Reading: Pursuing Perspective, Part 3 - Slides

Restoring Relationships
Transforming Justice

Lecture 22

Pursuing a Healthy Perspective on Conflict

Part 3

Seeking God’s Presence - Worship

Four attributes of a person God can use as His ambassador in a conflict wildfire.

Seeking God’s Presence - Worship

Four attributes of a person God can use as His ambassador in a conflict wildfire.

The first attribute is humility.

Seeking God’s Presence - Worship

Four attributes of a person God can use as His ambassador in a conflict wildfire.

The first attribute is humility.

The second attribute is a desire to please God.

Seeking God’s Presence - Worship

Four attributes of a person God can use as His ambassador in a conflict wildfire.

The first attribute is humility.

The second attribute is a desire to please God.

The third attribute is faith.

Faith

Even if we have the desire to please God, it is impossible to please Him without faith.

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Faith

Like humility and a desire to please God, faith is a gift from God.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Faith

Faith is produced by hearing God’s word. 

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Romans 10:17

Faith

God’s Word declares God’s truth. 

Faith

God’s Word declares God’s truth. 

Hearing God’s truth produces faith.

Faith

God’s Word declares God’s truth. 

Hearing God’s truth produces faith.

“The truth that God’s Word declares will not profit you unless you mix it with the faith that the Word of God produces.” – Ian Thomas

Faith

God’s Word declares God’s truth. 

Hearing God’s truth produces faith.

“The truth that God’s Word declares will not profit you unless you mix it with the faith that the Word of God produces.” – Ian Thomas

For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. Hebrews 4:2

Faith

Faith impacts our actions and our words.

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:17

Faith

Faith in Jesus Christ is a shield of protection in the spiritual war between the wildfire and the Peacefire.

 … take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Eph. 6:16

Faith

Our faith is in Jesus Christ, not in worldly wisdom or man’s abilities and talents.

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5

Faith

Conflict wildfires test and refine our faith. 

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

Faith

When we focus on the wildfire rather than seek the Lord’s presence, the things in the wildfire can lead us away from faith.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10

Faith

Seeking the Lord’s presence encourages us to respond to conflict by making faith choices – restorative choices – transformational choices - that are grounded in our relationship with Jesus Christ, rather than making shallow choices motivated by the circumstances or emotions generated in the wildfire. 

Lecture 22

The third attribute of a person God can use in conflict is faith. 

It is impossible to please God without faith. 

Faith grows by hearing and applying God’s Word in our lives. 

Faith influences our words and actions in conflict. 

Lecture 22

At the Peacefire, our faith is in Jesus Christ, not worldly wisdom or our abilities and talents.

Conflict wildfires test our faith.

Seeking the Lord’s presence encourages us to respond to conflict by making faith choices that are grounded in our relationship with Jesus Christ, rather than choices based on wildfire circumstances.