Throughout the history of the church, there have been those who stirred up trouble and caused dissension. Such troublemakers will always exist. To keep the unity that is so vital in a healthy church, those who habitually and persistently sow discord must be confronted, dealt with, and encouraged to repent.
Paul called his disability “a thorn in my flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). The downside of this “thorn” was the awful torment it brought. The benefit was that it kept Paul from being self-sufficient. The pain he endured forced him away from self-serving pride and toward an all-important discovery: “When I am weak, then I am strong” (12:10).
Each of us can remember a time when we failed to do something we said we would do. And then, somewhere along the way, our good intentions got sidetracked.
There isn’t a single person reading these words who hasn’t been hurt by someone else. All of us can remember someone who planned something, said something, or did something ugly or unfair to us.
Even though it’s difficult, even though the person being confronted may not respond as we hope, and even though we may be misunderstood, we must, nevertheless, do the right thing—in the right way”at the right time.
In this message, we will meet a man in Scripture whom you’ve probably never met. Gehazi was once a longtime, trusted servant of the prophet Elisha. One tragic day all that changed…the day he replaced his diligence with deceit.
In this lesson, we’ll briefly meet individuals in Scripture who were victims of stalking, and we’ll look closely at Elijah’s experience with Jezebel to learn how (and how not!) to handle this threat to our well-being.
Picture someone who walks in integrity, loves God, and treats others with kindness and grace and mercy…and then, suddenly, loses everything. How could this happen? And could it happen to you? Who knows? The experience may be just around the corner.
In this message, we’ll meet an obscure, 80-year-old shepherd whose failure broke his spirit and left him feeling “over the hill” and washed up. Little did he know—he was on the verge of something great.
If Easter was the most exciting day of the disciples’ lives, quite likely the ascension was the most exciting day of Jesus’ earthly life. He had finished His mission. There was just one thing. Jesus’ departure opened the door to one great risk: being forgotten.
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