Practical Christianity 2
- Applying Gods ways into our daily living!
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- Words and actions
- A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1)
- May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)
- And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 2:24-25)
- Applying Christs ways into our relationships
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- “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
- By love they will know you are His
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- “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 NKJV
- Tender- soft or delicate in substance not hard or rough
- Having a mannerism or mercy toward others
- Always cutting people slack
- “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?” Matthew 5:44-47 NKJV
Friendships • A relationship between a man and a woman must begin as a friendship. • The key to all relationships is communication. • Communication can be verbal or non-verbal. • About 80-90% of all communication is non-verbal. • Women describe friendships in terms of feelings and relationships. • Men describe friendships in terms of activities and accomplishments. Dating and Courtship • Three questions to ask yourself before you go on a date: o What am I trying to accomplish? (Are my motives right?) o How am I going to accomplish those goals? o What are the boundaries I am setting ahead of time? • On a date, are you more concerned about your own happiness or about focusing on the other person? • God’s plan for your life may be for you to be single. (1 Corinthians 7:7-9) • True love is not a feeling; it is a commitment to wanting the best for another person, even at your own expense. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) • As a relationship develops, be careful to recognize the difference between love and physical attraction. • Compatibility is never properly tested by living together. o No commitment = inability to fully trust the other person. o Wrong test = often viewed as mainly sexual compatibility. o People who live together before marriage have an 80% greater chance of divorce than those who didn’t. • The key in a relationship is to love and respect the other person rather than using them. • In a relationship, we all need to establish no trespassing zones. o NTZ’s could also be called the “I will not’s!” o Everyone needs a set of godly standards for conduct. o Call them the “unshakable unbreakables.” • God designed physical contact between men and women to be progressive—it takes tremendous discipline to stop in the middle. o Holding hands can lead to kissing. o Kissing can lead to inappropriate touching. o Inappropriate touching can lead to a sexual relationship. • Be very cautious of promises made during courtship. • Be very cautious of personality and conduct changes observed during courtship and engagement. Marriage • Never marry someone with the thought that you can change them. • Very often, marriages unite people with different temperaments. o One is a thinker and the other is a feeler o One is an extrovert and the other is an introvert o One is structured and the other is more free- flowing o One is intuitive and the other is sensing o One is judging and the other is perceiving o One is a night person and the other is a morning person • The most frequent cause of marital conflict is money. o How to spend it o Saving and giving o Financial accountability to each other • Marriage must be “ours,” not “yours and mine.” • Marriage is forever; divorce is not an option.
