LIVING IN PEACE
Pastor Corey Mantz
Woodland Church
Sunday, August 10, 2025
(Romans 12:14-18, NLT) “Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”
1. Spiritual peace
(Romans 5:1, NLT) “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”
2. Emotional peace
(Colossians 3:15, NLT) “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”
(Colossians 3:15, AMP) “Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers].”
3. Relational peace
(Romans 12:18, NLT) “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”
(John 14:27, NLT) “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
a. Live in obedience
(Psalm 119:165, CEV) “You give peace of mind to all who love your Law. Nothing can make them fall.”
b. Accept God’s forgiveness
(Psalm 51:1-2, NLT) “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.”
(Psalm 103:12, NLT) “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”
(Psalm 32:2, NLT) “Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!”
c. Be attentive to God’s presence
(Romans 12:2, NLT) “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
- Create space
“Hurry is the great enemy of the Spiritual life.” – Dallas Willard
(Mark 1:35, GNT) “Very early the next morning, long before daylight, Jesus got up and left the house. He went out of town to a lonely place, where he prayed.”
- Read the Bible
(2 Timothy 3:15-17, Message) “There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.”
- Talk to God
(1 Thessalonians 5:17, Message) “pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”
4. Place your trust in God
(Proverbs 3:5-6, Message) “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all.”