This sermon focuses on our relationship with God and others and explores topics like love, conflict resolution, and forgiveness. In it, Pastor Bob Rotola emphasizes the importance of self-reflection, growing in faith, and resolving past wounds. A key theme is letting go of anger toward others and past events by drawing closer to God. Read the summarized highlights of the sermon below, or listen to the full sermon here.
Sermon Highlights
Resolving Conflict With God and Others
Pastor Rotola highlights that people may not only be angry with others but also with their memories of others. He stresses that holding onto past conflicts makes them present issues. Instead of dwelling on past hurts, individuals should resolve conflicts through their relationship with God: “If you're still angry with the people or the events of the past, that is a big deal. And there is a way out, and that is to resolve the conflict with you and the Lord.”
Letting Go Through Spiritual Growth
He shares a counseling method where individuals are encouraged to put aside their grievances for a week, dedicating that time to getting closer to God. This often leads to conflicts losing their intensity: “You just get closer to Jesus… In almost one hundred percent of the cases, it's not an issue the next Tuesday and [you] never even talked about it.”
Practicing Faithfulness and Consistency in Relationships
The sermon underscores the importance of living a steady, faith-filled life. Rather than being spiritually inconsistent, people should anchor themselves in God, allowing Him to direct their steps: “You want God to steady the ship. You want God to be the one that's moving the rudder.”
Understanding Love as the Greatest Virtue
Pastor Rotola teaches from 1 Corinthians 13, emphasizing that love is the greatest virtue, even above faith and hope. Love is defined as patient, kind, not selfish or quick-tempered, and does not keep a record of wrongs: “Love rejoices when they find the truth… Love wishes good on those that harmed you.” He also warns against misinterpreting "love keeps no record of wrongs," explaining that while forgiveness is key, wisdom in setting boundaries is still necessary.
Embracing Personal Growth in Faith
The pastor encourages believers to recognize their own spiritual journey and extend grace to others. He compares spiritual growth to physical growth, acknowledging phases of immaturity and critical attitudes that should be outgrown: “If you're in a critical mode, try to make that phase of your spiritual growth the shortest phase on planet Earth because you don't wanna be a perpetual teenager in the spirit.”
Final Encouragement: Meditate on the Word
The sermon closes with encouragement to meditate on Scripture as a means of personal transformation: “Meditating on the Word. Meditating on the Word. It's all about the Word.”
The message concludes with a call to reflect on one’s own spiritual journey and to extend grace to others as they grow in faith.
Tune Into the Word With Word of Life Church
Word of Life Church is dedicated to making the world a better place by spreading the Word and love of God. Our mission is to create an authentic, welcoming worship community and to empower Christians to live a life of faith and service in the name of Jesus.
To that end, we have two convenient locations serving both North and South Wichita, and we also offer accessible church services to support you in your journey. If you’re unable to attend in-person church services, you can watch our live stream sermons or listen to our podcast sermons from the comfort of your home or preferred location. If English isn’t your primary language, you can take advantage of our weekly international and Spanish-language services.
Our church offerings include a variety of worship experiences, LifeGroups, youth programs, and service initiatives for individuals of all ages, all designed to offer community and opportunities to engage with God and enhance a mindset of gratitude. Contact us today to find out how we can serve you!
