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MANAGING CONFLICTS: LIVING WITH DIFFERENCES

“Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with…” Romans 14:1 (MSG) REFERENCE Romans 14:1-5 Unresolved conflicts, as seen from yesterday’s study, have dire consequences. They arise for various reasons, but basically because people differ in their opinions and as such, perceive things differently. Life largely is about perspectives. The way we view events determine the way we respond to them.  To get the best outcomes in our relationships, we must strive to understand and manage conflict (which...
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MANAGING CONFLICTS

“Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. ~ Matthew 18:15   REFERENCE Matthew 18:15-17 Conflict is a part of life but if not properly managed, it can break marriages, destroy organizations, strain relationships, cause strife in families, promote rivalry amongst peers, create disunity in communities, in churches, etc. Conflict is the process by which parties with differing wishes or opinions (each believing that the other party will act or is acting against them) engage in behaviors ‘that seek’ to damage the other...
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VICTORY OVER THE FLESH: YOU ARE A VICTOR!

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. Galatians 5:16&17 REFERENCE Galatians 5:16-25 Yesterday we established that the flesh and the Spirit are in constant battle in a believer, and whoever wins the battle determines the direction the believer’s life goes. Victory means triumphing or having a win over an opponent.  Since, the flesh is your opponent; it is likely that you may be struggling...
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VICTORY OVER THE FLESH

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. Galatians 5:16&17 REFERENCE Galatians 5:16-25 There is an on-going battle between the Spirit and the flesh in every believer; both are contrary to each other. The Spirit opposes the flesh and its evil influences and the flesh resists the Spirit and His good influence. Whoever wins the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit will determine...
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EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYERS

Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. – Colossians 3:22   REFERENCE Colossians 3:18-4:1   A bondservant is someone who has pledged to serve others voluntarily with all their heart; not for profit or gain. For usage purposes, we will exchange the word “bondservant” with “employee” because of its use in our contemporary times. God expects you as a Christian employee to do your work with all your heart because you are doing it ultimately unto Him. You are admonished not to work...
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CHILDREN AND PARENTS

Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. – Colossians 3:20&21   REFERENCE Colossians 3:18-4:1 Just like wives to husbands, children are supposed to submit to their parents; that is the first commandment with a promise, and they are doing it unto God. A child’s Christianity starts from how he/she honors and obeys his/her parents, as an act of submission to God’s order in the family. Children, who find it difficult to submit to and obey their parents, will find it difficult to have...
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WIVES SUBMIT TO YOUR OWN HUSBANDS

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. – Colossians 3:18   REFERENCE Colossians 3:18-4:1   As a wife, God does not expect you to submit to every man you see, but to your own husband, and that, as it is fitting in the Lord. That is, you do it in honor to God…and it is pleasing to Him. In the military, a Captain must submit to a General, irrespective of whether he is more educated, more exposed or older than the General. He is not submitting to the person, but to the office the General...
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HUSBANDS LOVE YOUR WIVES

Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. Colossians 3:19 REFERENCE Colossians 3:18 - 4:1 One good measure of a married man is how he treats his wife. I like to say, “That man is a successful failure, who succeeds on his job, but fails in his marriage.” Every Christian man has been called to be a reflection of Christ to his wife. The word “Husband” is from an old English word, meaning, “House bond.” It supposes that the man is like the mortar that holds building blocks together; that is, the ‘bonding’ of the family depends...
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CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS

And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  Matthew 22:39 REFERENCE Matthew 22:35-40 Christianity is a religion of relationships. The very root of Christianity is in God’s great love for humanity, which motivated Him to send His Son to die for us (John 3:16). In fact, looking at the Ten Commandments, one notices that six of them deal with relating with people, i.e. not steal, kill, covet their properties, etc., but rather, to respect and treat them right. The heart of the New Testament church, likewise, is one of relating well with others, for Jesus...
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I CAN – Part 2

 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”. – Exodus 3:11   REFERENCE Exodus 3:7-11, 4:1-10 We left off yesterday with the thought that many people believe God can do great things, but aren’t sure He will do it through them. God has to address the mindset of this class of people in order to do anything meaningful in their lives. A case in point can be seen in today’s passage. God gave Moses an assignment – ‘Deliver the children of Israel from their...
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