The Thursday Update

JUNE 30, 2022

Lakeshore Friends—

Conflict is everywhere and we can’t escape it.  I don’t expect that to change for the better anytime soon.  In fact, I think the trend is clearly pointing toward “worse”.  At times, our conflict is with people that we hardly know and if we can’t work it out, we move on.

But what about when the conflict is with someone we know… well… really well? And love… a lot… a real lot?  And the relationship is stuck… a lot… a real lot?

Those are the ones that hurt the most, don’t they?  And because they hurt the most, we want to resolve them the most.  That’s because they mean the most.

If you want to resolve a relationship that is stuck neck-deep in conflict, you are going to have to examine three things

1. Yourself and your part in it.
2. Your approach and what works best for them.
3. Your attitude as you work through the conflict.

We’ll unpack these principles in a fascinating little passage that ends Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians (5:12-28).  I think you’ll see how Paul’s inspired approach can give you the best odds of getting a stuck relationship unstuck.

After all, the people we really know and really love are really worth it, aren’t they?

Warmly,
Vince

JUNE 23, 2022

Lakeshore Friends—

I hope that last Sunday was the highlight of your weekend.  Along with the service honoring all the men for Father’s Day, our desire is to really get us all to start understanding how to work through conflict in the most God-honoring way possible with the new series, “Conquering Conflict With Others”.

If you missed last week, we covered James 4:1-12 and saw that the cause of all conflict is “competing desires” inside of us.  James also gave us the cure for all conflict which is to have our desires be godly— that is shaped by what God wants us to do.

While last week was the “what” of conflict resolution, this Sunday is all about the “how” of conflict resolution.  I’m convinced that as easy as it will be to understand, it is equally as hard to do, at times.  But when we do it, we are always better off in the long run.

Do you have people you are in conflict with and you just don’t know what to do?  We’re here to help you.

I am so thankful that our church is made up of so many great people who strive to resolve conflict well.  It’s a gift from God and a tribute to all of you that our church strives to resolve things so biblically.

Thanks for being such a great church!  You inspire me and make me proud to be your pastor.

Warmly,
Vince

JUNE 16, 2022

Lakeshore Friends—

When the earth’s population exceeded one, conflict became inevitable. That’s literally true according to Genesis 3!  

People in the same families, at work, in neighborhoods, and everywhere else can run into conflict with others and it can lead to hard feelings, hurt emotions, and even hateful animosity.  It’s all around us and it’s becoming an accepted norm by people these days as our culture continues its coarsening. 

So what are the causes of conflict?  What are the cures for conflict?  Is there a bullet-proof process to follow for conflict resolution?  And does being a Christian sometimes lead to increased conflict with others?  We’ll answer all these questions in this important three-week series that I know will help everyone learn the skills to conquer conflict.

This Sunday is also Father’s Day and we will honor all the fathers and men in our church.  Being a man is a tall task in this society that loves to tear others down, and unfortunately, that is especially true of men.  But at Lakeshore, we’ll honor and pray for all the guys at church.  We’re with you!

I hope you’ll make this fun and important Sunday a part of your weekend plans to celebrate.

Warmly,
Vince