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.

February 14 2016 Daring To Commit

DARING TO COMMIT

Romans 6:13 (LB) "Give yourselves completely to God—every part of you—for you have been brought back to life, and you want to be tools in the hands of God, used for his good purposes."

FIVE COMMITMENTS

1. TO STRENGTHEN MY FAITH . . .

I MUST unite with others in worship

Isaiah 40:31 "Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."

Psalm 100:2 (NLT) "Worship the Lord with gladness! Come before him, singing with joy!"

2. TO DISCOVER MY IDENTITY & PURPOSE . . .

I MUST connect with others in fellowship

Romans 12:4­5 (Mes)"We are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from Christ’s Body as a whole, not the other way around. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped­off finger or cut­off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we?"

Ephesians 2:16 (Mes) "Christ brought us together through his death on the Cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility."

2 Corinthians 5:18­-19 (NIV) "Now God had reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation...and the message of reconciliation."

3. TO DEVELOP MY POTENTIAL . . .

I MUST learn from others to grow

Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)"Christ’s Body is fitted TOGETHER perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow . . ."

4. TO EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANCE . . .

I MUST serve with others in ministry

1 Peter 4:10 (NCV) "Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others. Be good Servants of God’s various gifts of grace."

Mark 8:35 (NLT) "If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life."

Ecclesiastes 4:9­-12 (NCV & LB) "Two people are always better than one, because they get more done by working TOGETHER. If one falls down, the other can help him up. But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there to help. If two lie down TOGETHER, they can share the same blanket and stay warm, but a person alone will not be warm. An enemy might defeat one person, but two people TOGETHER can defend themselves. And a rope that is woven of three braids is hard to break."

WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER . . .

• WE maximize our impact (vs 9)
• WE minimize our failure (vs 10)
• WE mobilize our resources (vs 11)

Memory Verse: Matthew 25:40 (NIV) "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me."

5. TO MAKE AN ETERNAL DIFFERENCE . . .

I MUST join with others on mission

Matthew 28:19­-20 (NIV)"Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to do everything I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you . . ."

May 8 2011 Characteristics Of A Strong Home

CHARACTERISTICS OF A STRONG HOME

I Chronicles 13:14

Verse 14 – The ark of God remained with the family
of Obededom in his house for three months and the
Lord blessed his household and everything he had.

The Needed Characteristics:

1. The Presence of Jesus Christ.
Ex. 25:16 - God told Moses to place inside the ark the
tablets of stone that had the Ten Commandments on
them.
Eph. 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. A proper attitude.
Numbers 17
Phil. 2:5 – Your attitude towards each other should be the
same as that of Christ Jesus.

Attitude Ingredients:

• Consideration
Eph. 4:2 – Show your love by being helpful to each other.
* Paying Attention
* Focus On Each Other’s Strengths
* Showing Common Courtesy
* Respect
I Thes. 5:11 –Give encouragement to each other and keep
strengthening each other.
Prov. 12:10 – Take delight in honoring each other.

• Commitment
I Tim. 6:20 –Guard what has been entrusted to you.

Commitment:

• Children respect their parents.
Exodus 20:12 – Honor your Father and Mother, so that
you may live long in the land.

How to Show Respect:

• Obey them while at home.
Eph. 6:1 – Children obey your parents.

• Accept and appreciate them.

• Listen to their opinion
Prov. 23:22 – Listen to your father who gave you life and
do not despise your mother.

• Forgive them.

• Appreciate their effort and sacrifice.

3. Demand right action.
Eph. 4:3 – Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit.

• Communication
Prov. 13:17 – Reliable communication permits progress.
* Verbal Attention
* Interested In Each Other’s Feelings
* Setting A Time To Talk

• Compromise
I Cor. 13:5 – Love does not demand its own way.
* Conflict
* Won’t Always Agree
* Compromise Is The Evidence Of Love

• God is faithful.
John 6 :48-51 –I am the bread of Life, your forefathers
ate the manna in the desert yet they died. But here is the
bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat
and not die.

GOD CAN BLESS YOUR FAMILY