Resolving Personal Conflict

James Rochford
Philippians 4:1-3

Paul calls us to live in harmony with each other in the Lord. Everyone will at one time or another find themselves in conflict with someone. Even highly dedicated Christians will get into conflict. We need to remember both sides have made a contribution to the conflict and thus both sides have a role in resolving the conflict. The first step is to go before God and ask him to speak to you and then in sincerity, repent for anything he shows you. Other steps involve making a plan to meet with the other person to resolve the conflict. Ken Sande's books are very helpful in resolving conflict in a godly way.

God's Peace

Conrad Hilario
Philippians 4:4-7

Everyone wants to be happy, yet it is so elusive. True happiness is connected to having peace with God. When we ask for and receive forgiveness from God, we have peace with Him. This peace isn't something we are to strive for but it is freely given to us by God. Paul calls us to be anxious about nothing. Prayer with thanksgiving expresses our trust in God and assumes a posture of humility. Gratitude is not the result of peace but the cause of peace. It reminds us who really is in charge.

The Peace of God

Scott Risley
Philippians 4:1-7

How does God enable us to have peace with one another? He does this by calling on each one of us to initiate resolution of conflict. He calls on the rest of the church to assist those stuck in conflict. He also has given us a mission that is bigger than our egos and he meets our deepest needs. How does God want us to deal with anxiety? He calls us to pray and pray with thanksgiving. Instead of fighting our anxiety, we can use it as a springboard to bending our hearts to God and give our anxiety to God. We will find we are continuously praying because in reality, we are always completely dependent upon God.

Dealing with Negativity

Dennis McCallum
Philippians 4:8

Paul is countering an existing bias humans have toward negativity. Fallen humans don't see reality accurately. They shift reality toward the negative. Some of the ways to deal with negativity are to acknowledge the negatives but also focus on the positives, get into the Word, and remember your history with God. Victory over negativity will light up your life, but it may need to re-won periodically.

Final Calls

Dennis McCallum
Philippians 4:1-7

As Paul begins to wrap up his letter to the Philippians, he gives a final call to live in harmony in the Lord and to rejoice always in the Lord. He exhorts them to pray with thanksgiving to God who guards their hearts and minds with a peace that is beyond comprehension. Like the Philippians, we have a choice between trying to generate peace by our own efforts or we can accept the immeasurable peace God offers.

Joy and Peace

Jim Leffel
Philippians 4:4-9

To have the peace of God, we have to have peace with God. The real problem is not our there but within. It is our alienation from God because of sin. Once we are reconciled to Him, then we have peace with God, and can then experience the peace of God. The quality of our inner life is substantially determined by the quality of the object of our affection. When we delight or rejoice in Him, give Him thanks, then it begins to shape who we are. Our passions then align with God's passions and the result is peace.

Jesus and the Woman in the Crowd

Ben Foust
Mark 5:21-43

The story of the woman in the crowd who had a bleeding disorder demonstrates that Jesus is a man of compassion, the healer of hopeless situations, the inviter of outcasts, the rewarder of faith, and that Jesus' power is absolutely adequate. Sickness and death are symbols of our alienation from God. Jesus' power over them is proof he has the power to fulfill his mission to reconcile us. All of us will encounter hopeless situations at some time. When that happens, Jesus invites us to put our faith, however small it might be, in him.

The Sermon on the Mount - Part Two

Ryan Lowery
Matthew 5:7-16

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes the path to a "blessed"--abundant--life. He says we should seek to be "pure of heart," with God at the center of our devotion, and we should seek to be peacemakers. While this may not be an easy path, it will bring us fulfillment in this life, and allow us to be used by God to change the world.

A Servant's Joy

Jim Leffel
Philippians 1:21-25

Cultivating joy begins with cultivating a heart of gratitude to God for his generous grace toward us. A thankful heart is a joyous heart. In Christian community, when we are servants to one another, we will experience peace with God, delight in the truth, love relationships, and progress in our areas of struggle. The life of joy for a servant of God comes through a calculated decision that to live is Christ and to die is gain.