INTERWOVEN 01 - A TENDER HEART
SERMON SERIES
INTERWOVEN: GOD'S EXTRAORDINARY DESIGN FOR RELATIONSHIPS
Great relationships are not focused on perfection; they are focused on health. They are not focused on freedom from conflict; they are focused on tenderness in the fight. The “best” relationships of our lives are simply interwoven. They are interlaced to form a connected whole. They are sensitive to the heart’s obstructions. They are knitted into oneness by being emotionally present. Even when life presents zig-zags and winding courses, tenderness will guide two hearts into a significant, decorative design. In this short 3-week preaching series, the messages are made to inspire, challenge, and encourage you in your relationships whether you are single, dating, or married.
TODAY'S BIG IDEA
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW
WITH A 94% CERTAINTY
THAT YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WILL SUCCEED?
A TENDER, KIND AND GENEROUS HEART
IS THE DECORATIVE WEAVE
IN EVERY SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP!
SCRIPTURES
I PETER 3:7-11 NLT In the same way, you husbands must give HONOR to your wives. Treat your wife with UNDERSTANDING as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. 8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. LOVE each other as brothers and sisters. Be TENDERHEARTED, and keep A HUMBLE ATTITUDE. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it. 10 For the Scriptures say, “If you want to ENJOY LIFEand SEE MANY HAPPY DAYS, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. 11 Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
MATTHEW 19:7-8 AMP They said to Jesus, “WHY then did Moses command [us] to give a certificate of DIVORCE and thus to dismiss and repudiate a wife? [Deut 24:1-4.]” 8 He said to them, “BECAUSE OF THE HARDNESS (stubbornness and perversity) of your HEARTS Moses permitted you to dismiss and repudiate and divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been so [ordained].”
PROVERBS 13:12 NKJV HOPE DEFERRED makes the HEART SICK, But [when] the desire comes, [it is] a tree of life.
PROVERBS 17:22 NKJV A MERRY (AMP - HAPPY) heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.
PROVERBS 4:23 AMP Keep and GUARD YOUR HEART with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it FLOW THE SPRINGS OF LIFE.
MYTHS OF GREAT RELATIONSHIPS
- To become a great marriage we must learn to fight better or less frequently
- Couples have to resolve all their problems to have a great relationship
- Marriages are ruined by personality flaws
- Great marriages have to have an equal 50/50 load
WHAT TO DO: KINDNESS PRACTICED IN 5 WAYS
See kindness as a MUSCLE, not a fixed trait
Be generous about your partner's INTENTIONS
Be generous in CELEBRATIONS of your partner's good news
Prioritize CHURCH ECOSYSTEMS (Sundays/Groups/Teams)
MOVING FORWARD THIS WEEK:
- WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THIS?
- HOW WILL YOU USE IT TO HELP/SERVE OTHERS?
RESOURCES/BOOKS
WHY MARRIAGES SUCCEED - CLICK HERE TO GO TO AMAZON FOR ORDERING
THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES FOR MAKING MARRIAGE WORK - CLICK HERE TO GO TO AMAZON FOR ORDERING
THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES FOR MAKING MARRIAGE WORK - BOOK PDF - FREE DOWNLOAD