Are you in a relational conflict with someone right now? Chris Brannon continues in our series by telling us how we should handle that conflict. Few things sap more of our joy, are as emotionally demanding and mentally distracting, as relational conflict. Few things wreak as much havoc and destruction on lives as relational conflict and so much of it is avoidable. Why is conflict resolution so hard for us?
Chris shows us what Jesus has to say about conflict and how we should resolve it. The first step is to do it quickly. Conflict needs to be handled as quickly as possible. The next step is that it needs to be handled face to face. It is too hard to communicate emotion through email or text and it makes it very easy to misunderstand someone. Another step is to get help. If you are in conflict and can’t resolve things on your own, you have to take it to the church. The last resort step would be to cancel the debt.
As a people, Christ followers are well aware of the idea of sacrifice and memorials. Chris Brannon continues in our series talking about living a life of sacrifice. Our eternal hope is built entirely on the fact that Jesus came for the sole purpose of giving His life away for us.
In some ways, laying down your life would be easier if it could be done in one grand gesture. It would eliminate the ongoing challenges and questions that you must continue to be confronted with. With each individual opportunity to serve, to love, to sacrifice, we find ourselves in the battle between what we know Jesus would want us to do and what our selfish nature would desire. It can feel like death by a thousand cuts.
Rather than in one single act, we are called to lay our lives down over and over again as the need arises. It is like the difference between a single act of extreme generosity and the act of giving small amounts repeatedly on a daily basis.
Jesus’ life teaches us a lot about family. Jordan Brannon continues in our sermon series by talking about family.
Jesus’ life teaches us that God has put you in your family for a reason. There are some personal applications that apply to this. The first is that you should stop complaining (or taking your family for granted), and examine how God’s plan and purpose in your life has been evidenced through your family. Another application is that you should share that plan and purpose with others, especially your own family. The next one is to not look to break with family at the first signs on conflict. Refocus on how God may be intending you to be used in a specific set of circumstances. The last application is to be transparent with your family members about where you’re struggling.
Jesus’ life also teaches us that family doesn’t supersede God. There are also personal applications to this. The first is that you need to build your house on a rock. You also need to make God the centerpiece of your personal life. Lastly, you need to make God the centerpiece of your family life.
Jesus’ life and death result in our adoption into the family of God. So we must live by faith and remember that the family of God is not exclusionary.
Jesus’ life and death reconciles us to God. They do not reconcile God to our culture. We need to be mindful of the way that our culture paints our view on family. We also need to look for solutions to family challenges through the Word of God and prayer.
A covenant is also a “one way” promise. It’s an unconditional promise that you make for the benefit of someone else. Chris Brannon continues in our series by talking about covenant living. A covenant is not a mutual agreement for mutual benefit promise. It’s a choice that you make to benefit someone else or a group of “someone-else’s” without concern about whether it may benefit you.
A covenant relationship is not like a contract, which is easily voided when one party does not fulfill their end of the deal, or makes a mistake. Rather, a covenant is more like a marriage where the commitment to each other is inseparable. God made a covenant relationship with us.
How does Jesus effect our everyday life? Is He involved in our decision making? Does He care about the state of our relationships? Does He engage us in our marriage and home life? What about our finances? Is there a place for Him in our workplace? Chris Brannon kicks off a new sermon series with these questions for us. They are legitimate questions that every believer should be asking. Chris starts our new series by talking about how “Jesus Changes Me”.
Change is something that we all need. It’s an ongoing part of life and, essentially, change is the new norm. People’s spiritual lives call for more than slight changes to the calendar. Their lives are in need of transformation! Transformation is not about trying harder or having a better life. There are two extreme views of Spiritual Transformation. The first is bordering on the works-based salvation – keep working, striving and pressing. The second is transformation by grace alone – and we use that as an excuse to forgo our responsibility to grow up spiritually. Chris shows us that there is a balance between the two.
