August 18, 2022
Weekly Update
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We will be cooking burgers and hotdogs. Bring side dishes and drinks!
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Colossians 3:13 NLT
Make allowance for each other’s faults, & forgive anyone who offends you.
Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
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Culture of Honor Part 4 - Reconciliation, Relationship, and Honor
Scott Acklin | August 14, 2022
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Check Your Motivations to Increase Honor
Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:1-6 NKJV
The nature of our desires can create havoc in our relationships. James warns all of us concerning our internal motivations with our desires. When we don't get what we want it is known to create conflict and strife. The greatest challenge with these relational conflicts is determining what is in our hearts, as we can be deceived with our desires.
Honor requires that we test out hearts concerning what we want in our relationships.
Many of us are taught from a young age to focus on ourselves, our desires and our own needs. We are even told in our culture that if you aren't getting what you want and it creates tension, you should not only ask for what you want, but manipulate through withholding affection, arguing for your rights, or even abandoning the relationship if you don't get what you want.
James says you do not have because you do not ask. Most often we do not communicate what it is we desire or need. This leads to a path of dishonor. When we don't take the time to discover what we desire, and then communicate it, we can create conflict.
Learning to recognize where your desires are not being met, and then learning to communicate them in an honoring way will radically shift your relationships and increase their health. James makes the point that humility is the place where grace flows.
Humility is washing others feet, putting others needs first, and giving of ourselves instead of fighting for what we want. Grace comes as we allow God to be the One we trust to give is everything we need and to redirect our desires. Grace will come to purify your motivations and allow honor to flow when you are not getting what you want.
Chris
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Ministry Updates and Prayer Needs:
- Pray for our mission organizations, their families, and their provision. Celebrate Recovery Nicaragua, Freedom House, Helping Hands Healing Hearts, IdaHope Families.
- We are praying about launching a church-wide small group initiative in the fall. We would be meeting at Harvest with unified curriculum. We will need table hosts! Let Chris know if you are interested.
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