truth is we want people in our lives who are willing to say what is uncomfortable and kick us in the tail because that is what love requires.

Main Point: Tail Kickers do what love requires.

Scripture References: Matthew 18:1-3, 6-9, 12-17

Questions      

  • Do you have a story where someone, maybe accidentally, might have been just a bit to honest for your liking? (ex. Someone asks if you thought your outfit matched when getting dressed that morning.)

  • What are some of the reasons the people at Relevant feel like they don’t have true friendships?

  • Why is it hard to say what love requires of you to people you have a close relationship with?

  • Read Matthew 18: 15-17. How do these verses say to handle difficult conversations that need to be had. What are the steps

  • Do you think that present culture could lead to indifference when it comes to the hard conversations? Why?

  • Pastor Matt said, “Tail Kickers do what love requires.” What ways do you build equity in relationship with others where this “Tail Kicking” can be done?

  • When someone would do some tail kicking in your life what do you think your natural reaction would be?

  • What does it look like in our lives to live out reckless love like God in our relationships?

Challenge Question: Are you putting yourself in environments where you can build these types of relationships? Are you giving anyone permission to be a tail kicker in your life? If you are, and they do some tail kicking, what’s your natural reaction?

Application

Spend time this week asking yourself if you are putting yourself in environments where you can build these types of relationships. If you aren’t, take the next step to put yourself in these environments. If you are fortunate to have relationships where you can be this honest take the next step and tell that person this week, they have permission to kick your tail when necessary and then listen and respond.

Verse to Remember: Matthew 18:15: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”

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