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. • Relationships can be harmed by little things (foxes)

LITTLE FOXES • What are some things that can harm good relationships?

LITTLE FOXES Disappointments-Prov. 13: 12 • Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around. (MSG) • How should we deal with disappointments?

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 Disappointments • 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 • No matter how difficult life can be the most important thing is to live it with hope—Anonymous • 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 We must accept finite disappointments, but never lose infinite hope. Dr. Martin Luther King

LITTLE FOXES • What happens when we don’t forgive?

LITTLE FOXES Unforgiveness Matt. 5: 23 -25 • 23 “So when you offer your gift to God at the altar, and you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, • 24 leave your gift there at the altar. Go and make peace with that person, and then come and offer your gift. (NCV)

LITTLE FOXES • 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 • When you forgive you in no way change your past—but you sure do change the future-Bernard Meltzer

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 When Angry- Eph. 4: 26 -27 (strong feeling of dislike, resentment) • 26 “When you are angry, don’t let that anger make you sin, ” and don’t stay angry all day. • 27 Don’t give the devil a way to defeat you.

LITTLE FOXES • 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-you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be. Thomas a` Kempe. (Work on mending your relationships)

LITTLE FOXES Lying- Eph. 4: 25 • 25. Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, ” for we are members of one another. (NKJV) • 25 Stop lying to each other; tell the truth, for we are parts of each other and when we lie to each other we are hurting ourselves. (NLT)

LITTLE FOXES Lying • Disrupts unity • Destroys Trust • Causes Conflict • After we ask God for his anointing to break the yokes, then we should pray and ask God to help us break the habit of lying.

LITTLE FOXES Solution-Be Kind & Forgiving Eph. 4: 32 • How do we keep the little foxes from destroying our relationships • Remember God looked beyond your faults. • Can you look beyond the faults of others. • And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

• Next Week-TBA

• Resources: Scripture-Ephesians Chapter 4