1.RELATIONSHIP ISSUESHuman beings are relational. Men and women relate to each other. Friends relate to friends. Childrenrelate to parents. Adults relate to employers, teachers, and government workers. Everything in liferevolves around relationships. Why are so many of us so bad at them? And on top of that, we fearrelationship breakdown in many ways, including divorce, alienation of children, and conflicts withcolleagues or friends.SCRIPTURES AND LIFE APPLICATION NOTESMatthew 7:1-3, NLT: “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treatothers. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry abouta speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?LIFE APPLICATION NOTE: 7:1-5 By saying, “Do not judge others,” Jesus was rebuking the hypocritical,judgmental attitude that tears others down in order to build oneself up. This is not a blanket statement tooverlook sinful behavior of others but a call to be discerning rather than negative. Turning a blind eye tothings done wrong shows that we have lost our moral compass. This leads to relativism, a worldview inwhich all actions, moral or not, are equally acceptable. Jesus said to expose false prophets (7:15-23), andPaul taught that we should exercise church discipline (1 Corinthians 5:1-2) and trust God to be the finaljudge (1 Corinthians 4:3-5).James 1:19, NLT: “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow tospeak, and slow to get angry.”LIFE APPLICATION NOTE: 1:19 When we talk too much and listen too little, we communicate to othersthat we think our ideas are more important than theirs. James wisely advises us to reverse this process. Puta mental stopwatch on your conversations, and keep track of how much you talk and how much you listen.When people talk with you, do they feel that their viewpoints and ideas have value?1 Thessalonians 5:11, NLT: “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”LIFE APPLICATION NOTE: 5:9-11 As you near the end of a long race, your legs ache, your chest burns,and your whole body cries out for you to stop. This is the moment when friends and fans are most valuable.Their encouragement helps you push through the pain to the finish line. In the same way, Christians are toencourage one another. A word of encouragement offered at the right moment can be the differencebetween finishing well and collapsing along the way. Look around you. Be sensitive to others’ need forencouragement and offer supportive words or acts of service.Facing Our 10 Biggest Fears: A sample of Scripture and Commentary from the new Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition.
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