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Because people matter to God, they matter to us.  This past Sunday we saw an incredible example of what happened when this truth captured a nine year old girl’s heart.  She was moved to give!  Please take three minutes to watch this inspiring video!

Pastor/ Church planter,

health, mature Christ-followers engage and attempt to manage and resolve conflict through the unlimited resources of the Gospel of Grace.

Of all the communities on the face of the earth, the Church of Jesus Christ should be the most equipped and effective community to live out conflict resolution.

Here are 5 Practical Ways To Manage and Resolve Conflict.  I want to thank Help Guide for this great chart -

Unhealthy Responses To Conflict:

An inability to recognize and respond to the things that matter to the other person.

Explosive, angry, hurtful, and resentful reactions.

The withdrawal of love, resulting in rejection, isolation, shaming, and fear of abandonment.

An inability to compromise or see the other person’s side.

The fear and avoidance of conflict; the expectation of bad outcomes.

Healthy Responses To Conflict:

The capacity to recognize and respond to the things that matter to the other person.

Calm, non-defensive, and respectful reactions.

A readiness to forgive and forget, and to move past the conflict without holding resentments or anger.

The ability to seek compromise and avoid punishing.

A belief that facing conflict head on is the best thing for both sides.

Our Capacity To Resolve Conflict Is Rooted In The Gospel of Grace.

“For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.”  Ephesians 2:14-16 ESV

Because we have peace with God through Christ, we can attempt to make peace with those we are engaged in conflict.

We love God by loving people in the midst of conflict.

Church, may we teach the world how to manage and resolve conflict.

Marinate on that,

Pastor Derwin

We live in a fallen world with imperfect people.  As a result, the opportunity for conflict often arises.  The good news is that through Jesus, we can choose to engage and resolve conflict in a healthy way.  Take just a moment to watch as Pastor Derwin explains.

To watch the rest of the sermon click here

I’ve now been on two great adventures with my good friend Pete Wilson, who pastors Cross Point Church, an amazing church in Nashville, TN.

The first adventure we shared together was arranged by Rick and Kay Warren when they invited Pete and me, along with several other pastors, to accompany them to the International AIDS Conference 2012 in Washington DC.

You can learn all about that adventure from this documentary: http://tinyurl.com/c65p3gs

CAST OF CHARACTERS

My latest adventure with Pete took place in Kolkata, India, May 6-11, 2013, along with two of his friends Andy Merrick and Seth Jones, who started One Life International in 2009.  One Life International has partnered with SEED (Save Entrust Equip Disciple), a ministry led by Piyas Dey and Jaiashree Francis and an all Indian staff of 23.

One Life International and SEED ministers to five impoverished communities in India: Ghoraghata, Nalpur, Khalpar, Bhyabla, and Gaborda. They also collaborated to plant 5 churches: Ghoraghata in 2010, Gaborda 2011, Basirhat 2011, Nalpur 2011, and Khalpar 2012.

Piyas and Jaiashree are simply amazing. They embodied Christian leadership to me: Christ-exalting, servant-leaders who love people. I want to be like them when I grow up.

HOLISTIC DISCIPLESHIP

The aim of One Life International and SEED is to work in slums and rural villages of India to holistically develop children, men and women through education, nutrition and health care support, vocational training, and Gospel-centered teaching.

They rescue orphaned and semi-orphaned children who are in desperate situations and give them hope back by nurturing them in a home (orphanage). Many of the women in India are still victims and sometimes lose their life due to dowry. They’re badly tortured and don’t have any place to go back to until they die. One Life International and SEED want to give the people dignity and hope through empowering them, giving them shelter (a home), providing vocational training, and introducing them to the abundant life that Jesus promised.

ME AND PRESLEY

My beautiful, 16 year-old daughter Presley made the around-the-world journey with me. Throughout the years she has traveled with me to various speaking engagements. I affectionately call her my “Wingman.” In a year and half, she will be in college and out of the house. So as a dad, I treasure moments like these.

We left Charlotte for Kolkata on a Tuesday and missed our connecting flight, through no fault of our own.  We were crushed. Tears were streaming down Presley’s face. I’d much pretty decided to return to Charlotte; but Presley decided we were going to India!  So we left on Wednesday instead.  Here’s something I took away from missing the flight. God is in control. The only thing I can control is how I respond to circumstances that I can’t control.

It was very cool to share this moment with my daughter. I’m not really sure what to write here other than I thank Jesus for transforming my life so that I enjoy and bless Presley and be blessed by her. We went around the world to share the Gospel. Can anything other Jesus Himself be better than that?

KOLKATA: I WASN’T PREPARED FOR WHAT I SAW

I’ve never seen so many people in such a small area. Kolkata is about the size of Nashville, Tennessee, but has a population of 16 million people!

I’ve never seen poverty like that which I saw as I walked the streets and slums of Kolkata. I wasn’t prepared to see half-naked, dirty little boys and girls sleeping next to mange-covered dogs on the streets.

I’ve never seen traffic like the traffic in Kolkata. Think NASCAR!  Driving in Kolkata was amazing. Despite crazy crowded streets and no driving rules, there weren’t any wrecks.

KHALPAR SLUM

Walking through the Khalpar slum was surreal. It looked like something out of an end-of-the-world movie.

We visited the school where the children are educated and where women and men are trained in job skills. If people are educated and given job skills, the trajectory of their lives changes drastically for the good. At lunch time, Presley and I fed the beautiful children.

One Life International and SEED are doing some amazing work!

I also had the honor, along with Pete, to baptize 13 of the first believers from the Khalpar slum.  We were in a small church that was established in 1800’s. The baptism pool was in the floor of the old church and in the shape of a cross!

OPEN-AIR PREACHING

I also had an opportunity to preach in the Khalpar slum through my translator, Piyas.  Even though we were in a slum in 90 degree heat with suffocating humidity, the people gathered in great anticipation.  If I ever hear anyone complain about church facilities in America after preaching in a slum, I may go Evangelism Linebacker on them!

As I preached Piyas translated. At the end of my 12-minute sermon, people stormed the stage in response to the altar call!

Tears flowed.

Literally, people were reaching for my hand to pray over them and their children. It was an emotionally-moving moment. Though we didn’t speak the same language, the language of love brought us together in Christ, who is the God of love.

On a side note, the people in the slum had no clue what I was! They just stared at me because they had never seen a black man!

THE OPPORTUNITY

Transformation Church will be partnering with One Life International and SEED. We see it as a great opportunity to care for the poor and sick, to educate the children, to equip adults with job training, and to plant Gospel-preaching churches.

Marinate on that,

Pastor Derwin

Taking trips with the family is often fun.  But if you want your child to run from Jesus there’s one trip you never want to take.  Watch as Pastor Derwin explains.

To watch the rest of the sermon click here