It is very, very difficult to stand up straight against the blast of jealousy. We all have read how the Pharisees made sure Jesus was crucified, but do you know what the primary motive was? Matthew 27:18 says, “For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.” That word there for “envy” is the word that literally means “jealousy.” What drove the nails through the body of Jesus was the hammer of jealousy. Jealousy does kill. It kills marriages, friendships, and families. It is said that jealousy is the ace up Satan’s sleeve. This green-eyed monster is a giant, but God specializes in slaying giants. So let’s take a look at how we can slay this green-eyed monster. ***Dr. Merritt had shoulder surgery just prior to recording this episode. He is completely recovered now.***
Emotions in America are running from sky-high, to barrel low, and feelings affect all of us. If I were to ask you what you were feeling right now, and you were honest, it would be interesting to see if you would say things like “angry, lonely, bitter, depressed, fearful and worried.” That is why we are going to enter into a series that we are calling “No Hard Feelings.” It is amazing how much God’s Word has to say about our feelings and how we can control our feelings rather than have our feelings control us. Learning how to handle our emotions is crucial, not just our emotional health, but our physical health. So that’s exactly what we’re going to learn how to do over the next several weeks of this series.