LITTLE FOXES CATCH US THE FOXES THE LITTLE

LITTLE FOXES CATCH US THE FOXES, THE LITTLE FOXES THAT SPOIL THE VINES, FOR OUR VINES HAVE TENDER GRAPES. SONG OF SOLOMON 2: 15 (NKJV)

LITTLE FOXES • LITTLE FOXES ARE EXAMPLES OF THE KINDS OF PROBLEMS THAT CAN DISTURB OR DESTROY RELATIONSHIPS. • LITTLE FOXES ARE WHAT YOU MAY CONSIDER MINOR IRRITATIONS THAT MUST NOT BE MINIMIZED OR IGNORED BUT IDENTIFIED SO THEY CAN BE DEALT WITH.

LITTLE FOXES • NAME SOME THINGS AND/OR ATTITUDES THAT CAN HARMFUL TO US IN 2018

LITTLE FOXES DISAPPOINTMENTS-PROV. 13: 12 • DISAPPOINTMENTS CAN DISTURB US. • DISAPPOINTMENTS CAN BE CAUSED BY WHAT SOMEONE DID OR DID NOT DO • ON THE AVERAGE WE CAN GO 28 -40 DAYS WITHOUT FOOD; 2 -10 DAYS WITHOUT WATER; 6 MINUTES WITHOUT AIR; ONLY SECONDS WITHOUT HOPE

LITTLE FOXES • HOW SHOULD WE DEAL WITH DISAPPOINTMENTS?

LITTLE FOXES • NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT LIFE CAN BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO LIVE IT WITH HOPE—ANONYMOUS (HOPE DEFERRED MAKES THE HEART SICK) • THERE IS NO MEDICINE LIKE HOPE, NO INCENTIVES SO GREAT, AND NO TONIC SO POWERFUL AS THE EXPECTATION OF SOMETHING BETTER TOMORROW—ORISON SWETT MARDEN

LITTLE FOXES • LET GO OF MISTAKES, FAILURES, HURTS, PAINS, SIN ETC. • DON’T MISS OUT ON A NEW BEGINNING BY REOPENING WOUNDS-GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO HEAL • WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES ANOTHER DOOR OPENS; BUT WE SO OFTEN LOOK SO LONG AND SO REGRETFULLY UPON THE CLOSED DOOR, THAT WE DO NOT SEE THE ONE WHICH IS OPEN FOR US. ABRAHAM BELL

LITTLE FOXES • WHAT KIND OF PROBLEMS CAN UNFORGIVENESS CAUSE?

LITTLE FOXES UNFORGIVENESS MATT. 5: 23 -25 • FORGIVENESS IS A CHOICE NOT A OPTION • FORGIVENESS IS THE KEY TO BEING FREE • IT’S UP TO YOU TO CHANGE YOUR COURSE, IF YOU WANT TO BE FREE • DON’T LET WHAT YOU CAN DO, INTERFERE WITH WHAT YOU DO. JOHN WOODEN

LITTLE FOXES • SOLUTIONS TO UNFORGIVENESS • DON’T USE PAST WOUNDS AS AN EXCUSE FOR MAKING POOR CHOICES • FORGIVE PEOPLE, YOURSELF, FORGIVE GOD FOR WHATEVER YOU THOUGHT HE HAS DONE WRONG • QUIT COMPARING YOURSELF WITH OTHERS • QUIT DWELLING ON WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN, SHOULD HAVE BEEN, MIGHT HAVE BEEN

LITTLE FOXES • BE NOT ANGRY THAT YOU CANNOT MAKE OTHERS AS YOU WISH THEM TO BE, SINCE YOU CANNOT MAKE YOURSELF AS YOU WISH TO BE. THOMAS A` KEMPE • WHEN GOD BRINGS AN ISSUE TO LIGHT, BE QUICK TO SEARCH YOUR HEART AND DEAL WITH IT • WHEN YOU FORGIVE YOU IN NO WAY CHANGE YOUR PAST—BUT YOU SURE DO CHANGE THE FUTURE-BERNARD MELTZER

LITTLE FOXES LYING- EPH. 4: 25 • DISRUPTS UNITY • DESTROYS TRUST • CAUSES CONFLICT

LITTLE FOXES • WHEN ANGRY- EPH. 4: 26 -27 • MAKE A CONSCIOUS COMMITTED EFFORT TO BE SURE THAT YOUR RESPONSES ARE NOT DRIVEN BY EMOTIONS (IMPULSE/DESIRE) • DEAL WITH ANGER IMMEDIATELY IN A WAY THAT BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS-RATHER THAN DESTROYS THEM • SATAN WILL TRY TO DIVIDE US-DON’T LET THE DAY END BEFORE YOU BEGIN WORKING ON MENDING YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

LITTLE FOXES • WHAT CAN CAUSE BITTERNESS AND WHAT CAN WE DO TO GET RID OF IT.

LITTLE FOXES BITTERNESS • CHECK THE ROOT OF YOUR FRUIT • IF YOU ARE WITHHOLDING ANY ANGER ABOUT ANY SITUATIONS—ASK YOURSELF “WHY”----”WHAT” PRODUCED IT----DEAL WITH IT AND OVERCOME IT. • FOR YOUR EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH YOU MUST LET GO. • BITTERNESS EFFECTS OUR PERSONALITIES, ATTITUDES AS WELL AS HOW WE TREAT OTHERS.

LITTLE FOXES • HOW TO DEAL WITH BITTERNESS-(THOSE THINGS THAT ARE TOXIC TO YOU BECAUSE YOU BURY THEM DEEP INSIDE. ) • WE CAN’T LIVE WITH TOXIC WASTE IN OUR SYSTEM WITHOUT IT RESURFACING AND EVENTUALLY HARMING US. • THOUGH WE MAY TRY TO COVER IT AND IT’S HIDDEN DEEP, BITTER ROOTS, PRODUCE BITTER FRUIT (*HEB. 12: 15) • LET IT GO, GET RID OF IT. FORGIVE. KEEP YOUR HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE. (PROV. 4: 23)

LITTLE FOXES BITTERNESS- EPH. 4: 31 • BITTERNESS (INDIGNANT)-EXPRESSING ANGER AT UNJUST OR MEAN ACTIONS. • WHAT CAUSES BITTERNESS-HOLDING ON TO PAST HURTS, THINGS THAT MAY HAVE HAPPEN WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER, SOMEONE TREATED YOU WRONG, CHEATED ON YOU, LIED ON YOU, ABUSED YOU IN SOME WAY, BETRAYED YOU

LITTLE FOXES WRATH- PASSION, RAGE, BAD TEMPER • DEAL WITH IT IMMEDIATELY, THE WAY GOD TOLD US TO HANDLE IT, BEFORE THE DAY ENDS ANGER-RESENTMENT, ANIMOSITY (STRONG FEELINGS OF DISLIKE) • DON’T SIN-DON’T PUT THINGS INTO ACTION THAT CAN HURT YOU AND OTHERS. • WITH ALL THAT LIES WITHIN YOU LIVE PEACEABLY WITH ALL MEN. ROM. 12: 18

LITTLE FOXES DON’T STEAL & WATCH YOUR WORDS-EPH 4: 2830 • DON’T TAKE WHAT DOESN’T BELONG TO YOUTHIS CAN BREAK UP RELATIONSHIPS • WATCH WHAT YOU ARE SAYING. ONE THING GOD HATES IS SOMEONE WHO SOWS DISCORD AMONG THE BRETHREN. PROV. 6: 16 -19 • ALSO WHEN WE TREAT OTHERS WRONG IT GRIEVES THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD. HE WANTS TO LEAD US TO TRUTH AND TO WHAT IT RIGHT.

LITTLE FOXES EVIL SPEAKING-SLANDER, ABUSIVE LANGUAGE • LET LOVE BE WITHOUT DISSIMULATION, ABHOR THAT WHICH IS EVIL; CLEAVE TO THAT WHICH IS GOOD. ROM. 12: 9 CLAMOR-QUARRELING, CONTENTION, BRAWLING • A BROTHER OFFENDED IS HARDER TO BE WON THAN A STRONG CITY: AND THEIR CONTENTIONS ARE LIKE THE BARS OF A CASTLE. PROV. 18: 19

LITTLE FOXES MALICE-ILL-WILL OR BASENESS (MEANNESS) OF ANY KIND • TITUS 3: 2 -5 -TO SPEAK EVIL OF NO ONE, TO BE PEACEABLE, GENTLY, SHOWING ALL HUMILITY TO ALL MEN. • REMEMBER GOD LOOKED BEYOND YOUR FAULTS.

LITTLE FOXES SOLUTION-BE KIND & FORGIVING EPH. 4: 32 • HOW DO WE KEEP THE LITTLE FOXES FROM DESTROYING OUR RELATIONSHIPS • AND BE YE KIND ONE TO ANOTHER, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, EVEN AS GOD FOR CHRIST’S SAKE HATH FORGIVEN YOU.

NEXT WEEK BIBLE STUDY • TBA