Servants of Grace

Biblical Conflict Resolution: Responding with Grace and Truth

By Dave Jenkins | Anchored in the Word

Conflict touches our marriages, families, friendships, churches, and workplaces. In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins explains how Christians can respond with truth, humility, patience, and forgiveness. Drawing from Ephesians 4:31–32 and Matthew 18:15, he shows how God’s mercy in Christ shapes our response when relationships become difficult.

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Biblical Conflict Resolution Begins with the Gospel

Paul calls believers to put away bitterness, anger, slander, and malice, and to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. The foundation for this response is the mercy God has shown us in Jesus Christ. Remembering His grace helps us examine our own hearts and respond faithfully when others sin against us.

Conflict can expose pride, resentment, and a desire for revenge. Rather than focusing only on another person’s wrongdoing, Christians should also consider how Christ calls them to speak, listen, repent, and forgive.

Seeking Restoration with Truth and Humility

In Matthew 18:15, Jesus instructs believers to address a brother’s sin directly and privately. The aim is restoration. Gossip, recruiting allies, and turning private disagreements into public spectacles work against that aim.

Dave also explains why forgiveness, reconciliation, and trust must be distinguished. Forgiveness does not minimize sin or automatically restore a relationship. Reconciliation ordinarily involves repentance and honesty, while rebuilding trust may require time, accountability, pastoral involvement, and appropriate boundaries.

Six Practical Steps for Biblical Conflict Resolution

Examine your own heart. Ask the Lord to expose pride, bitterness, anger, and sinful motives.

Address the matter directly. Speak graciously and truthfully rather than gossiping or assuming motives.

Listen carefully. Seek to understand instead of preparing your next argument.

Repent sincerely. Name your sin, ask for forgiveness, and seek to make things right where appropriate.

Be willing to forgive. Remember the mercy God has shown you in Christ.

Pursue peace with wisdom. Remain faithful without compromising truth or trying to force another person’s repentance.

Scripture Discussed

Ephesians 4:31–32

Matthew 18:15

James 1:19–20

Romans 12:18

Colossians 3:13

A Faithful Step This Week

Consider a conflict in your life. Do you need to have a conversation, listen more carefully, repent, or forgive? Perhaps you have taken the steps Scripture requires and need to entrust the outcome to the Lord. Ask God for humility and wisdom to honor Christ as you pursue truth and peace.

Continue Growing in God’s Word

Anchored in the Word is a weekly segment of the Servants of Grace podcast, helping Christians apply Scripture to everyday life.

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The Wrath of God Revealed

In Romans 1:18, Paul declares that the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. In this message from Romans: The Gospel That Changes Everything, Dave Jenkins explains God’s holy opposition to sin, humanity’s suppression of truth, and the glory of salvation through Jesus Christ.

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The Wrath of God and the Holiness of God

God’s wrath is His holy, righteous, and settled opposition to sin. He does not lose His temper or act unjustly. Because God is holy, He hates sin. Because He is righteous, He judges unrighteousness. Because He is good, He opposes evil.

Understanding God’s wrath helps us understand the seriousness of sin and our need for the gospel. God’s grace saves sinners from the judgment their rebellion deserves.

God’s Judgment Comes from Heaven

Paul teaches that God’s wrath is revealed from heaven. His judgment rests on His unchanging holiness. Cultural approval, public opinion, and personal feelings cannot redefine righteousness or make sin acceptable to God.

Our response must begin with the authority of God’s Word. We need to ask what God has said and submit our beliefs and lives to His truth.

Ungodliness, Unrighteousness, and the Suppression of Truth

Ungodliness describes rebellion against God: refusing to honor Him, rejecting His authority, and withholding the worship He deserves. Unrighteousness describes the sinful conduct that flows from that rebellion.

Romans 1:18 also teaches that sinners suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Humanity’s problem involves more than a lack of information. Sin affects our hearts and minds, leading us to resist the truth God has made known.

This passage calls each of us to examine our own hearts. God’s judgment against all unrighteousness should produce humility and repentance rather than self-righteousness toward others.

Jesus Christ Saves Sinners from God’s Wrath

At the cross, Jesus Christ bore the judgment sinners deserve. The righteous One stood in the place of the unrighteous. He lived without sin, died for sinners, and rose from the dead.

Those who trust in Christ are forgiven, justified, reconciled to God, and saved from His wrath. God’s justice is satisfied through the finished work of His Son. For those who are in Christ Jesus, there is now no condemnation.

In This Message

Why God’s wrath flows from His holy character.

Why God’s judgment is independent of changing human standards.

The relationship between ungodliness and unrighteousness.

How sin suppresses the truth God has revealed.

Why the doctrine of God’s wrath should produce humility and repentance.

How Christ’s finished work saves sinners from God’s righteous judgment.

Scripture References

Primary passage: Romans 1:18.

Supporting passages: Romans 1:16–17; Romans 1:19–20; Romans 8:1.

Responding to God’s Word

Do not minimize sin or trust in your own righteousness. Turn to Christ, rest in His finished work, and let the seriousness of sin deepen your gratitude for God’s grace. The holiness of God and the guilt of sinners help us see how glorious the gospel truly is.

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Christian growth is personal, but God never intended it to be private. Listening to sermons, reading Christian books, and studying Scripture are valuable, but believers also need relationships where they are known, encouraged, and lovingly corrected.

In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins opens Hebrews 10:24–25 to explain why accountability and biblical fellowship matter for Christian growth. Christ brings His people into a family where they worship together, serve one another, bear burdens, and encourage one another toward faithfulness.

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Accountability and Fellowship in the Local Church

Hebrews 10 connects drawing near to God, holding fast to our confession, and considering how to encourage one another toward love and good works. Gathering with God’s people is part of His design for our perseverance.

The New Testament’s “one another” commands call believers to share life under the authority of Scripture. Biblical fellowship involves prayer, encouragement, forgiveness, service, and helping one another follow Christ.

Accountability Rooted in Love

Biblical accountability means loving another Christian enough to help that person follow Jesus faithfully. It involves honest conversation, wise encouragement, and correction grounded in God’s Word.

Each believer remains responsible to obey Christ. Yet wise Christians welcome mature believers who can identify blind spots, pray with them, and encourage repentance and growth.

Practical Steps Toward Meaningful Fellowship

Commit to a faithful local church and allow yourself to be known.

Develop relationships where honest spiritual conversations can happen.

Receive loving correction with humility.

Encourage others and help carry their burdens.

Pursue friendships shaped by Scripture, prayer, and Christian love.

Freedom to Be Honest Because of Christ

Christian accountability does not earn God’s acceptance. Through His sinless life, substitutionary death, and victorious resurrection, Jesus reconciles sinners to God and brings them into His family.

Our righteousness is found in Christ alone. Because our standing before God is secure in Him, we can confess sin, receive correction, ask for help, and walk together toward holiness.

Scriptures Discussed

Hebrews 10:24–25

Hebrews 4:14–16

Proverbs 27:17

Galatians 6:2

James 5:16

For Reflection

Who knows you well enough to recognize when you are beginning to drift spiritually? Whom are you intentionally helping to follow Jesus more faithfully?

Subscribe to Anchored in the Word through the Servants of Grace podcast and YouTube channel. Share this episode with a friend or someone in your local church. For additional teaching on biblical manhood, explore Warriors of Grace.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith, Romans 1:17

By Dave Jenkins

Series: Romans: The Gospel That Changes Everything

Our standing before God rests on the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. In this sermon on Romans 1:17, Dave Jenkins explains how the gospel reveals the righteousness of God, why sinners are justified by faith alone, and how believers continue living by faith in Christ.

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Romans 1:17: The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

In Romans 1:16, Paul declares that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. Verse 17 explains why: in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed. God provides through Jesus Christ the righteousness that sinners cannot produce for themselves.

Paul’s quotation of Habakkuk shows that justification by faith is rooted in God’s revelation. The gospel fulfills His saving promises, and those whom He declares righteous through faith in Christ continue to trust Him throughout the Christian life.

What You Will Learn

How the gospel reveals God’s righteousness and His righteous way of saving sinners.

Why our acceptance before God rests on Christ’s righteousness.

Why faith receives Christ without contributing merit of its own.

How Paul’s quotation of Habakkuk connects the gospel to the Old Testament.

What it means to live by faith through suffering, temptation, and weakness.

Justification and Assurance in Christ

Justification is God’s declaration that a sinner is righteous in His sight because of Jesus Christ. Christ’s righteousness is counted to those who trust in Him. Our assurance therefore rests on the perfection of our Savior rather than the changing strength of our performance or emotions.

Holiness matters deeply, but it is the fruit of salvation rather than the foundation of justification. Faith looks away from self and rests in Christ and His finished work.

Learning to Live by Faith Each Day

The Christian life begins by faith and continues by faith. Believers trust Christ in sanctification, suffering, temptation, ministry, and death. Living by faith means resting in God’s character, believing His promises, and walking according to His Word.

When your conscience reminds you of your failures, look to Christ. When pride tempts you to boast or weakness tempts you to despair, look to Christ. The righteousness you need is found in the Savior God has provided.

For Reflection

Where are you tempted to base your acceptance before God on your performance?

How does Christ’s perfect righteousness strengthen your assurance?

What present trial calls you to trust God’s promises and obey His Word?

Continue studying Romans with Dave Jenkins through Romans: The Gospel That Changes Everything. Explore the series at Servants of Grace or watch on YouTube. Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement to rest in Christ.

Pursuing Peace and Unity Without Compromising Truth

By Dave Jenkins

Christians are called to pursue peace, love one another, and stand firmly on the truth of God’s Word. Ephesians 4 shows how those responsibilities belong together. Our unity is grounded in Christ and the gospel, and we are called to maintain it with humility, patience, and love.

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Biblical Unity Is Grounded in Truth

In Ephesians 4:1–6, Paul urges believers to walk in a manner worthy of their calling. He calls them to humility, gentleness, patience, and love, and to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. That unity has doctrinal content: one Lord, one faith, and one God and Father of all.

In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins considers how Christians can remain faithful to essential gospel truths while extending grace in secondary disagreements and matters of Christian liberty. He explains why compromise disguised as unity and divisiveness disguised as discernment both fail to reflect the character of Christ.

Pursue Peace with Conviction and Love

Christians need wisdom to know when to stand firm, when to extend liberty, and how to speak the truth in love. Our deepest unity comes through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who reconciles sinners to God and makes his people one in himself.

Scripture Discussed

Ephesians 4:1–6, 15

Romans 12:18; 14:19

Jude 3

Anchored in the Word is a weekly segment of the Servants of Grace podcast. Share this episode with someone in your church, and send questions for future episodes through the contact page.

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Not Ashamed of the Gospel, Romans 1:16

The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. In this message from Romans 1:16, Dave Jenkins explains why Christians must never be ashamed of Christ and why our confidence in proclaiming the gospel rests in God’s saving power.

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Confidence in the Gospel

Paul was eager to preach in Rome because he knew the power of the message entrusted to him. Rome possessed wealth, military strength, and cultural influence, but none of those things could forgive sin or reconcile sinners to God.

The gospel announces what God has accomplished through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Its saving power comes from God, giving Christians confidence to proclaim it faithfully.

In This Message

Christians must not be ashamed of the gospel.

The gospel is the power of God.

Humanity’s deepest need is salvation from sin.

Salvation is received through faith in Christ alone.

Jews and Gentiles are saved through the same gospel.

Salvation Through Faith in Christ Alone

Faith rests in Jesus Christ and His finished work. Our morality, ministry, religious knowledge, and good intentions cannot justify us before God. Christ alone is our righteousness and our hope.

Paul’s words “to everyone who believes” also remind us that the gospel crosses cultural, ethnic, and social boundaries. Every kind of sinner needs the same Savior.

Proclaim Christ Faithfully

Christians face pressure to soften biblical truth or seek the world’s approval. Romans 1:16 calls us to speak with humility, patience, compassion, and conviction, trusting God to work through His Word.

Believe the gospel. Treasure Christ. Teach this truth to your children, share it with your neighbors, and never be ashamed of the Savior.

Scripture: Romans 1:16

Preacher: Dave Jenkins

Series: Romans: The Gospel That Changes Everything

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Cling to What Is Good in a Confused World

Anchored in the Word with Dave Jenkins

Our culture often blurs the distinction between good and evil, but Christians are called to live by the unchanging standard of God’s character and Word.In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins examines Romans 12:9 and explains what it means to abhor evil and cling to what is good. He considers the relationship between genuine love, biblical truth, holiness, and daily discernment while showing how Christ transforms His people to love what God loves.

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God Defines What Is Good

Good and evil are not determined by personal preference, cultural consensus, or changing public opinion. God alone determines what is good because He is perfectly holy, righteous, and wise. His Word reveals what honors Him and provides the trustworthy standard Christians need for faithful living.

Genuine Love Rejects Evil

Romans 12:9 declares, “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Biblical love is neither sentimental nor passive. It refuses to embrace what dishonors God while remaining firmly devoted to everything that reflects His character.

Truth and Love Belong Together

Christians do not have to choose between compassion and conviction. Scripture rejects both loveless truth and truthless love. The gospel produces believers who speak the truth in love, treat others with compassion, and remain committed to God’s revealed standard.

Practicing Biblical Discernment

Christians cling to what is good by filling their minds with Scripture, practicing discernment in their daily choices, and pursuing Christlike love. Spiritual maturity involves more than avoiding obvious evil. It requires the active pursuit of everything that honors the Lord.

Christ Transforms His People

Jesus Christ perfectly loved the Father, obeyed the will of God, hated evil, and delighted in righteousness. Through His sinless life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, Christ redeems sinners and transforms them into His likeness. United to Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, believers can increasingly love what God loves and live for His glory.

Consider This

Are you merely trying to avoid evil, or are you actively pursuing what God calls good? Ask the Lord to help you love what He loves, reject what He rejects, and reflect His character in every area of life.

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Romans 1:13–15: Gospel Ambition and Eager Proclamation

Romans: The Gospel That Changes Everything

In Romans 1:13–15, Paul explains his repeated desire to visit the Christians in Rome. His plans had been delayed, but his heart for gospel ministry had not diminished. Paul longed to see spiritual fruit among them, understood himself to be under obligation to proclaim the gospel to all kinds of people, and was eager to preach Christ.

In this episode, Dave Jenkins shows how this passage calls Christians to make faithful plans while submitting them to God’s providence, seek fruit that only God can produce, and proclaim the gospel with confidence because every kind of sinner needs Jesus Christ.

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In This Episode

Gospel plans must be submitted to the providence of God.

Gospel ministry seeks spiritual fruit that God alone produces.

Gospel obligation flows from grace received.

The gospel is for all kinds of people.

Gospel confidence produces gospel eagerness.

The Gospel Is for All Kinds of People

Paul was under obligation to Greeks and barbarians, the wise and the foolish. The gospel does not belong to one class, ethnicity, education level, or social standing. All have sinned, all need righteousness, and all need the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Christ lived the righteous life sinners have failed to live, died the death sinners deserve, rose in victory over death, and saves all who come to Him in repentance and faith. This is why Paul was eager to preach the gospel, and why Christians should be eager to hear it, believe it, live in light of it, and proclaim it.

Scripture References

Romans 1:13–16; 1 Corinthians 3:6–7; James 4:13–15

Follow the full Romans: The Gospel That Changes Everything series for verse-by-verse teaching through Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Recognizing and Resisting Subtle False Teaching

False teaching is not always obvious. It can use Christian language, quote Scripture, and speak about Jesus while quietly distorting the truth of God’s Word.

In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins considers Acts 17:11 and the example of the Bereans. They eagerly received teaching, but they also searched the Scriptures to see whether what they heard was true. Their example calls every Christian to test sermons, books, podcasts, and spiritual claims by the authority of God’s Word.

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Biblical Discernment Rooted in Scripture

Biblical discernment is neither cynical nor gullible. It is the loving practice of comparing every teaching with the Word of God. Christians are called to love truth, test what they hear, and grow in confidence as their lives are anchored in Scripture.

Dave explains why subtle false teaching is dangerous, why believers need the faithful ministry of the local church, and why the best defense against error is a growing knowledge of the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

Scripture References

Acts 17:11

1 John 4:1

2 Timothy 3:16–17

Titus 1:9

Romans 12:9

Every false gospel ultimately diminishes Christ or adds to His finished work. The biblical gospel points sinners to Christ alone, who lived without sin, died for sinners, rose again, and saves all who trust in Him by grace through faith.

Stay rooted in the Word of God and anchored in Christ.

For more from Anchored in the Word please visit our page at Servants of Grace or at our YouTube.

Thanksgiving, Prayer, and Mutual Encouragement in Christ

Romans 1:8–12

In this episode of the Servants of Grace podcast, Dave Jenkins continues the Romans series by considering Paul’s thanksgiving for the believers in Rome, his continual prayers for them, his desire to strengthen them, and the mutual encouragement found in the body of Christ.

Romans 1:8–12 teaches that gospel-shaped ministry is marked by thanksgiving, prayer, affection, strengthening, and mutual encouragement in the faith. Paul’s example reminds Christians that faith is a work of God’s grace, the church is sustained by prayer, and believers need one another as they grow in Christ.

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Thanksgiving, Prayer, and Gospel Fellowship

Paul thanks God for the faith of the Roman believers because genuine faith is the work of God’s grace. Their faith was known throughout the world, bearing visible witness to Christ in the heart of the Roman Empire.

Paul also demonstrates that faithful gospel ministry depends on prayer. Though he had not yet visited the Roman church, he continually prayed for them and longed to see them strengthened in Christ.

Finally, Paul’s desire for mutual encouragement reveals the beauty of the body of Christ. No Christian is above the need for encouragement, and every believer has a part to play in strengthening others through faith, prayer, hope, endurance, and faithful presence.

As Christians, we should thank God for the evidence of His grace in others, pray for the people of God, seek to strengthen fellow believers, and refuse to isolate ourselves from Christ’s church.