June 19 2016 Restoring Harmony In The Home

RESTORING HARMONY IN THE HOME

Mark 3:25 & James 4: 1-2

Mark 3:25 – A home filled with strife and division destroys itself.

James 4: 1-2 – What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?

Five ways to manage conflict:

1.  There is my way

2.  There is no way

3.  There is your way

4.  There is half way

5.  There is our way

Six Steps to Resolving Conflict:

1.  You need to become a believer in Christ.

Ephesians 2:16 – As parts of the same body our anger against each other has disappeared for both of us have been reconciled to God and so the feud ended at the cross.

2.  You talked to God about the problem.

James 4:2 – Your quarrel and fight.  You do not have, because you do not ask God.

3.  You analyze the problem.

Matthew 7: 3-4 – Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? Take the plank out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

1 John 1:8 – If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

4.  You need to schedule a peace conference.

Matthew 5:23-24 – If you remember your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the alter and go at once to make peace, and then come back and offer your gift to God.

1 Peter 3:7

Ways to Communicate                     Ground Rules    
                
1.    Pick the right time                     *No divorce threats         

2.    Choose the right place              * No bad temper

3.    Pray before you meet                * No hatred                  

4.    Come with a positive attitude   *No abusive language                      
    
5.    Establish some ground rules     *No foul mouth                       
                                                            
                                                           *No lies      

Colossians 3:8

5.  Switch your focus.

Philippians 2:3-5 -Don't be selfish, don't just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others too. Your attitude should be like Christ who though he was God, did not demand and cling to his rights as God.

6.  You need to ask for advice.

Proverbs 15:32 – Conceited people don't like to be corrected. They never ask advise from those who are wiser.

Closing thought: It's more rewarding to resolve a conflict that it is to dissolve a relationship.

March 17 2013 Relationship Rescue: Dealing With Divorce

Dealing With Divorce

Mark 10:2-12 “Some Pharisees came and tried to trap [Jesus] with this question: ‘Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?’ ‘What did Moses say about divorce?’ Jesus asked them. ‘Well, he permitted it,’ they replied. ‘He said a man merely has to write his wife an official letter of divorce and send her away.’ But Jesus responded, ‘He wrote those instructions only as a concession to your hard-hearted wickedness. But God's plan was seen from the beginning of creation, for 'He made them male and female.' 'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.' Since they are no longer two but one, let no one separate them, for God has joined them together.’ Later, when he was alone with his disciples in the house, they brought up the subject again. He told them, ‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and remarries, she commits adultery.’”

Jesus On Divorce:

• Divorce Breaks the heart of God
• Divorce is allowed in cases of adultery, abandonment, and abuse but not necessitated
• Do whatever is possible to avoid divorce

5 Decisions For Dealing With Divorce

Psalm 144:7 “Reach down from heaven and rescue me; deliver me from deep waters.” 

1. Commit to a Forever view on marriage. Mark 10:6-9

2. Deal with problems Proactively

Matthew 5:27-28 "You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Do not commit adultery.'But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

• Date/Marry A Believer
• Date My Spouse (Keep the Romance Alive)
• Defend My Marriage From Temptation
• Marital Counseling

3. Do whatever I can to reconcile.

Mark 10:8-9(Jesus) “Since they are no longer two but one, let no one separate them, for God has joined them together.”

Romans 12:18 “Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.” 

4. Break my destructive patterns

Jeremiah 8:5 “Then why do these people keep going along their self-destructive path, refusing to turn back, even though I have warned them?”

Proverbs 26:11 “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.”

5. Trust God to bring healing & Hope

Psalm 147:3-4 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.”

May 20 2012 Managing Financial Stress In The Home

*no audio*

Managing Financial Stress In The Home

According to a Time magazine survey of a few years ago, the number one source of arguments in marriage is conflict over money. Gallup reports 56% of divorces are due to financial problems or pressure.
Financial problems always occur when we ignore God’s Five Financial Laws:

1. Keep good records.

Proverbs 27:23-24 - Be sure you know the conditions of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds. For riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.
Proverbs 23:23 - Get the facts at any price.
Proverbs 24:3-4 - Any enterprise becomes strong, through common sense and profits by keeping abreast of the facts.

Four Things to Know
• Keep track of what you own
• Know what you earn
• Know what you owe
• You need to know where it goes

2. Plan your spending.

Proverbs 21:5 - The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as hast leads to poverty.
Proverbs 21:20 - The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.

Three Things in a Good Budget
• It ought to be a mutual decision
• It ought to be a matter of prayer
• It should be based on goals


3. Enjoy what you have.

Proverbs 15:16-17 - Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil. Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred.
1 Timothy 6:6-8 - But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing we will be content with that.
Hebrews 13:5 - Be content with what you have.

4. Share with others in need.

Proverbs 11:24-25 - One man gives freely, yet gains even more, another with holds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper, he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 19:17 - He who is kind to the poor leads to the Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done.
Proverbs 22:19 - A generous man will himself be blessed.
Proverbs 28:27 - He who gives to the poor will lack nothing.

5. Tithing.

Proverbs 3:9 - Honor the Lord with your wealth, and with the first fruits of all your crops.

Three Reasons to Tithe
• It shows our gratitude
• It’s a reminder for the present
• It’s a step of faith for the future

Deuteronomy 14:23
Malachi 3:8-10
Matthew 6:33 - Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.