| NASHVILLE (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curriculum and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the YOU! curriculum. Bible Passage: Acts 15 Discussion Questions: -- How can churches deal effectively with disputes in a way that protects their mission of lifting up the name of Jesus? -- What role can you play in helping your church deal effectively with disputes? Food for Thought: People bring baggage to church. Personal preferences, private agendas, past hurts, heritage, prejudice, family background, culture, ignorance and anger -- just to name a few. Baggage can become obstacles that create disputes within the church. Do we realize how often that happens? Have you ever been in the middle of a dispute with a church leader, ministry member or fellow Christian, and realized: 1. Why am I so worked up? I don't even know or care that much about this topic! 2. Maybe I'm wrong ... but it doesn't matter. I'm going to fight to the bitter end. It's my way or the highway! Continued... |