As much as we wish our church congregations could get along peacefully, Jesus tells us that, sadly, offenses must come (Luke 17:1).

'To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.' Forgiving and being forgiven are part of being a family.

Christ counsels us to love our enemies in order that we may be children of God, demonstrating not only His mercy but also our sonship by being peacemakers.

Even though offense is inevitable, we must emulate Christ's love by avoiding unnecessary harm while prioritizing the spiritual growth of others.

Humans are very adept at causing offense. But as Christians, we must learn the art of tact and diplomacy that works toward unity among the brethren.

God gave Jesus Christ to us to restore peace, reconciliation, and harmony with God. In the Beatitudes, the peacemakers are called 'sons of God.'

Only by letting go of the poisonous root of bitterness can we become like our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father.

Forgiveness is not a feeling that washes over us, but a conscious choice. It does not mean that the offense will never come to mind, nor that all the pain vanishes.

Our forgiveness from God is conditional, depending upon our forgiving others. It is an opportunity for us to extend grace, sacrificing as Christ did for us.

All have been guilty of malicious gossip; consequently, they should not become offended when they hear gossip about themselves (Ecclesiastes 7:21).

An indescribable reward awaits those who endure and remain loyal. We cannot afford to lose our vision of our righteous cause, as Benedict Arnold did.

Like the older brother in the parable, we may have looked down on those who have stumbled. We are not equipped to judge anybody else's repentance.

Because it is more blessed to give than to receive, the things we desire for ourselves we should be willing to give to others, including forgiveness.

Murder originates in the heart. Nothing from the outside defiles a man but originates in the heart governed by carnal human nature.

In a culture which glorifies war heroes and winning at all costs, becoming an ambassador to peace is perhaps the most elusive goal we could ever accomplish.

In the Prodigal Son, most people dwell on the relationship between the prodigal and his father. However, the elder brother has much to teach us as well.

Our society is becoming increasingly violent. The sixth of the Ten Commandments covers crime, capital punishment, murder, hatred, revenge and war.

Mercy eclipses any kind of sacrifice one may offer, triumphing over judgement. The leaven of the Pharisees consists of prideful, hypocritical, merciless judgment.

Those who are mature should be able to endure the slights of the immature, being circumspect not to lead anyone into sin through our careless example.

Jesus Christ placed a high priority on reconciliation, warning us that before we engage God at the altar, we had better make peace with our brother.

In Paul's listings of virtues, meekness always appears near the end, reflecting its difficulty. Meekness is the gentle, quiet spirit of selfless devotion.

We have been warned to keep alert, watching for the return of our Savior, not living in careless ease. We should be sobered by the degenerating state of the world.

Reaping good fruit does not happen immediately. If we feel we are not reaping, we must consider that we might be reaping some negative things we have sown.

We dare not let the sun go down on our wrath. Uncontrolled anger can be a major cause of mental and physical illness. We must reconcile with our adversaries.

Forgiveness from God is directly tied to our forgiving those who have sinned against us! We must reciprocate God's forgiveness by forgiving others.

It is impossible to grow spiritually in a climate of animosity and jealousy. If we use the power of God's Holy Spirit, peace will accrue as a fruit.

Even though God desires brethren to dwell in peace and unity, at times HE ordains and causes disruption and division. How do we explain this apparent paradox?

The Sermon on the Mount contains a explanation of what it takes to be a Christian. Matthew 5:38-42 provides the principles behind the 'above and beyond' attitude.

Joseph was an extraordinary type of Jesus Christ. His life and character parallels Christ's in at least 16 ways, which God purposefully foreordained.

Bitterness divides one member of Christ's Body from another. Individuals often look for a 'doctrinal' reason to justify leaving a congregation.

We must remember what we were and how far God has brought us out of that place, pulled out of the muck and brought into His glory.

Our food has been hopelessly contaminated by genetic modification. However, we must not look down on others who are unable to purchase organic foods.

Our obligation toward God mandates that we love our fellow human beings, even individuals who have severely wronged us.

God calls us 'living stones' in I Peter 2. Here is why this description is a very fitting view of God's work making us His jewels.

God put up with the foibles of Abraham, Samson, David, Job, and others, allowing them time to repent and build character. We need to develop this godly trait.

When Paul talks about the 'the [Lord's] body' without defining exactly what he means, he does so in the middle of a lengthy discourse on the spiritual Body.

We must exercise longsuffering and kindness to all, including to those that have done ill to us. We are disciples of Christ if we love one another.

Human nature is strongly competitive and full of pride, making judgment inherently problematic. Nevertheless, God wants us to learn to judge with equity.

Anger and hostility, driven by self-centered competitive pride constitute Satan's spiritual mark that divides nations, ethnic groups, families, and the church.

A native practice involves leaving a young man on a remote island with only a bow and arrows until he learns to become a man, and God does something similar.

Jesus contrasts the enormity of what we are forgiven to what we forgive others. Our forgiveness is directly connected with our forgiveness of our brother.