Immanuel

In Conflict, Remember Who The Enemy Is

When conflict happens, remember this:

The other person is NOT the enemy.

The goal is never to win the argument.

The goal is:
• Reconciliation
• Restoration
• Realignment

With God.
With each other.
With the body of Christ.

A better way means:
Give up your rights.
Stick to the issue.
Remove pride.
Choose eternal perspective.

And sometimes…

The first person you need to pray for is yourself.

Because truth isn’t about proving you’re right.
Truth has a name.

Jesus. ✝️

Stop Building Coalitions

We do this way more than we realize.

Instead of solving conflict…
we recruit people to our side.

“Can I tell you what happened?”
“I probably shouldn’t say this, but…”
“I’m not supposed to repeat this…”

And suddenly conflict becomes:
Division.
Distrust.
Disunity.

We stop addressing the issue…
and start attacking each other.

Not every conversation needs an audience.

Be careful you’re not building coalitions where God is calling for peace.

Conflict Is Inevitable… But There’s A Better Way

A BETTER WAY // Conflict Resolution

Conflict is inevitable.
The question isn’t if conflict will come… it’s how we respond when it does.

Too often we choose:
• Fight ⚔️
• Flight 🏃

But God calls us to something different.

Not division.
Not pride.
Not proving a point.

The goal must always be reconciliation, restoration, and realignment.

Because as believers, there is a better way.

“Love is patient and kind…”

I've been pondering anger. The world in which we reside is very angry and rage filled. Assaults and shootings because someone was cut off on the beltway. Arguments turn into brawls and then full-scale riots over political ideology. It takes only a second for something to escalate from discourse to death. No one is immune to this tragic epidemic. Why are we so angry? Anger, in itself, is not a sin Scripture says to be angry and not to sin (Ephesians 4:26). God has arighteous, holy anger. Jesus became angry and flipped over tables.

The questions we must ask ourselves are, "What makes me angry?" Do I get as angry at injustice, the senseless shedding of lives, or the slaughtering of innocent babies as i do when someone hurts me, or cuts me offin traffic? Is my anger a righteous anger for the things that anger the LORD, oris it a selfish and prideful anger becatise lhave been inconvenienced or wronged? Does my anger cause me to seek the LORD, or long for revenge and to punish? If a person has hurt and angered me, would l quietly become disappointed if they repented and experienced God's grace? On the flip side, do we secretly smile when we hear that someone has experienced misfortune and pain, while under our breath saying they got what they deserved?

I don't have all the answers, but the LORD gave us some greät advice through the Apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Ephesus: It would do us good to read it and even memorize it. Ephesians 4:31-32.

“QUESTIONS”
We all have QUESTIONS. Some are trivial, but others are absolutely foundational to life. In writing, we are taught that each article, essay, or story should answer the 5w’s: who, what, when, why, and where; and the one H: How.

God instructs us adults, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and fellow believers to teach, train and equip the next generation to answer the five most important QUESTIONS in life. They are the QUESTIONS of....
• ORIGIN WHERE did I come from?
• IDENTITY - WHO am I?
• PURPOSE - WHY am I here?
• MORALITY-WHAT am I supposed to do?
• HOW am I supposed to act?
• DESTINY-WHERE am I going?

We can all agree that something is wrong with this world. It is not as it should be. Let me suggest Something radical and, for some, even controversial. Almost every problem, if not every one, can be traced to an incorrect answer or source for these 5 questions. By the way the answers to these questions can be found in the first three chapters of the Bible: Genesis 1-3.

ULTRA Sports Camp 26 is not just for the kids; beginning this year, it is a family- and multigenerational camp.
It is also not just for parents but for any adult who wants to explore the definitive answers to life’s five most important questions.

Be part of the 2026 ULTRA Sports camp. Ask God to show you who you can invite to be part of this vital week in the lives of children, families, and even adults. Who will be your plus one for the summer party that we call ULTRA SPORTS CAMP?

I hope to see you there.

Kindness and niceness aren't the same thing.

The Bible never commands us to be nice—it commands us to be kind.

Being nice often means keeping the peace, avoiding hard conversations, and saying what people want to hear.

Biblical kindness goes deeper.

Kindness tells the truth, even when it's uncomfortable.
Kindness corrects with love.
Kindness serves without expecting anything in return.
Kindness reflects the heart of Christ.

Jesus wasn't always "nice" by the world's standards, but He was always kind.

Let's stop measuring ourselves by whether people like us and start asking whether we're loving others the way Christ loves us.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another..." — Ephesians 4:32

Patience and kindness are twins. You rarely find one without the other.

It's no coincidence that in the list of the Fruit of the Spirit, kindness is #2 and patience is #5. They work together.

Patience gives people room to grow.
Kindness chooses to love them while they do.

Patience without kindness can become cold tolerance.
Kindness without patience can quickly run out.

God shows us both every day.

He's patient with our failures.
He's kind in our weakness.

And as His Spirit works in us, these two fruits should grow side by side.

Who in your life needs a little extra patience and kindness from you today?

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness..." — Galatians 5:22

Love is patient.

Not because people are easy to love.
Not because circumstances are always favorable.
But because God is patient with us.

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love." — Psalm 103:8

Before patience is displayed outwardly, it is built inwardly.

The building blocks of patience are:

🧱 Faith and trust in Christ and His promises
Patience grows when we believe God is working, even when we can't see it.

🧱 Humility
Patience grows when we remember it's not all about us. Our preferences, our timelines, and our expectations are not the center of the story.

"Love is patient..." — 1 Corinthians 13:4

The more we trust God and humble ourselves, the more patience becomes the natural expression of love.

🏀⚽📣 Ultra Sports Camp is almost here! 📣⚽🏀

June 22–26 | 6:00–8:30 PM

Kids will learn skills, make friends, play games, and hear about the greatest Coach of all—Jesus! 🙌

✨ NEW this year: Bucket Golf!
✨ For children who have completed K–5th grade
✨ Parent training on Genesis 1–3 available during camp

Tag a friend and get registered today!

tinyurl.com/IBCULTRA26