Get Serious: Cross Training - 2/2/25

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.”
—Matthew 5:9–10, CSB

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
—Colossians 1:19–20, CSB

God could only resolve a human problem by becoming a human being.

Unresolved conflict blocks my relationship with God.

“If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who doesn’t love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
—1 John 4:20, CSB

Unresolved conflict Blocks happiness.

“And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.”
—James 3:18, CSB

Make the first move.

“So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”
—Matthew 5:23–24, CSB

Ask God for wisdom.

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.”
—James 1:5, CSB

Own your part.

“What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from your passions that wage war within you? You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
—James 4:1–3, CSB

“Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.”
—Matthew 7:3–5, CSB

Put yourself in their shoes.

Speak the truth in love.

Do Clarify, Don’t Blame.

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.””
—‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬ ‭CSB