One Sabbath afternoon I received a phone call from the mother of a child I had corrected earlier at church. The girl had smarted off to me when I told her to stay out of a room that was off-limits. The mother told me, “My daughter wants to tell you she is sorry, but before … Continue reading –>
There is a trick question I love to ask people. What was the tallest mountain in the world before Mount Everest was discovered? I get all kinds of answers, like “Mount McKinley “and so forth, but you know what the answer is? Mount Everest! Mount Everest was the tallest mountain in the world (Now I … Continue reading –>
“When the laborers have an abiding Christ in their own souls, when all selfishness is dead, when there is no rivalry, no strife for the supremacy, when oneness exists, when they sanctify themselves, so that love for one another is seen and felt, then the showers of the grace of the Holy Spirit will just … Continue reading –>
[Thought questions for Reformation: Healing Broken Relationships September 18, 2013] 1. After the crash. Imagine that you’re a professional cake decorator and are just now putting the finishing touches on a cream-colored four-layer cake with an intricate pattern and pretty red roses made of icing when there’s a loud crash and wooden boards begin falling … Continue reading –>
Read Matthew 18:15-17. What three steps does Jesus give us to help us to resolve conflicts when we are wronged by another church member? How are we to apply these words in our contemporary situations? Jesus’ desire in giving the counsel of Matthew 18 is to keep conflict in as small a group as possible. His … Continue reading –>
What is forgiveness? Does forgiveness justify the behavior of someone who has horribly wronged us? Is my forgiveness dependent on the offender’s repentance? What if the one with whom I am upset with does not deserve my forgiveness? How do the following passages help us to understand the biblical nature of forgiveness?Rom. 5:8-11; Luke 23:31-34; 2 Cor. 5:20-21;Eph. … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : Jesus longing for His church is for members to respect one another and live in Christian love and unity. [Teaching plan for Healing Broken Relationships September 16, 2013] 1. Have a volunteer read 2 Timothy 4:11. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this … Continue reading –>
As we saw in an earlier lesson, the church at Corinth had deep problems. What principles does Paul outline in 1 Corinthians 3:5-11, 12:1-11, and 2 Corinthians 10:12-15 for healing and restoration, all of which are so vital to revival and reformation? In these passages, the apostle outlines critical principles of church unity. He points out that Jesus uses different … Continue reading –>
While he was imprisoned in Rome, Paul met a runaway slave named Onesimus who had fled from Colossae to Rome. Paul personally knew Onesimus’ master. The Epistle of Philemon is Paul’s personal appeal to his friend regarding a restored relationship with the runaway slave. Relationships mattered to Paul. The apostle knew that fractured relationships are … Continue reading –>
Paul and Barnabas worked together in witnessing for Jesus. But they had some strife between them (Acts 15:36-39). Paul could not trust one as fearful as John Mark. The potential dangers of preaching the gospel had caused John Mark at one point to desert Paul and Barnabas and return home. “This desertion caused Paul to judge … Continue reading –>
