Practical Real Help For Families Series

matt 6:33 seek ye 1st the kingdom of god and his righteousness

Add spiritual weight to the relationship by prayer and living out godly principals. when our relationship is going through tough times, we shouldn't strive to be right we should strive to Godly. when pride dictates our actions we want to hide truth people and are willing to protect our true identity at all costs. hypocrisy, lying being a fake. amenning at church and cussing at home.

Warren Buffet is one of the richest men in America. In 1997, among the 70 or so people in this country who were worth 1 billion dollars or more, Buffet was the only one of only a few who acquired his wealth through investing. Many investors look to him for investment advice. His firm Berkshire Hathaway has one of the most widely read annual reports issued. And a book has been written about his investment strategies; it’s called The Warren Buffet Way.

If you could sit down with Warren Buffet for a while and get some investment tips would you?

Imagine for a moment that your family is your greatest capital.

If you could get some investment tips on how to grow it in quality would you be interested?

We hold in our hands a treasure of investment strategies for growing our family relationships. The Bible, God’s Word in written form, contains countless pro-family principles and precepts. If we learn and practice them they will make our family’s relationally wealthy.

1 Peter 3:7 states You husbands likewise, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman; and grant her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. (NASB)

Husbands we are directly instructed to understand our wives.

Now I know some husbands who would say that it would be easier to understand quantum physics than to understand their wives.

And guys, I know some wives who would say the same thing about us!

For instance, one husband who was not much of a antiques fan, had a wife who developed an interest in antiquing.

So he took his wife to as many antiques shops as he could.

It cost him some money and time, but proved to be a strong bonding experience for them. One of his friends asked him , “Do you like antiquing that much?” He said, “No, but I like my wife that much!” (2)

How do we develop an understanding spirit? By making the time to really get to know each other. And by making it a point to really listen to each other. I believe it was Yoggi Berra who said, “You can hear an awful lot by just listening.”

James 1:19 states that we should be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (NLT)

2. Our anger does not conform to righteous living. Consider the

examples from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount which could

very well be the background from which James writes. How

did Jesus tell us to respond in situations that might generate anger.

a. If hit on one cheek, turn the other cheek.

b. If a man wants your tunic, give him your cloak too.

c. If forced to go one mile, go a second mile.

APP: Think about the distorting and destructive effects of anger.

But we need to speak wisely and thoughtfully.

Here is a proverb, Prov. 12:18 – “Reckless words pierce

like a sword but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Anger turns a person inward to the point where the only thing that matters is their feelings and their cause.

Far from encouraging righteousness, anger takes us into the arena of the fool. Listen to what Proverbs tells us about anger.

A quick-tempered man does foolish things…14:17

A quick-tempered man displays folly…14:29

A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension…15:18

TS – So, we are to adopt an attitude that helps relationships and avoid the anger that harms relationships. Finally see that James tells us…

III. Accept the Word that heals relationships.

A. Get rid of evil which is so prevalent.

1. We must put off or get rid of the evil associated

with the old, pre-conversion life.

2. The term “moral filth” refers to a stain. When used

with the term “get rid of” it presents a clear picture.

The believer is to put off evil like a stained article of

clothing.

3. This language is reflected elsewhere in the NT.

a. Eph. 4:22, 25, 31

b. 1 Pet. 2:1

ILL: Erik Wiehenmayer reached the summit of Mt.

Everest on May 25, 2001. 90% of the climbers who attempt this feat fail. 165 had died trying since 1953. That is amazing in itself.

What makes Erik’s climb even more amazing is that he has been blind since he was 13. How did he succeed? Because he listened well. He listened for a bell tied to the back of the climber in front of him.