The Christmas Playlist | Part 3 – A LIFE-Giving Home | Bill and Pam Farrel

What can you do to help people feel at home in your life?

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My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry . . . (James 1:19)

Four Steps to Being a Great Listener:

Repeat Key Phrases

Rephrase (What I hear you saying is …)

Regroup (Am I in the ballpark?)

Reconnect (Is it a little like this …?)

Listen

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For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. (Romans 12:4-5)

This can be challenging because we all run at different paces!

5 possible paces at which you like to run:

A Muscle Car

A Sports Car

A Semi

A Mail Truck

A Tractor

Listen
Include

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Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13(

What Forgiveness is not:

Just letting it go

Saying, “It’s Okay.”

Denial

Forgetting

Reconciliation

Forgiveness is: A decision you make in your heart to not allow anyone else to control your emotional life.

Reconciliation is: A decision to restore a broken or hurting relationship.

The Six Statements of Forgiveness

I forgive ______________ (the person) for _______________ (the offense)

I admit that what happened was wrong.

I do not expect this person to make up for what he or she has done.

I will not use what happened to define who this person is.

I will not manipulate this person with this offense.

I will not allow what has happened to stop my personal growth.

Listen
Include
Forgive

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13)

Encourage means “called alongside.”

Jesus, give us the grace to make people feel at home in our lives.