LIVING IN PEACE

LIVING IN PEACE I. WOULDN’T IT BE WONDERFUL IF EVERYBODY WOULD JUST GET ALONG? A. IS IT UNREASONABLE THAT WE HOPE AND PRAY FOR PEACE? B. IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO AVOID CREATING A DIVISIVE AND HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT? C. ISAIAH 26:3-4 KJV MATTHEW 5:9 II. WHY IS THERE SO MUCH ANIMOSITY AND STRIFE IN OUR WORLD? A. “WHAT CAUSES FIGHTS AND QUARRELS AMONG YOU? “ B. JAMES 4:1-3 III. PEACE IS HARD TO FIND WHEN WE STRUGGLE WITH INNER PEACE. A. 1ST FAILURE: NOT CONSULTING WITH GOD! THIS SPARKS FIGHTS AND QUARRELS. B. 2ND FAILURE: WE ASK WITH “WRONG MOTIVES.” III. RELATIONSHIPS QUICKLY DETERIORATE WHEN PEACE IS FORFEITED. A. GENESIS 6:5-6 B. TO SAVE HUMANITY GOD USES NOAH TO BUILD AN ARK, AND WITH THE FLOOD, MANKIND IS PRESERVED. IV. SOLOMON OFFERS A LIST OF THINGS THE LORD HATES: DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE? A. PROVERBS 6:16-19 KJV B. GREAT HARM IS DONE TO RELATIONSHIPS WHEN WE SOW “DISCORD.” C. HEBREWS 12:14-15 D. WHAT MIGHT MAKING EVERY “EFFORT” LOOK LIKE? V. DO WE OVERLOOK THE CONNECTION BETWEEN LIVING IN PEACE AS IT RELATES TO BEING HOLY? A. MATTHEW 18:15-17 B. REMEMBER THE LAST TIME YOU SHOWED YOUR BROTHER HIS FAULT? VI. FORMULA FOR PEACE. (PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7) A. ONLY THE “PEACE OF GOD” IS ABLE TO GUARD OUR HEARTS AND MINDS, IN CHRIST.”