God has restored our relationship with

him through Christ, and has given us this

ministry of restoring relationships.
2 Corinthians 5:18
 “Is there any encouragement from
belonging to Christ? Any comfort
from his love? Any fellowship in the
spirit? Are your hearts tender and
sympathetic? Then make me truly
happy by agreeing whole heartedly
with each other, loving one another,
and working together with one heart
and purpose.” Philippians 2:1-2
 “Shame on you! Surely there is at
least one wise person in your
fellowship who can settle a dispute
between fellow Christians.”
-1 Corinthians 6:5 (TEV)
 Now, dear brothers and sisters, I
appeal to you by the authority of
the Lord Jesus Christ to stop
arguing among yourselves. Let
there be real harmony so there
won’t be divisions in the church. I
plead with you to be of one mind,
united in thought and purpose.
1 Corinthians 1:10
 Do I have to follow him?

 Will I let him do what he wants?

 People become unfriendly to each

other.

 This is what happens when people

have selfish ends.
1. Always Wants Its Own Way
2. Cannot Learn Difficult Lessons
3. Is Apt to Quarrel
4. Is Taken Up with Personalities
5. Is Possessive
6. Always Needs to be Taught
7. Plays while Big Things Are Happening
8. Has No Proper Sense of Values
9. Frequently Says the Wrong Things
10. Is Easily Upset
 “ An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends. He
defies all sound judgment. – Proverbs 18:1
 When selfishness reigned in the heart of
someone, you will not be able to understand
the other person.
 He defies all sound judgment.
 God blesses those who work for peace, for
they will be called the children of God.
1Corinthians 5:9
 Peacemaking is not avoiding conflict
 Peacemaking is hard work.
 As believers, God has “called us to settle
our relationships with others.”-
2 Corinthians 5:18
 Do we know that there are Biblical steps to
fix broken relationships?
 Discuss the problem with God. Tell God
your frustrations. Cry out to him.
 Tell him exactly how you feel. He’s never
surprised or upset by your anger,
insecurities, or any other emotions.
 If we are going to pray about the conflict
first instead of gossiping to a friend, you
will often discover that either God changes
your heart or he changes the other person
without your help..
 It doesn’t matter whether you are the
offender or the offended: God expects us to
make the first move.
 Restoring broken fellowship is so important,
Jesus commanded that it even take priority
over group worship.
 Matthew 5:23-24- ….”go to this friend and
make things right. Then and only then, come
back and work things out with God.
 “Look out for one another’s interests, not
just for your own.”- Philippians 2:4
 Before attempting to solve any
disagreement you must first listen to
people’s feelings.
 Use your ears more than your mouth.
 “Christ did not indulge his own feelings… as
scripture says: The insults of those who
insult you fall on me.” Romans 15:3
 If you are serious about restoring a
relationship, you should begin with admitting
your own mistakes or sin.
 Confession is a powerful tool for
reconciliation.
 “If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re
only fooling ourselves.”-1 John 1:8
 “A gentle response defuses anger, but a
sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.”
Proverbs 15:1
 “A wise mature person is known for his
understanding. The more pleasant his
words, the more persuasive he
is.”Proverbs 16:21
 A soft answer is always better than a
sarcastic one.
 “Do everything possible on your part to
live in peace with everybody.”
Romans 12:18
 For the sake of the fellowship, let’s do our
best to compromise, adjust to others, and
show preference to what they need.
 Peace always has a price tag. Sometimes it
costs our pride; it often costs our self-
centeredness.
 Reconciliation focuses on the relationship,
while resolution focuses on the problem.
 Christians often have legitimate, honest
disagreements and differing opinions, but
we can disagree without being
disagreeable.
 God expects unity, not uniformity, and we
can walk arm-in-arm, hand-in-hand without
seeing eye-to-eye on every issue.