EXCELLENCE

EXCELLENCE - INTEGRITY - STRIFE

Personal Teaching Notes

P494

03/30/22

EXCELLENCE - INTEGRITY - STRIFE

For Gateway Church April 9 and 10

Choosing To Be Excellent

We must choose to be excellent because if we must go with how we feel, the flesh is always mediocre at best!

Mediocre is halfway between success and failure!

The world today (including many Christians) are not excellent! They compromise and do as little as they can to just get by. They don't do what they do with excellence and they don't keep their word.

1. Called To Be Excellent

IIIIII Peter 1:3 (AMPC) - 3 For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).

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IIIB.An excellent person exceeds requirements; they go above and beyond. They do more than enough; they do a superior job.

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John Maxwell said one of his goals when he goes to

Ispeak is to always do more than is expected of him.

IC.We are called to the more excellent way!

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IIIII Corinthians 12:31 (AMPC) - 31 But earnestly desire and zealously cultivate the greatest and best gifts and graces (the higher gifts and the choicest graces). And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one that is better by far and the highest of them all-love].

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Matthew 24 tells us that love of the great body will grow cold in the last days due to the wickedness and lawlessness in our society.

If we focused more on walking in love and less on getting what we want, we would be happier and more powerful in the Spirit than we can imagine.

Walking in love should be our number one goal because Jesus said that is how people would know that we are His disciples.

God has done excellent things.

Isaiah 12:5 (AMPC) - 5 Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done excellent things [gloriously]; let this be made known to all the earth.

IIGlory means the manifestation of all of the excellencies of God!

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Ephesians 3:20 (AMPC) - 20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams] ...

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I3.Matthew 5:41 (NIV) - 41 If anyone forces you to

Igo one mile, go with them two miles.

IIIIIf you work 8-5 with an hour for lunch, clock in at 7:55 and out at 5:05. Take one hour for lunch, not one hour and ten minutes.

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Don't do your personal business during working hours on the phone or computer!

Matthew 7:12 (NIV) - 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

IIA Man Who Was Excellent

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Daniel was determined to keep his commitments!

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IIDaniel 1:8 -But Daniel resolved not to defile

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himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to

Idefile himself this way.

IIExcellent people keep their commitments (their word) if at all possible!

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IIMy experience with the pastors from Florida who I invited to my house and

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Ithen wanted to back out of it.

IIIIEven something as minor as telling someone you will call them back is a commitment and should be kept.

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IB.Daniel 6:1-10 - 1 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,

IIII2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss.

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II3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

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I4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find

IIgrounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of

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government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy

IIIand neither corrupt nor negligent.

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5 Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to

Ido with the law of his God."

II6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: "May King Darius live forever!

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III7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict

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and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your

IMajesty, shall be thrown into the lions' den.

IIII8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered-in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed."

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9 So I<ing Darius put the decree in writing.

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10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Daniel 5:12 (AMPC) - 12 Because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, clarify riddles, and solve knotty problems were found in this same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

Excellenteople get promoted. (Tell my story about Meletio Seafood Company.)

Excellence is not perfection. It is doing the best you can with what you have.

Examples of doing the best you can with what you have!

1.You may have an old car, but you can wash it and keep the trash out of it. You can treat it with respect and have a thankful attitude for it.

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Because you are overweight does not mean you can't dress nice and have a pleasing personal appearance.

Your clothes may not be expensive or even plentiful

- but they can be clean, no wrinkles from being left sitting in the dryer all night. With the use of various accessories, what you have can be made to appear to be several nice outfits.

I4.You may not have an abundance of finances, but use wisdom with what you have or you will never have

Imore.

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IDON'T EXPECT MONEY IF YOU DON'T

IRESPECT MONEY!

IIII5.You may need a larger home, but be sure while you are waiting for God to provide that you take good care of the one you have. I<eep it clean inside and out, keep the grass mowed, wash your windows, and at least once a year go through it and de-junk it!

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An Excellent Person Is Not Lazy And Lukewarm.

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Revelation 3:15-16 -I know your deeds, that you are

IIneither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!

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III16 So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold­ I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

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IIMatthew 25:1-10 - 1 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

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I2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

I3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any (Extra) oil with them.

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4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their

Ilamps.

II5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

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I6 "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom!

IICome out to meet him!'

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I7 "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.

I8 The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your

Ioil; our lamps are going out.'

9 "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us

Iand you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

I10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the

IIbridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

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IC.How many people have had the door shut to them because they always did the least they could to get by?

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Job opportunities lost!

I2.Having nothing for retirement because they never

Ibothered to save.

IIAlways feeling bad because they won't even be bothered to take care of themselves.

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INot even simple things like getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, not being excessive with

Isweets, never exercising.

IIIIIIThe lazy person may go to work, but they will never do an excellent job or be promoted. They complain constantly about everything that is wrong at their job and in society, but they don't lift a finger to help change it.

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"They" should do something about it!

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IIIIID.John 5:1-8 (NIV) - 1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used

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to lie-the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 5 One who was

IIIthere had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this

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condition for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"

I7 "Sir," the invalid replied, "I have no one to help me into

IIthe pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me."

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I8 Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk."

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Maybe "GET UP" is the answer to your problem too!

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IIIExcellence and Integrity

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IIDo a short recap on first message. We are called to be excellent. Excellence is not perfection, but it is doing the best you can with what you have. It is taking good care of what you have so God can trust you with more.

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IIII.An Excellent Man Chooses Excellent Friends.

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Proverbs 27:17 - 17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person

Isharpens another.

I1.If you have sharp friends, they can sharpen you.

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Wise people challenge, question, coach and encourage one another.

IISometimes without even saying anything.

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Find someone excellent. Someone you would like to be like!

IIIAs you spend time with them, watching their life will be an education to you; and you will be challenged to come up higher.

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IISurround yourself with people who do not gossip about other people. You can be sure if they gossip about others, they are also gossiping about you.

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Having selfish, self-centered and stingy friends who help you grow in giving and love.

Choose friends that don't compromise!

Choose friends who are truthful. Who are integrious. They are honest!

Psalm 1:1 (AMPC) - 1 Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous,

Iand enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the

counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans

Iand purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest]

Iwhere the scornful [and the mockers] gather.

Who you spend your time with has an effect on you and is very important! Choose your friends carefully.

People To Avoid According To Scripture

Avoid angry people.

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III1.Proverbs 22:24-25 (NIV) - 24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, 25 or you may learn their ways and get

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Iyourself ensnared.

IIAvoid excessive talkers.

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Proverbs 17:28 (NIV) - 28 Even fools are thought

Iwise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.

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Proverbs 18:2 (ESV) -A fool takes no pleasure in

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understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.

Proverbs 21:23 (AMPC) - 23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from troubles.

The mouth is the most difficult for us to control.James says that no man can tame the tongue, so obviously we need God's help! Here are two scriptures to pray over your life daily.

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Psalm 141:3- 3 Set a guard over my

mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.

Psalm 19:14 (AMPC) - 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight,0 Lord, my (firm, impenetrable] Rock and my Redeemer.

Avoid greedy men!

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IIIII1.I Corinthians 5:11 (NIV) - 11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even

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eat with such people:

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Brother or sister refers to a believer!

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Greed is a huge character flaw! Spend time with

Igenerous people who love to give!

ID.Gluttons

IIIIProverbs 23:20-21- 20 Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat,

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''''21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

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Food is what got Adam and Eve in trouble!

268583132352685831050792Every person who is overweight is not a glutton, there are skinny gluttons! Some people do have glandular problems or may be taking medicine that makes them gain weight, but be honest with yourself; if you do just eat too much, start using more self­ control!

I Corinthians 9:27 - 27 but I buffet my body and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejectedBut

I subdue my body.

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I5.Buffet and buffet are spelled the same way but mean two

Ientirely different things!

IIE.What do I want in a friend? One who walks in love, is not easily

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angered, is flexible, emotionally stable, does things on time, keeps his word, is good to all people and isn't stingy. Someone

Iwho has good manners, talks but also listens and talks about

meaningful things. Someone who is disciplined and knows how

Ito say, "I was wrong," or "I'm sorry."

I1.I spend a lot of time by myself1

IIII.Be The Best You Can Be.

329685163108Integrity (defined) - An unim aired condition; soundnes,s; firm adherence to a code of moral values; incorruptibility; the quality or state of being complete or undivided; completeness. •

We should all have moral values that we stick to and refuse to compromise.

317474121645To compromise means to go a little below what is right!

It is just a little bit, surely that won't hurt.

If I baked a batch of brownies and put just a tiny bit of dog poop in them, how many of you would eat one?

I2.Jesus said we are in the world but not of it!

329685137082We are to excel - to be excellent.

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Excel (defined) To be superior; surpass in accomplishment or treatment; to be distinguished by superiority.

Thesaurus - To be greater or better than, best, better, outdo, outmatch, outrun, outshine, outstrip, pass, surpass, to top, to beat, go beyond, or go one better.

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There is nothing mediocre, average or lazy about a person of excellence and integrity.

Many products today are sub-par. Quantity has become more important than quality

This is caused by greed!

Excellent people who value integrity always do their duty without excuse!

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Duty (defined) - conduct due to parents and superiors; respect, obligatory tasks, conduct, service or the force of moral obligations.

One of the Ten Commandments @xodus 20:12) is "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." This commandment doesn't just pertain to young children honoring adult parents, but it also instructs adult children about their responsibility to honor their aging parents.

God told me to take care of my parents who had abused me!

It was expensive, and I never once enjoyed going to the nursing home to visit. We don't have to enjoy what we do in order to obey God.

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What does the Bible say about our duty?

Ecclesiastes 12:13 - Our whole duty is to fear God and obey Him

John 13:14 - It is our duty to wash one another's feet (to serve one another). To do little things because no job is beneath the true servant of God!

I Timothy 5:4 (NIV) - 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.

I Timothy 5:8 (NIV) - 8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) - Our responsibility to our children - 6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Duties of husbands and wives - to take care of one another, to understand one another, and to stand with each other in difficult times. To encourage one another.

Ephesians 5:22-24 (NIV) - 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the

wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

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Ephesians 5:25 (NIV) - 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Integrity

Most People Today Don't Even Know What The Word Means!

Titus 2:7 (NIV) - 7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ...

Psalm 41:11-12 (HCSB) - 11 By this I know that You delight in me: my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.

12 You supported me because of my integrity and set me in Your presence forever.

Proverbs 20:7 (ESV) - The righteous who walks in his integrity-blessed are his children after him!

Psalm 101:2(AMPC) - 2 I will behave myself wisely and give heed to the blameless way-0 when will You come to me? I will walk within my house in integrity and with a blameless heart.

Do you do the right thing even when nobody is looking? This is very important and truly shows what kind of character we have. God sees everything and our reward comes from Him.

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Doing the right thing because of your love and reverence for God is extremely important. You are not doing it to be seen, or applauded, or to be well thought of. Your motives are pure!

God is more interested in "why" we do a thing than He is in "what" we are doing.

Integrity (defined/Webster's 1828 Dictionary) -The entire, unimpaired state of anything, particularly of the mind; moral soundness or purity; incorruptness; uprightness; honesty. Being honest and truthful are the major components of integrity. Doing what is right!

How many pens, pencils, rubber bands, paper clips and note pads do you have in your home that you have taken from your workplace? It is stealing!

What do you do when you get home and notice that you were not charged for one of your items? If you don't return it, then you are stealing!

I bought a pair of shoes and they put the matching purse in the bag and didn't charge me.

Do you always tell the truth?

Psalm 15:4 (NKJV) - 4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honors those who fear the Lord; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change...

Character Traits Of A Man Who Walks In Integrity

He is excellent in all he does. He is not mediocre or average.

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God is not mediocre or average, and He has not offered us a mediocre or average life.

If you want the best life God has for you, then you need to be the best person you can possibly be.

Average people are not in the history books! They are not even in the Bible except as an example of who not to be like. Nobody names their child Judas!

Gehazi was Elijah's servant, and due to his greedy nature, he missed a great opportunity and is never heard of after that.

Gehazi, Geichazi, or Giezi (Douay-Rheims) (Hebrew: rrp ; Tiberian: Ge}:iazi; Standard: Gel].azi; "valley of vision"), is a figure found in the Books of I<ings in the Hebrew Bible.

A servant of the prophet Elisha, Gehazi enjoyed a position of power but was ultimately corrupt,

misusing his authority to cheat Naaman the Syrian, a general afflicted with leprosy. As punishment, Elisha cursed Gehazi, transferring Naaman's leprosy to him and his descendants forever.

In Rabbinic literature, Gehazi is identified as one of four commoners who forfeited his share in the afterlife because of his wickedness.

People with integrity serve God with their whole heart.

Colossians 3:23-24 - 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

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Don't be jealous of or even wish you had what someone else has if you don't want to do what they did to get it!

GOOD NEWS - It is never too late to change!

You can begin today being a person of excellence and integrity.

A Person Of Integrity Does What Is Right Even In Little Things!

If they don't have integrity, they do things like:

Use the last of the toilet paper on the roll but don't replace it with a new one. They leave it for the next person who uses the toilet.

They leave messes for other people to clean up. When they attend a party, they never offer to help clean up. They trash a hotel room if they rent one and leave all the lights on when they go out. They set wet glasses on wood tables without a coaster.

They throw their car door open and hit the car next to them, scratching or chipping the paint on it.

They never take their grocery cart back to where it belongs. They balance it against someone's car.

He spits his gum out on the sidewalk, and throws trash out of his car window.

They tinkle on the toilet seat and leave it for the next person to sit in if they are not paying attention.

If they knock clothes off of a hanger while looking through a rack of clothes, they never pick it up and hang it back up.

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If they realize when they get to the last aisle in the grocery store that they have more than they can pay for, they take items out and NEVER take them back where they got them. They leave them in odd places like the laundry soap aisle.

My coupon lesson!

Keeping Strife Out of Your Life

The Importance Of Unity And Harmony

Who is spiritual?

I Corinthians 3:3 (AMPC) - 3 For you are still [unspiritual, having the nature] of the flesh [under the control of ordinary impulses]. For as long as [there are] envying and jealousy and wrangling (strife) and factions among you, are you not unspiritual and of the flesh, behaving

yourselves after a human standard and like mere (unchanged) men?

Strife (defined) - Bickering, arguing, heated disagreement and an angry undercurrent.

The angry undercurrent is the most dangerous because everyone pretends nothing is wrong, but deep down there is gossip and strife!

Strife destroys marriages, churches, businesses, and friendships.

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Strife grieves and offends the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:29-31 (AMPC) - 29 Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial

to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it.

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God's own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin).

31 Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind).

Psalm 133 (AMPC) - 1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

2 It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments [consecrating the whole body].

3 It is like the dew of Uofty] Mount Hermon and the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, even life forevermore [upon the high and the lowly].

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Strife hinders the anointing.

A church filled with strife will not be anointed! It is the job of the leadership to confront it.

Unity Requires Humility.

Genesis 13:1-17 (AMPC) - 1 So Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South [country of Judah, the Negeb].

2 Now Abram was extremely rich in livestock and in silver and in gold.

3 And he journeyed on from the South [country of Judah, the Negeb] as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

4 Where he had built an altar at first; and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

5 But Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.

6 Now the land was not able to nourish and support them so they could dwell together, for their possessions were too great for them to live together.

7 And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle. And the Canaanite and the Perizzite were dwelling then in the land [making fodder more difficult to obtain].

8 So Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife, I beg of you, between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are relatives.

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9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself, I beg of you, from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if you choose the right hand, then I will go to the left.

10 And Lot looked and saw that everywhere the Jordan Valley was well watered. Before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, [it was all] like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar.

11 Then Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley and [he] traveled east. So they separated.

12 Abram dwelt in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelt in the cities of the Uordan] Valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom and dwelt there.

13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and exceedingly great sinners against the Lord.

14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had left him, Lift up now your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward;

15 For all the land which you see I will give to you and to your posterity forever.

16 And I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth, so that if a man could count the dust of the earth, then could your descendants also be counted.

17 Arise, walk through the land, the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it to you.

If strife is not confronted and stopped, it will grow like a cancer and destroy everything in its path.

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Galatians 5:15 (AMPC) - 15 But, if you bite and devour one another [in partisan strife], be careful that you [and your whole fellowship] are not consumed by one another.

I attended a church that was destroyed by strife!

We tell new employees that we won't put up with strife. We will warn them once, but if it continues, then we will let them go.

Our staff pastor does "conflict resolution."

Strife often begins with gossip, murmuring and complaining about conditions at work or church.

We should be thankful to have a job and if you don't appreciate yours, I know there is someone without one who would love to have it!

Proverbs 13:10 (NIV) - 10 Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

How does pride manifest?

It cannot face being wrong.

It has and gives many opinions.

It is not grateful but feels entitled.

It won't ask for help!

It thinks it knows everything and is always right.

It talks about itself a lot.

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Thinks more highly of itself than it should. Sees itself as better than others.

Disregards the advice of others.

Is critical.

Constantly needs attention and affirmation.

Cannot submit to authority.

Name-droppers!

Overly obsessed with their physical appearance.

Cannot receive constructive criticism.

Justifies and excuses bad behavior instead of admitting it.

Constantly wants to teach people how to do things. Thinks everyone should do things the way they do them.

Philippians 2:3-4 (ESV) - 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

If we walk in love, we will not have strife.

You must be willing to apologize even if you don't think you are at fault.

You must give up your right to be right.

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No longer insist on having the last word in a disagreement.

Greed Causes Strife.

Proverbs 28:25 - 25 The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the LORD will prosper.

James 4:1-3 (AMPC) 1 What leads to strife (discord and feuds) and how do conflicts (quarrels and fighting) originate among you? Do they not arise from your sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?

2 You are jealous and covet [what others have] and your desires go unfulfilled; [so] you become murderers. [To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned.] You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain [the gratification, the contentment, and the happiness that you seek], so you fight and war. You do not have, because you do not ask.

3 [Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures.

Ask God for what you want and trust Him instead of trying to get it yourselfl

II Timothy 2:23-25 (AMPC) - 23 But refuse (shut your mind against, have nothing to do with) trifling (ill-informed, unedifying, stupid) controversies over ignorant questionings, for you know that they foster strife and breed quarrels.

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24 And the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and contending). Instead, he must be kindly to everyone and mild-tempered [preserving the bond of peace]; he must be a skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong.

25 He must correct his opponents with courtesy and gentleness, in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and come to know the Truth [that they will perceive and recognize and become accurately acquainted with and acknowledge it ...

The last bite argument!

Arguing over who an actor is in a movie!

Arguing about the best directions to take to get to where you are going.

We argued about how to get to the hardware store and God said, "Joyce, just let the man drive!"

Three Relationships That Require Peace And Eliminate Strife

I Peter 3:10-12 (AMPC) - 1°For, let him who wants to enjoy life and see good days [good-whether apparent or not] keep his tongue free from evil and his lips from guile (treachery, deceit).

11 Let him turn away from wickedness and shun it, and let him do right. Let him search for peace (harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts) and seek it eagerly. [Do not merely desire peaceful relations with God, with your fellowmen, and with yourself, but pursue, go after them!]

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12 For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God), and His ears are attentive to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who practice evil [to oppose them, to frustrate, and defeat them].

Peace with God

We maintain peace with God through keeping our conscience clean. Repent if you have sinned and avoid doing anything your conscience condemns.

Spend time with God and follow His leadership.

Peace with yourself (very important)

Paul knew he had faults, but he was not condemned.

He knew he had not arrived at perfection, but he pressed toward it.

Philippians 3:12 - 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Make peace with yourself concerning the things you don't like about yourself.

Ask God to help you with your weaknesses.

Thank God for your strengths.

Remember that God created you with His own hand and He doesn't make mistakes.

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Peace with other people

Requires being generous with mercy

Requires frequent forgiveness

Satan gains more ground in the believer's life through unforgiveness than any other avenue.

Realize that God created us all different; and just because someone is different than you are, that doesn't make them wrong.

Each person is entitled to their own opinion! They don't have to give it, but they are entitled to have it.

Don't be critical - be encouraging!

Learn to disagree agreeably and respectfully!

Don't be touchy and easily offended!

Always believe the best!

If you want to be a success be excellent in all that you do, always be a person of integrity, and keep the strife out of your life.

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