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On August 13th, we held church services outdoors at the nearby Schiller Woods. We followed the outdoor service with a grand church picnic. Here are some sights and sounds from that event.

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO CLIPS

AUDIO RECORDING

SERMON NOTES:

Stay out of Strife at all Costs

I. Introduction

• In today’s world there are a lot of angry people

• Strife- will stop the flow of God’s anointing power on your life

• Forgive- You deserve peace so Forgive

• Jesus said, if you don’t forgive others than you won’t be forgiven of your sins

• Keep the peace- stay in Unity, this doesn’t mean conformity

• Look at our elders or leaders of the church

Ephesians 4:29-31 - Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

29 Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).

31 Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).

II. Strife

James 3:16 - King James Version

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

• Strife has broken up marriages, families, businesses, and churches

• Stay out of strife

Proverbs 20:3 - Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

3 It is an honor for a man to cease from strife and keep aloof from it, but every fool will quarrel.

III. Forgive

Matthew 6:14-15 - Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

14 For if you forgive people their trespasses [their [a]reckless and willful sins, [b]leaving them, letting them go, and [c]giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses [their [d]reckless and willful sins, [e]leaving them, letting them go, and [f]giving up resentment], neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses.

• You deserve peace so Forgive

• Let it go, give up resentment (strife’s undercurrent)

• Giving people cold shoulder, I will show them

• Forgive even when you don’t think they deserve it

• Forgive- when people don’t ask for it

• (road rage- people cut you off)

Matthew 7:1-2 - Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

7 Do not judge and criticize and condemn others, so that you may not be judged and criticized and condemned yourselves.

2 For just as you judge and criticize and condemn others, you will be judged and criticized and condemned, and in accordance with the measure you [use to] deal out to others, it will be dealt out again to you.

• The mercy you give will be the measure of mercy you will receive when you need it

IV. Peace

Genesis 13:1-8 - Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

13 So Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South [country of Judah, the Negeb].

2 Now Abram was extremely rich in livestock and in silver and in gold.

3 And he journeyed on from the South [country of Judah, the Negeb] as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

4 Where he had built an altar at first; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

5 But Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.

6 Now the land was not able to nourish and support them so they could dwell together, for their possessions were too great for them to live together.

7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdsmen of Lot’s cattle. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land [making fodder more difficult to obtain].

8 So Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife, I beg of you, between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are relatives.

• Notice no strife between Lot & Abraham (he nipped it in the bud before it could show up)

• Abraham gives Lot choice of the Land- Lot chooses the best of the Land

Genesis 13:14-17

14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had left him, Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;

15 For all the land which you see I will give to you and to your posterity forever.

16 And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the dust of the earth, then could your descendants also be counted.

17 Arise, walk through the land, the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it to you.

• God was able to bless Abraham even more when there was no strife

• Abraham trusted God supernaturally to take the worst land, and God blessed even more than before 

Matthew 5:9 - Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

9 Blessed (enjoying [a] enviable happiness, [b] spiritually prosperous—[c] with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the makers and [d] maintainers of peace, for they shall be called the sons of God!

V. Unity

Psalm 133

A Song of Ascents of David

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

2 It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments [consecrating the whole body].

3 It is like the dew of [lofty] Mount Hermon and the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, even life forevermore [upon the high and the lowly].

• Something about loving others, and trusting the power of God to take care of you

• Trusting His anointing on you

• Having Faith that the blessing of the Lord has already been released upon you (there is no way you can fail)

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