We believe that God offers us answers to life’s toughest questions The Gospel actually provides a way that we can have unity without requiring uniformity Human conflicts give us divine opportunities 1 Corinthians 6:1 – If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? Layout of Corinth Bema 1 Corinthians 6:2-3 – Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judge by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! Our identity should determine our response to conflict 1 Corinthians 6:4 – So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 1 Corinthians 6:5-6 – I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 1 Corinthians 6:7-8 – To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud – even your own brothers! Jesus didn’t come to get His rights; He came to take our wrongs My rights are not my mission Four biblical steps for handling conflict: 1. Pursue God 2. Pursue the person/people with whom we disagree 3. Pursue wise Christian Counsel 4. Without resolution, Pursue Jesus in suffering