Main point: Nurturing peace in the church comes from submitting to God rather than our worldly desires
Key Scripture: James 4:1-12
Why Churches Fight: Serving our Desires (4:1-6)
When we allow our passions and desires to shape our interactions with one another in the church we are betraying our faith and acting as enemies of God
What do I really want? What am I zealous to accomplish or acquire? And if I cannot have it, is it really worth dividing over, or destroying others to get it?
Every step in the Christian life is made possible only by the grace of God that comes through the person and work of Jesus Christ
How to Bring Peace: Submitting to God (4:7-10)
God gives grace to the humble so that we can submit to God instead of our worldly desires, and so bring peace to one another in the church
Resist the devil (v.7)
Draw near to God (v. 8)
Repent from your sin (vv. 8b-9)
Let God exalt you (v. 10)
Putting Peace into Practice: Refusing to Slander (4:11-12)
Submission to God means keeping his law, and keeping his law means loving our brothers and sisters in Christ and refusing to slander them
Theological Triage: Understand the Issue
Pastoral Triage: Understand the Person
