Conflict Resolution

Conflict Resolution

Thesis: Conflict is a part of life and we need to learn how to manage it the Bible way and not the world’s way.

Opening Video Illustration: Mr. Holland’s Opus

Our scene opens with the principal and vice principal questioning Mr. Holland’s use of rock music in his music appreciation class. Mr. Holland defends his teaching methods and says he will use whatever music he can to teach his students to love music.

Illustration point: The scene portrays a scenario of conflict between Mr. Holland and the administration over methodology of teaching. It’s a common scene of how we face conflict on a daily basis with others. The truth is music and methodologies of teaching have resulted in much conflict within society and even the church. But we have to learn how to manage conflict if we want to have healthy relationships with others in life(Belknap, Groups Blockbuster Movie Illustrations).

Illustration:

I am told that when President Bush was governor of Texas he had to deal with a lot of conflict. According to the sources I heard on the news one night in December (I tried to check this our with different sources and was unable to confirm it.) He came into office with a legislature that was in the opposite party. Early in his term he met with the opposition leader of the legislative branch with the hopes of building a cooperative coalition for the future. The meeting was a failure. There was no trust and no agreement. There was plenty of conflict. At the end of the session as Bush got up to leave he suddenly reached over and grabbed the opposition boss with both hands on his neck and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. The man was completely stunned. He got red faced and stammered "What did you do THAT for!" Bush said, "If I can’t get your cooperation and help, I’m at least going to get a kiss!" The opposition leader broke up laughing and that was the beginning of friendship and the end of conflict

Contributed to Sermon Central by: Rick Stacy

You might ask why is there so much conflict in this life? The basic problem and reason is addressed by James.

Scripture Text:

James 4:1-12:

1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

4You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Introduction:

Society is riddled with conflicts every day and in every area of our lives. We run into it at work, at school, at home, in our community, in our neighborhoods, and yes even at church. We have conflicts over who owns the highway. Who deserves a raise or not at work. Who should be promoted at work? Who should play in the sports game? Who should be in a certain leadership position? We have disagreements with other family members over clothes, responsibility, personality clashes, and even time spent in the bathroom. We have conflict with our spouses over issues like money, how we spend our time, values, misinformation about the other, and a host of other reasons. We have people spending millions on divorce lawyers to settle their conflict. We have others spending millions to sue others over conflict. We have conflict over miscommunication about others. We have conflict with others over the use of resources. The truth is if you have relationships with others that relationship will eventually have a conflict. It could be minor or it could be major. But the reality is there will be times of conflict.