Topic > Christian Living > Living with Other Believers >
In Harmony
I love playing the 5-string banjo. But it has one drawback. The fifth string will harmonize with only a limited number of simple chords. When other musicians want to play more complicated music, the banjoist has to adapt. He can lend marvelous melodic tones to a jam session only by making the right adjustments.
A Neighbor On The Fence
The fence around the side yard of our home was showing some wear and tear, and my husband, Carl, and I decided we needed to take it down before it fell down. It was pretty easy to disassemble, so we removed it quickly one afternoon. A few weeks later when Carl was raking the yard, a woman who was walking her dog stopped to give her opinion: “Your yard looks so much better without the fence. Besides, I don’t believe in fences.” She explained that she liked “community” and no barriers between people.
Seeing The Person Inside
On February 1, 1960, four students from an all-black college sat down at a “whites only” lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. One of them, Franklin McCain, noticed an older white woman seated nearby looking at them. He was sure that her thoughts were unkind toward them and their protest against segregation. A few minutes later she walked over to them, put her hands on their shoulders, and said, “Boys, I am so proud of you.”
Not My Kind
In the Star Wars trilogy there’s a scene that reminds me of some church people I know. At an establishment somewhere in a remote corner of the galaxy, grotesque-looking creatures socialize over food and music. When Luke Skywalker enters with his two droids, C3PO and R2D2 (who are more “normal” than anyone else there), he is surprisingly turned away with a curt rebuff: “We don’t serve their kind here!”
A "Well" Church
Pastor and author Greg Laurie says that churches are “well” when they practice these activities:
W-orship
E-vangelize
L-earn
L-ove
Like the early church, we should be active in these ways today.
Worship. We must meet together for fellowship, communion, prayer, and praise (Acts 2:42,47). God is to be the focus of all we do in His church.
Evangelize. As we share the Word, the Lord will add new believers to the church (v.47). We can all take part in spreading God’s Word by developing a friendship, by giving someone an article about the gospel, or by sharing some Scripture verses with a stranger.
A Piece Of The Puzzle
At her birthday celebration, the honored guest turned the tables by giving everyone at the party a gift. Kriste gave each of us a personal note expressing what we mean to her, along with encouraging words about the person God made us to be. Enclosed with every note was one piece of a jigsaw puzzle as a reminder that each of us is unique and important in God’s plan.
Insignificant
“Movers and shakers” are people climbing the ladder of influence and success. Luke 3 mentions seven prominent leaders who exercised control in the society of their time.
Practical application for the principles on unity from Romans 14
Instructions may look simple on paper, but following them can be a lot harder than expected! Let's take the principles from Romans 14 on unity, and examine how to put them into practice.
Reevaluating the customs we hold dear
There are times when the traditions we cling to are actually the barriers to love and grace entering the church! Another timely message on unity.
What do doughnuts have to do with Christian unity?
An unconventional illustration to help us focus on what matters most. So grab your spot at the table for a conversation about disagreements, unity, and how fried pastries tie it all together. A sweet end to our study of Romans 14.
Discover the ways our actions help, or hinder, others
Whether you’re a parent guiding a little one through life, or contributing to your team at the office . . . each of us holds tremendous influence over the people we come into contact with!
A helpful guideline for handling disagreements
When we’re in a heated argument, we’re often so focused on who’s right and who’s wrong that we forget our actions should reflect the love of Christ. A helpful guideline for handling disagreements by asking the poignant question, does this honor God?
Help from Romans 14 on muddling through the gray areas of the Christian life
The church is just like one great big family, there’s bound to be some disagreements as time goes on. Let's explore eight principles to keeping unity in the family of God.
How to handle disagreements in the family of God
If you grew up with brothers or sisters, your disagreements with one another likely led to a few fights! But do those actions carry over into the way we treat our brothers and sisters in Christ? Timely lessons from Romans 14.
How to accept one another’s convictions, even if we disagree!
We’re never going to see eye-to-eye with friends and family on every topic. But if we’re not careful, we can wind up looking down on others when they make choices we disagree with.
