A Community of PeaceJames 4:1-10

Sugarhill Gang

Run D.M.C

The Beastie Boys

Salt ‘N’ Peppa

Urban “Hip Hop” Dictionary• Word up |  wərd əp • Phat |  fat • Slammin’ |  slam-in• No diggity |  nō dig-i-tee • Keepin’ it real |  kēp in it ‘rē(ə)l • Jiggy |  ‘jig-ee  

Tupac Shakur

The SourceThe Scandal

Solution to Conflicts

Big IdeaUnresolved conflict tears down a community; following God’s word sustains and flourishes it

Source of Conflicts — James 4:1-3

What causes fights and quarrels among you?

(James 4:1a)

Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? (James 4:1)

You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. (James 4:2)

You do not have because you do not ask God. (cont’d James 4:2)

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (James 4:3)

We want our own way

Source of Conflicts

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? (James 4:4)

Scandal of Conflicts

When we fight each other, we fight against God

Solution to Conflicts

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

(James 4:6)

Solution to Conflicts

Submit yourselves, then to God (James 4:7a)

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

Solution to Conflicts

Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:8a)

Solution to Conflicts

Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8b-9)

Solution to Conflicts

Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. (cont’d James 4:8b-9)

Solution to Conflicts

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:10)

Solution to Conflicts

Have a relationship with Jesus

Solution to Conflicts

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. (1 John 4:7)

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8)