“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).

This verse always makes me laugh. Look, relationships are hard. And, great relationships are really, really hard! But they are worth it.

Paul recognizes that a good and healthy relationship requires the work of both parties. One cannot have a good and healthy relationship with someone who refuses to act and behave in good and healthy ways. Both parties have to agree to work toward health, and it is hard work. Healthy relationships do not just happen. They have to be worked at.

So, here’s a way to know if you are with someone who is valuing your relationship enough to work at it – A disagreement with a unhealthy, toxic person will turn into an argument that becomes a bigger problem. A disagreement with a healthy, good person will turn into a conversation that leads to a solution.

Know the difference. With the unhealthy, toxic person, no matter what you do in the relationship, it will remain combative and unhealthy. With someone who is healthy, they will work with you through the difficulties of misunderstanding toward health and peace.

So, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” However, when the other party continues their toxic and unhealthy behavior…let them be. Move on. Pray for them. Love them from a distance. You are not responsible for fixing their toxicity.

Relationships are hard. Great relationships are really, really hard. Build relationships with people who value you enough to work at it together.

“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll” (Revelation 22:18-19).

It’s nothing new for people to want to either add to what God has said or to take away sections of the Bible. This was a temptation at the very beginnings of the church. That’s why God warns us not to do so.

I want to highlight two things about these verses:
1. God takes his word seriously – God has given to the church everything we need to thrive and mature as followers of Jesus through his word. God expects us to keep his word with no deviations or subtractions. The word of God is to be our absolute guide.
2. There have always been sections of the Bible that people have had trouble with. That’s the reason why people either add to what is already there, or they want to strike what is disagreeable to them.

So, here is the guideline for how followers of Jesus Christ are to deal with God’s word – If you believe that God told you something that contradicts what is already said in scripture or what is not in scripture…you can absolutely know…THAT AIN’T FROM GOD!!!

The Bible is our standard. The Bible is our guide. The Bible is our truth. That’s what it means to be a follower of God. There is no other way to know what God wants and desires apart from God’s word.

So, good job church, for reading God’s word every day. Blessings!

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

Confidence in what we hope for…
Assurance about what we do not see…

See, that’s the problem with faith!!!

My confidence is in what I know. My assurance comes from what I see.

That’s why faith is so hard.

Before we launch a massive capital campaign that will absolutely stretch the Little Church, I want to know where the $12,000,000 to $15,000,000 is going to come from! Before we launch into a massive building project, I want some assurances that we will grow and fill the space that we are building.

I want more than hope. I want a sure thing.

But, that’s not faith. No faith is required for a sure thing. It’s precisely when we can’t see the end results that faith is required.

What Phillip Yancey writes about faith is helpful. He writes, “faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”

God is in this thing. God is leading the Little Church. God’s got this. And, when it comes down to it, that’s all we need to know.