Why should I be accountable to someone?
1. Scriptural teaching
a. Christians are to submit to one another (Ephesians 5:2)
b. Christians are to bear each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)
c. It protects me from Satan and helps build purity in my life (2 Timothy 2:22)
d. Because I will have to give an account of my entire life to God (Romans 14:12)
2. Practical advantage – accountability works! The flesh is weak, and on our own, we tend to give up too easily. If we tell ourselves we will do something, we have only ourselves to answer to – but if we tell someone else what we are or are not going to do, we double our accountability.
Why do some people refuse to have an accountability partner?
1. Pride
2. Lack of total commitment
3. Fear that others would look down on them if they really knew them
4. Laziness – they don’t want to become disciplined
5. They don’t know how to do it
What type of person should be my accountability partner?
1. A growing Christian who is able to challenge me
2. One with whom I can be open and honest
What do I do with my accountability partner?
1. Establish goals
2. Share: strengths, weaknesses, quiet time insights, answers to prayers, Scripture memory verses, note-taking insights
3. Confess to one another and pray for each other consistently (James 5:16; Matthew 18:19)
4. Encourage and challenge one another (Hebrews 3:13; Romans 15:14)
5. Check up on each other (Acts 15:36)