A New Phase of Life

This year I have the amazing opportunity to pause my life and spend 8 months studying the Word of God. So after spending five great weeks at home in Edmond, OK I packed up my car (and my dad's too) and drove up to the great town of Branson, America, my new home for the next year. Branson is quite an interesting town... On one hand it is the corniest town in America full of silly shows and attractions. My favorite question I am asked when I tell people I am moving here is if I am going to be in a show. That is just a hilarious thought!

The local side of Branson is a completely different story. This is the Branson I love. It is full of beautiful scenery and extremely friendly people.

This is where my new community of 50 college graduates reside. People who want to grow in their faith. I am excited to see how God will use this town and these people to strengthen me in my walk towards Him.

I will be posting most of my assignments and notes onto this blog so you can see what I am up to here. If you have any questions about them or about the Institute I would love to talk to you!

The first post is a belief statement about conflict resolution. A belief statement is just a paragraph about what I believe about a subject with scripture to back up every point. One thing we have been taught here is how conflict can really make a wedge between yourself and God. My paragraph talks about how conflict between you and others as well as with God can affect your relationship with Him. It also talks about the way the bible says to resolve it.

Conflict will occur in a believer’s life.[1] Conflict displeases God.[2] We should participate in conflict resolution because God showed us mercy.[3] Conflict resolution is necessary between man and God, through confession, for a healthy relationship with God.[4] Conflict resolution is necessary between man and others for a healthy relationship with God.[5] Conflict resolution involves you resolving your own conflict before addressing another’s.[6] Conflict resolution should be done one on one if possible but if the person does not listen bring another.[7] This should be done in humility.[8] By properly doing conflict resolution, you will be blessed[9] and forgiven[10].

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[1] Conflict will occur in a believer’s life.

  Verse 1 - Ephesians 4:3 “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

  Verse 2 – Proverbs 14:4 “Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests.”

[2] Conflict displeases God.

  Verse 1 – Proverbs 6:16,19 “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:… a false witness who pours out lies  and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”

  Verse 2 – Proverbs 6:12-15 “A troublemaker and a villain who goes about with a corrupt mouth, who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers, who plots evil with deceit in his heart – he always stirs up conflict. Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed – without remedy.”

[3] We should participate in conflict resolution because God showed us mercy.

  Verse 1 – 1^st Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

  Verse 2 – Titus 3:4,5 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit”

[4] Conflict resolution is necessary between man and God, through confession, for a healthy relationship with God.

  Verse 1 – Pslam 139: 23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

  Verse 2 – Mark 11:25 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

[5] Conflict resolution is necessary between man and others for a healthy relationship with God.

  Verse 1 – Matt 5:23-24 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

  Verse 2 – Matt 6:14 “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

[6] Conflict resolution involves you resolving your own conflict before addressing another’s.

  Verse 1 – Matt 7:3-5 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

  Verse 2 – Psalm 51: 3-4 “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.”

[7] Conflict resolution should be done one on one if possible but if not bring another

  Verse 1 – Matt 18:15-16 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed.

  Verse 2 – Luke 17:3 “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.”

[8] This should be done in humility

  Verse 1 – Galatians 6:1 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.”

  Verse 2 – Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.”

[9] By properly doing conflict resolution you will be blessed

  Verse 1 – Matt 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

  Verse 2 – James 5:19-20 “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”

[10] By properly doing conflict resolution you will be forgiven.

  Verse 1 – Proverbs 28:13 “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”

  Verse 2 – Psalm 32:3-5 “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”

I have found myself already using this format and it seems to work well!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Logan