Harmonious, Sympathetic, Brotherly - Peter 3:8-9

"Counselors that'll meet each other at Kamp and then they'll marry each other. But one of my favorites of all of our marriages is this couple that are married. They're raising kids together. But three years ago, they were ready to kill each other." 

Family Discussion:

1. Who is it in your life that you need to love like that?
2. Who is it that that may be the hardest to love, but that you need to watch God do a big miracle as you begin to love that person like Jesus would?

Transcription:

00:13          You know, here at Kanakuk at the sports Kamps and Kids Across America, I get to see some of the greatest relationships. Counselors that'll meet each other at Kamp and then they'll marry each other. But one of my favorites of all of our marriages is this couple that are married. They're raising kids together. But three years ago, they were ready to kill each other. I mean, three years ago, there was so much strife in their marriage. I mean they had already thrown in the towel, but then they went to counseling and God showed up as they begin to replace the insults with kindness and they replaced the anger with forgiveness. And now they're walking hand in hand and loving each other socks off. Listen to what first Peter Three, eight and nine said, if you've got a dad in your life or a brother or an employer, employee or spouse and you just, you know, you feel like they're just ridiculing you or they're like your enemy.

 

01:09          This should it encourage you? It sure does. Me Listen to what first Peter says, chapter three, verse eight and nine. "To sum it up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, humble in spirit, not returning, not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead. For you were called for this very purpose that you might inherit a blessing." One of my favorite things in sports, you know, as I get to share with teams around the country and college and pros is after the game. You know, before the game, they're getting fired up to smash each other. And during the game they're doing that. They're trying to take each other out. But after the game, the Christian guys will get together and they'll get in circles. It happens all over the league and in NFL. The cameras don't show it.

 

02:03          You know, the TV producers, they're uncomfortable with prayer for some strange reason, but these teams, after they play each other, the Christian guys, and sometimes you'll see 20 or 30, 40 players out on the field. As Christian brothers holding hands and praying together after the game because that's what scripture says to do. It says to love your enemies, to pray for those who persecute you. I used to admire my dad so much, but one of the most admirable things about him was the way he forgave my brother. He was going through some awful times as a teenager. And he ran away. And my daddy was so mad when he left home, but when he came back, I remember he walked in my house and he had this big, beautiful smile on his face. And the first thing my daddy said to him, even though he had been, you know, evil or battered, you know, when he left. But the first thing my daddy said to him, he said, I wouldn't, I wouldn't trade $1 million for that smile. And when my daddy died, my brother was sitting at his grave and he said, my daddy was my best friend.

 

03:08          So my question for you today is this. Who is it in your life that you need to love like that? Who is it that that may be the hardest to love, but that you need to watch God do a big miracle as you begin to love that person like Jesus would? Go, hug somebody today.