How to Have Healthy Relationships
Conflict Resolution, Reconciliation and Forgiveness
Introduction
Welcome to our Matthew 18 Community study which deals with the subject of relationships.
I love this chapter in Matthew because it gets right to the heart of so many of our relational issues: pride, conflict, reconciliation, forgiveness, good judgment and so much more.
Enjoy and please share the series with your friends!
Matthew 18 Community Lessons
Matthew 18 Community – Part 1 – A Primer on Relationships
Introduces us to the weighty subject of relationships, reminds of their importance and our lack of attention to them and then begins to focus our attention on the major themes found in Matthew’s 18th chapter.
Matthew 18 Community – Part 2 – Humility as Key Relational Value
Looks at the concept of humility as the starting point and the strengthener of true relational harmony and success.
Matthew 18 Community – Part 3 – Are You a Relational Stumbling Block?
Examines the concept of what it means to be a relational stumbling block and how damaging this can be to yourself as well as your relationships.
Matthew 18 Community – Part 4 – The Nature of Conflict
Examines typical human responses to conflict (flight or fight) and suggests a third option based on kingdom values.
This lesson prepares us for Jesus’ injunctions for confronting someone who has hurt or sinned against us in some way (Matt 18:15-20), in other words, for someone with whom we are having relational conflict!
Matthew 18 Community – Part 5 – Confronting Conflict Privately
In this lesson, we begin to study the sublime process outlined in Matt 18:15-20 for dealing with conflict in our lives.
It all begins with a one-to-one conversation.
Matthew 18 Community – Part 6 – Seeking Help When Confronting Conflict
What happens if your first attempt at one-on-one reconciliation fails? Call for help from some trusted friends / advisers.
This post studies why this is an important step, how you should choose your mediators and the goals you must continue to aim for in this next step of conflict reconciliation.
Matthew 18 Community – Part 7 – And If He Refuses, Tell It to the Church
This post begins to examine the final aspect of the reconciliation process outlined in Matt 18:15-20, the responsibility of the church in relational reconciliation.
It examines the corporate nature of the church and the way that its values challenge our individual perceptions and priorities in relationships.
Matthew 18 Community – Part 8 – When All Attempts at Reconciliation Fail
This lesson completes our study of the reconciliation process outlined in Matt 18:15-20.
It examines the nature and the validity of the final option that Jesus gives when all attempts at reconciliation have failed.
Matthew 18 Community – Part 9 – The Nature of Forgiveness: Why Forgiving Is Not an Option
This lesson begins to look at the nature of forgiveness.
Through the lens of a parable of two servants, it teaches us that forgiveness is a reflection of God’s character, that it is a choice and that a failure to forgive is quite a serious offense.
Matthew 18 Community – Part 10 – That Beautiful Thing Called Forgiveness
This lesson closes out our Matthew 18 Community series on relationships.
It teaches us both the beautiful benefits of forgiveness and the debilitating consequences when we fail to grant it. Finally, it calls us to wholeness and healing by deciding to forgive those who have hurt us.
End Matthew 18 Community Study