Unity in Relationships

Do you believe that Christ can spiritually influence any person to change through your unconditional kindness and respect? God’s Word repeatedly promises that when we treat an opponent with consistent kindness and respect, we can have a positive impact on them. Note the positive relational effects God promises you in the following Bible verses if you remain proper in your responses.  Proverbs 15:1 says that if you give a gentle answer to a person who is angry with you, then you will reduce their wrath. Proverbs 16:21 says that if you speak kind and sweet, then you will be more persuasive. Proverbs 15:2 says that if you possess wisdom, then your knowledge and advice will be easier to accept and more attractive to embrace. Proverbs 16:7 says that if you please God in the way you treat and relate with others, then even those who do not like you will be at peace with you. There was a pastor who honked his horn in irritation at a slowpoke driver in the middle of rush...

When you look at your spouse what do you see? I remember the first day I saw my wife. I was standing on the stage at our church and there she was, in all her beauty and peacefulness, sitting in the second row in the overflow seating. I began to interact with her and the more I saw the more I found myself “head over heels.” The more I saw, the more I desired. I was loving by sight. I perceived no flaw in her. The words of Solomon toward his lover echoed my own thoughts, “You are altogether beautiful, my darling.” (SOS 4:7) But what about when what your spouse is not easy to love? Almost every couple I have counseled, whether in conflict or engaged have a view of their partner that is unrealistically flawless. But, the truth is, he or she, like you, is a person with desires, limitations, and tendencies that sooner or later will disappoint. The Bible reminds us in Proverbs 20:9 that no one can say, "I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin." Allow specific bib...

by David Roupe (Counselor at Lowcountry Biblical Counseling Center) When I grew up in Southwestern Pennsylvania, my father always had a garden. Since he grew up in a family of 12, the garden was an essential part of the family sustenance. It was so important that all 12 members worked in it to maintain and ensure a successful harvest. That mindset carried over to our family so that participation in the family garden was mandatory. Marriage is much like a garden. There are several components necessary for a successful marriage, and all need to participate in order to make it work well. The Bible instructs us in the practices necessary to produce a glorious harvest! Any couple who will work at it can reap the reward of a vigorous and healthy marriage. The first principle of a healthy marriage garden is found in Galatians 6:7, which says, “whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” It stands to reason that if you sow kernels of corn in a row, you should not expect tomato ...

https://youtu.be/wEcYGm8KPKI Tim Bryant, director of the Lowcountry Biblical Counseling Center, leads this second session in the Relationship Workshop. Have you ever considered the relationship between loving sincerity and overflowing with thankfulness? Learn how to need people less so you can love them more through thankfulness. You will learn a strategy for handling disappointments in your relationships by letting thankfulness before God keep your heart quiet and content, so you can remain loving when disappointed in relationships.

Forgiving sins against us can be very difficult. Below are three truths to "hear" daily and four commitments to exercise in order to find the power to forgive. For each section look up the verses cited and write a prayer to the Father confessing where you have struggled to believe His perspective or apply His instructions toward the person to whom has sinned against you. Ask him for help in believing His Word and doing His will in the pain you are suffering. Ask him for his forgiveness as you commit to moving forward in forgiveness. Hide in your heart daily for the next month key verses from this study. Choose verses that best remind you to affirm and put into action what the Holy Spirit has revealed to you about biblical forgiveness. Move away from bitter thoughts by rehearsing specific verses below and taking specific steps of obedience by faith. A. REHEARSE THE TRUTH - Renew Your Faith Daily In Three Biblical, Faith-Affirmations 1. God Is My Sovereign Father - Rom 8:28-...

by Tim Bryant , Director of Lowcountry Biblical Counseling 1. Do I have the facts right?   (Prov 18:13) Sometimes what we think is sin against us is just “possible” sin. We must be sure we are dealing with the facts, not our own interpretation. If you are in doubt, BE CAREFUL! You may not need to share your concern at all; in fact, your view may be so inaccurate that to go forward would be exercising presumption (Prov 13:10) and contention (Prov 26:21). If this is the case, you must learn to humbly examine your interpretations in light of other reasonable interpretations (Prov 18:2). If after honest evaluation you still think you need to go and share your concern, go, but ask the offender appropriate, clarifying (not accusatory) questions. Then listen very objectively to the explanation, knowing that you may not have had all the information. Let them know that if your understanding of the situation is not accurate, you want to understand it better from their perspective (Prov...

Our Unity in Marriage course is getting an update! I am excited to share with you a new at-a-glance chart that will now be the backbone of the course. This unique tool is going to assist you significantly. Whether you are a counselor or a couple, this chart will help you in digesting and applying the vital biblical concepts and assignments that the Lord has used to transform lives and relationships at the center for years. There are even hyperlinks on the chart to dozens of marriage counseling assignments. The chart starts with nine challenging affirmations that embody nine learner goals covered in the course and marriage counseling. These challenge statements emerge after many years of personal experience in biblical marriage counseling, training and the study of Gods a Word. I think of them as nine biblical heart-attitudes or heart-conditions of a blessed spouse. Are you a blessed spouse? THE HEART CONDITION OF A BLESSED SPOUSE “I desire to learn to deal with my spouse’s...

Are you struggling today to be happy and content? What more do you think you need to change this? “Just a little more good,” says the unhappy one; “just a little more gratitude,” says the happy one. The only thing better than being blessed and loved by God is to enjoy these blessings through thankfulness. Blessings Surround Us Daily All around us each day, God offers relationship with us through demonstration of His goodness: the warmth and nourishment of the sun, the satisfaction, and sustenance of a good meal, the restoration of a night's sleep, the offer of help from others in meeting a need.  God blesses us with a boss that developed a company where we can earn money. God blesses us with people who raise animals and farm produce, people who then transport it to local stores, followed by people who then stock store shelves so you can purchase and take it home to eat. Then God directly blesses us through the miracle of digestion and sustains our life. We do not realize ju...

Our vision as a ministry is not only to provide biblical counseling, but provide resources that will equip in biblical change and counseling. We seek to bridge the sufficiency of Christ to people in need through counseling, training and resources. Over the years we have developed hundreds of resources used in helping people overcome depression, anger, anxiety, conflict, etc. These resources have been tools that the Spirit of God has used to minister the Word of God to people in need. Because of our vision, we have decided this year to make available to you at no cost all items in the LCBCC Online Counselor Resource Center. Access 500+ documents on any smart phone, tablet, or computer Designed for locating biblical change resources for personal or counseling help Includes articles, assignments, and outlines on hundreds of topics Access All Resources Though Our Search Bar To access the Counselor Resource Center click here . Create a feee user account. Login. You wil...

by Tim Bryant This is sample instructions and assignment that I send to two people in conflict before I get started intensively counseling them in biblical reconciliation. The assignment included often helps the two people in conflict get properly and quickly oriented for the Lord to do a work of reconciliation in their relationship. Dear I am contacting you in hope of leading you through a biblical process of seeking unity with one another that will lead to: 1) God deepening his work of change in your lives, 2) God glorifying Himself in those changes to one another, and 3) God making your fellowship with one another encouraging and enjoyable and edifying.  Sanctification and transformation into the likeness of Christ is never completed until heaven, and disagreements and conflicts in relationships are opportunities for each of us to see how to deepen that work. I want to make it clear that the success of this entire process is dependent on two things: 1)...

ENTIRE "UNITY IN CONFLICT" COURSE NOW AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE! CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO “BECOME A PERSON OF SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE” But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 Would you like to learn to be a Christ-like peacemaker not a peace-faker? If you are in conflict with another person – your spouse, child, or another family member, a co-worker, a neighbor, a brother in the church – there is a way to approach them without ignoring, attacking or pulling away. “Unity in Conflict” contains biblical conflict resolution tools that have motivated and guided many people, especially married couples, in conflict to experience God-given unity...

Have you ever spoken an unkind word to your spouse? Has your spouse ever acted unkind to you? Have you ever been drawn into saying or doing something wrong in your marriage after your spouse said or did something wrong to you? Have you ever stopped to consider that when wrong actions and reactions in a relationship go unresolved, they are the cause of relational trouble and can lead to destruction? The Bible calls all these wrong actions and reactions sin because they are not only offensive to a spouse, but to God. I wish I could say that such wrongs have never happened in my marriage, but the truth is, I have sinned against both God and my spouse. And, at times, my wife has also sinned against God and me.  It has been my experience, both in my own marriage and in the many I have counseled, that the real problem in marital conflict that must be dealt with is our sin against God.  The first married couple to experience conflict was Adam and Eve (see Genesis 3). Satan temp...