Peace Lesson 3: Why should I choose Peace?

The Why?

Welcome to the Anchor! We are back to talk about Peace. Two weeks ago we began our series defining the word “peace”.

What are some things you guys remember about the definition?

Wholeness

Completeness

To settle down, rest

To be quiet

Relational harmony with God

Peace (in the relational sense, connections we have with others) - the presence of positive relationship

Last week we also talked about conflict, listing out the four main causes:

Misunderstandings

Differences

Limited Resources (“only so many cookies in the cookie jar”)

Sin

Conflict separates us from others, it can cause hurt.

What is an example of conflict from your own life?

Thanks for sharing. We all have had conflict. I’ve had my own fair share. Struggling with my siblings, or my parents. When I was in middle school I even struggled with my church!

But why should we seek peace? Why should I live at peace with these people who have hurt me?

We’ve all been hurt by others, it’s not my first response to think that I want to live at peace with an enemy.

Tonight we are going to look at answering this question: Why? Why should I seek peace with people who have hurt me?

Where to even begin?

When we have these questions, we want to find answers. We get answers from all around us, whether it be movies or TV shows, songs, famous people, YouTube, social media. How do we know which answers are the right ones?

I encourage you to go to God. We believe here, that He is real. He exists. He created you.

Psalm 139:13–14 (ESV)

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

Okay, so where are you going with this Charles? How is this going to help us know why we should choose peace?

Okay we are created by God, so what?

When we have big questions we can ask our big God

What are some big questions do you have?

You can ask God about those, and then I would encourage you to read and look for what He says about it in His word, okay?

Questions that are similar, “Why should I choose peace?”

“Why should I love people who hurt me?”

“Why should I care?”

These are all similar questions.

Who is the subject of these questions?

“I”

So we should start there.

Who are you? What are some words you would use to describe yourself?

2. When we have big questions about things we should or should not do, we should ask about who we are.

When I was in middle school and high school I probably would have used words like, “geek” “home-schooled” “super-hero fan” “artist” to describe myself.

What are some things that God says about you? Do you guys know any off the top of your head.

Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

We are made in HIS IMAGE, to reflect who He is!

2 Corinthians 5:17–18 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;”

For those of us here who believe Jesus, we are new creations. Brand new, to reflect Jesus.

John 1:11–13 “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Children of God. Are you guys starting to see the pattern with these? We were created to be like God!

Galatians 3:28 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

It doesn’t matter if you are a boy or a girl, if you are one ethnicity or another if you believe Jesus and have a relationship with Him, you are part of the family! God accepts you and loves you!

1 John 4:7–8 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

So because God is love, and we are created to imitate and reflect who HE is, we are to love one another. If you truly know God you will love others.

This is what life is, true life is living as how Jesus lived. If you guys remember Jesus loves, and He Himself is a peacemaker.

Romans 5:1 ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus, He is a peace maker.

Q: Why should we choose to have peace with others?

A: Because this is what we were created for, to reflect God in how we treat the people in our lives

This is God’s answer to our question, and He has more.

We are going to have a discussion in our small groups about the why a little more here are a few questions for you to think about:

Who are you? How would you describe yourself?

Who does God say you are? Have you heard Him describe you before?

What is your response to who God says you are? Do you agree or disagree? Why is that?