Good sermons

For a good and fun sermons on work go to: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RickWarrenSermons

1. 6 Keys to a Peaceful Relationship
2. Keeping Crazymakers from making you crazy
3. Who's Pushing your Buttons?
4. Resolving Conflicts
5. You Cant Please Everyone

What to do when you feel like giving up?

What to do when you feel like giving up? – Summary from Rick Warner’s Sermon, The Courage to Keep Going” 

1.                    
Tell God exactly how you feel and put your trust in Him.

We will go thru 4 emotions cycle in any incident happening to us –

[angry  (Why has this happened to us?)

grief – (feeling depressed)

shock – (cannot believe this has happened to us)

fear – (fear of consequences of what has happened)]

2.                   Accept help from others

We shouldn’t withdraw from crisis and refuse to accept assistance from our family members, relatives or friends. Even though we give up on God, our close members can believe for us and /or provide whether is physical or emotional support.

3.                   Stop asking “Why”

Because it only prolong our pains. We don’t need an explanation but God’s strength and comfort to see us through pain. We cannot always understand “Why”, only God’s knows everything.

4.                   Trust God in things I do not understand

We need to remind ourselves that God is a good and loving God, and is all powerful. He notices every detail of your life, He is in control, He has a plan for your life and that He will protect us.

5.                   Refused to become bitter

Grief is good and healthy but bitterness will kill us.  At a certain stage, we will need to move on and let go to avoid resentment.

6.           Face the future with courage – Be brave to Face the society and the world again with a positive mindset. Keep going no matter what happens.

1.     Take INITIATIVE to be a peacemaker – do not ignore, do not pretend conflicts doesn’t exist, do not push away the conflicts, do not fear.

Reference Roman 12: 17-18

2.       TIMING is important – do not procrastinate

How ?

(a)    Choose the right time (both at the best mood) – Never on bedtime for spouse

(b)   Choose right place (relax and quiet place)

(c)    Pray before meeting

(d)   Come with positive attitude (with intention to solve)

3.       CONFESS your mistakes first with HUMILITY (humility will break the log jam)

4.       LISTEN for the hurt (be slow to speak, be quick to listen)

Reference Phil 2: 4-5

5.       Tell the truth TACTFULLY (speak in caring attitude)

Reference Prov 12.18, Eph 4:29

6.       FIX  the PROBLEM, not the BLAME ( no foul words, nasty labeling, insulting, belittling people.)

Reference Col 3:8, Roman 14:13

7.  Focus on RECONCILIATION not RESOLUTION (some issues are not worth to argue over due to unchangeable factors) It is always more rewarding to resolve the conflict than dissolve the relationship.

Remember “ Jesus has come to reconcile us with God” . Make peace with God , feel the love of God and be a peacemaker (Christ like) with people

Reference 1 Timothy 5: For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus

Summary from Rick Warren’s sermon – Resolving Conflicts

From The Parables of Jesus By William Barclay

It may well be said that the most dangerous word in the English language is the word “tomorrow”. It may be a grim thought, but it is a necessary thought, that we have no bond on time. No one knows if for him tomorrow will ever come. There is an old story of three apprentice devils who where coming from hell to earth to serve their time. They were telling Satan before they left what they proposed to do. One said, “I will tell men that there is no God”. “That” said Satan, “will not do because in their heart of hearts they know there is.” “I will tell men,” said the second, “that there is no hell.” “That,” said Satan, “is still more hopeless for even in life they have experienced the remorse of hell.” I will tell men,” said the third, “that there is no hurry.” “Go”, said Satan, “tell them that and you will ruin them by the million.” 

The rich fool forgot time. It is told of Alexander the Great that at every feast he kept a little model of a skeleton on the table beside him to remind him that, even at its happiest, time was short and death must come. It is a thing that all must remember, not simply as a grim and a frightening thing, but as a challenge to prepare ourselves for taking a step to a greater work and a higher world and a life in the presence of God.

He forgot that a man is what he is and not what he has. He concentrated on the pursuit of the things he was bound to leave behind and forgot the things he could take with him. As the Spanish proverb grimly has it, “There are no pockets in a shroud.” Or as our own saying puts it, “Sow a deed, reap a habit;’ sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” In the last analysis the one thing a man can take with him when he leaves this world is himself. Alexander the Great gave instruction that when he died his body should be placed in the coffin in such a way that it should be seen that his hands were empty. The conqueror of the world was well aware that he could take none of his conquest with him. The supreme aim of life should not be the acquisition of merely temporary things but the formation of a character which some day we may take without shame to God. 

Luke 12:13-21