How do you behave with and toward unbelievers? Do you like them? Do you hate them? Do you tolerate them? Are you concerned about their salvation? Do you act like them when you aren’t in Christian company? Do you snub them if they aren’t holy? There are Christians who stand on street corners, in malls, and in front of abortion clinics to witness to unbelievers. Others just don’t care one way or another. Where do you fit in? Do you share your faith using hugs or headlocks? Honey or a hammer? Or do you even share your faith at all?

1. God wants you to conduct yourselves with wisdom toward unbelievers: Christians are called bigots because they condemn homosexuality, intolerant because they oppose abortion, religious extremists because they condemn sin, and narrow-minded because they believe there is one “one faith, one Lord, and one baptism” (Eph. 4:5).
Yet, in spite of these attacks we are to remain humble, loving, caring, kind, and gentle. If we are not, if we do not show love and forbearance in the face of cruelty, insult, intolerance, and ridicule, then we are not showing the world that we know Jesus.
God wants your conduct to be with wisdom. This conduct is your manner of behavior. This means you are to be sympathetic, compassionate and humble, loving, patient (to be considerate and longsuffering with the unbeliever), know when not to speak. If your conduct is indeed with wisdom, then the name of Christ will not be maligned. The unbeliever will have no basis to mock Christ, His church, or His people, and, he may be brought into the fold of Christ.
2. God wants you to make the most of the opportunity with unbelievers: Do not just sit there and wait for opportunity to fall into your lap, but go after it. I would hope that as Christians you would not become complacent about evangelism. God uses the Gospel to call people out of the world.
3. God wants you to let your speech to always be gracious with unbelievers: We need to be careful with our tongues, careful when we speak in public and private, no gossip; careful we they speak to an equal or someone in power, no slander; careful when we speak to the poor and the rich, no favouritism; careful not only when speaking of the gospel but also when speaking of the weather, the economy, politicians, the authorities. God wants you to be careful, gracious, kind in your speech. Grace is getting what you do not deserve. Give them kindness, love, compassion, and patience. Being gracious means to be kind, gentle, positive, helpful, and insightful.
4. God wants you to know how to answer everyone: Speak the right word and the right time to the right person. Having answers means being wise, knowing what the Bible teaches
5. God wants you to pray for them: They need to be granted the faith that God gives. They need to be granted the repentance that God gives. They need to be granted the belief that God gives. You can make a difference in your prayers                                                                (MATT SLICK)

Anger is something that we all experience at one point or another. It’s a common emotion that’s a part of the human experience. Many of us struggle with our anger and find it to be an emotion that is difficult to control. Instead, we often find the anger controlling us—with sometimes very bad consequences! Yet is all anger bad? Is it wrong to be angry?

Anger: the good:  A look at the Bible shows us that God Himself gets angry. But God has a righteous anger that is always under control and not blind rage. Even Jesus did occasionally express anger. When He encountered those who defiled the temple, He was angry and drove them out. Godly anger comes in response to disregard for God’s law and standards or to legitimate injustice. Godly anger is always spiritually just. It   is short-lasting. The ideal outcome of godly anger is forgiveness and reconciliation—not “bottled up” resentment. But godly anger (righteous indignation) should be very rare in a Christian’s life. Without self-control and a pure motivation to live God’s way of life, however, anger does not have a good side.

Anger: the bad:  Many of us are aware of the bad side of anger. We may see it every day on the road, in the workplace, in our homes and often in ourselves. The bad side of anger can exhibit itself in a sudden fit of rage that often stems from our own selfish motivations and is characterized by a lack of self-control. With this anger we often say things that can never be taken back or do things we will later regret. Without self-control, our anger is like a warhead gone awry. There’s no telling where it will strike or how much irreparable damage it will do. Self-control is not just a positive attribute of character, it is also a fruit of God’s Spirit working in our lives.

Anger: the ugly:  The ugly side of anger is why Paul tells us to never let the sun set on our anger. A sudden and blind rage is bad and can have catastrophic effects. Yet that can pale in comparison to the effects of prolonged and nurtured anger. One example of this kind of anger is that of Absalom, the son of David. Instead of giving in to a sudden anger, he hid his rage and nursed it for two years until his anger resulted in the murder of his brother, and rebellion against his father. This slow and calculated anger—which is encouraged by Satan—is the cause of many of mankind’s problems. Satan is angry and has been for thousands of years.

Which will you choose—anger or joy?
We will have occasional anger in our life, but the choice is ours concerning which type of anger we will have.
Will we choose the good and righteous anger of God, which is not motivated by selfishness and is characterized by self-control?
Will we choose the bad anger that gives in to sudden impulses and destroys relationships?
Or will we choose the ugly, vengeful anger of Satan and Absalom that can lead to a miserable life and eternal death?
Instead of being an angry person, strive to be a positive person characterized by joy and happiness.                              (JOSHUA TRAVERS)

“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession…. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

“Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows Him.”

“Costly grace is the Gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His Son: “Ye were bought at a price”, and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon His Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered Him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

“If any man would come after me, let him deny himself.” The disciple must say to himself the same words Peter said of Christ when he denied him: “I know not this Man.” Self-denial is never just a series of isolated acts of mortification or asceticism. It is not suicide, for there is an element of self-will even in that. To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only Him who goes before and no more the road which is too hard for us. Once more, all that self denial can say is: “He leads the way, keep close to Him.”

The messengers of Jesus will be hated to the end of time. They will be blamed for all the division which rend cities and homes. Jesus and His disciples will be condemned on all sides for undermining family life, and for leading the nation astray; they will be called crazy fanatics and disturbers of the peace. The disciples will be sorely tempted to desert their Lord. But the end is also near, and they must hold on and persevere until it comes. Only he will be blessed who remains loyal to Jesus and His word until the end.”

Reflect on these and ask God to help you grow in grace as you pursue humility.

1.   A prideful person does not admit his faults but is quick to blame others.

2.   A prideful person is not very willing to change and is always right.

3.   A prideful person is not teachable or open to genuine instruction.

4.   A prideful person tries to prove other people wrong, often times for no reason at all.

5.   A prideful person hopes others fail so he will be exalted, hopes others fail to prove himself right.

6.   A prideful person continually compares himself to other people (examples:  abilities, skills, physical appearance, marriage, walk with God, Bible Studies, small groups, campus ministries, and churches).

7.    A prideful person does not submit to authority.  When he does submit, he makes it well known to everyone that he is doing so.

8.    A prideful person looks for someone to blame and always has a plan for how it should be done.

9.   A prideful person desires to be noticed and spoken well of.

10. A prideful person assumes all his theological beliefs are correct and other people are idiots.  They leave no room for the possibility of being wrong.

11. A prideful person doesn’t consider theology important.  They will make statements like, “all we need is Jesus. You care too much about theology.” I find this confusing because I am teaching my children that Jesus is God, and theology is the study of God.

12. A prideful person says my house will never look as messy as hers.

13. A prideful person says my children will never act like theirs.

14. A prideful person overly promotes their achievements (school, sports, and work) or their children’s accolades.

15. A prideful person is driven by possessions, power, and prestige.

16. A prideful person loves talking about all the places they have been.

17. A prideful person has learned how to act and sound humble.

18. A prideful person is quick to point out the sin of others and is normally not the first to reconcile with another.

19. A prideful person does not need accountability.  They are overly independent and don’t need others in their lives.

20.  Prideful churches are consumed with ministry results and every new strategy that will grow it bigger.

Let us heed the words of James.  “But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”          (James 4:6 ESV)          (RYAN)

Whenever God blesses a church, it grows, lives are changed and miracles happen. Churches that God blesses bless people, bless families and bless communities.

1. Pray for God’s power. It’s God’s power that makes the Church different from any other organization or group. We have the Holy Spirit. He has also given the church a huge assignment-to get as many people into Heaven as possible. Like the early Church, we need God’s power to do this.

2. Use everyone’s language. People in your church speak more languages than you realize. If someone in your church is involved in IT or a baseball fan or a doctor or a salesperson, they understand a language others don’t know. If you want to be a church that God blesses, you need to realize that God has placed people in your congregation for a reason. They have a language that God wants them to use to share the Good News in the community.

3. Employ every member’s talents. The early Church used all of its people in ministry. Everyone is involved in the ministry of the church. To be the kind of church that God blesses, your church needs to be the kind of church that won’t let people just sit, but uses the talents of those in the body.

4. Be devoted to God’s Word. We should hear it, read it, meditate on it, and memorize it. But most of all, if you want your church to be one that God blesses, you need to do it-whatever the Bible says. No other message-other than the gospel-has the power to change lives.

5. Love each other deeply.  The early church practiced koinonia (which we call fellowship). It means they were as committed to one another as they were to Jesus Christ. The truth is, loving churches grow. Cold churches don’t.

6. Worship with joy. God blesses a church that celebrates Him. People want to be where there is joy! I think it should be fun to go to church. God wired us to express emotion. But too many people have been taught not to express it in church. When we let go and worship joyfully though, people are drawn to our churches.

7. Be willing to sacrifice. The first church was famous for its generosity. The early church didn’t just share money. Their generosity was much more radical than that. They shared everything! I wonder how many people the 21st century church would reach if we sacrificed like the early church did.

8. Reach our communities for Christ! The first church reached people for Christ from its very first day. In fact, with 3,000 people coming to Christ, the first church was megachurch from day one! In Acts 1:8 Jesus commands us to be His witness throughout the world. Evangelism is not an option. As long as there is one person within driving range of Saddleback Church who doesn’t have a relationship with God, we’re going to keep trying to grow. I hope your church will do the same.              (RICK WARREN)

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WORSHIP?
The emphasis in true worship is not on the worshipper but on the One who is worshipped.

The emphasis in true worship is on giving, not receiving. Those who complain that the singing is uninspiring; the sermons are dry, dull, and dusty; and the service is boring, etc. often do so, I’m convinced, because they have missed the fundamental essence of what worship is all about in the first place. If we are thinking more about me, myself, and I than we are about God, we have gotten the cart before the horse, and things will never be what they ought to be until we change that.

The emphasis in true worship is on giving the best we have, not the left-overs. At the end of a worship service, the questions that each of us should ask are not: “Did I enjoy it?” or “Did I get anything out of it?” but rather “Was God pleased?” and “How did I do?” The person, whose primary concern is “What’s in it for me?”, does not understand what worship is all about.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WORSHIP IN SPIRIT?
I believe that worshipping in spirit refers to worship that emanates from the spirit of man. Because God is Spirit (Jn. 4:24), the true worshipper will worship God with that part of himself that is made in the image of God — his spirit. In other words, worship must spring forth from the inner man, and this inner man, the spirit, includes the intellect (1 Cor. 2:11), the emotions (Mk. 8:12; Acts 17:16) and the will (Mt. 26:41). True worship then is worship from the inside out. Robert Turner was correct when he said: “Often our efforts to “improve” the worship are only efforts to regulate the form, and have little or nothing to do with improving the hearts out of which true worship must come. It is not the “service” that needs changing, it is the people that must be changed — to new creatures, truly converted. These will worship God acceptably”.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WORSHIP IN TRUTH?
Jesus also said that the true worshipper will worship God in truth. There can be no doubt, that this means that acceptable worship will be circumscribed by the precepts of God’s word. Since the very beginning of time God has revealed His will concerning the kind of worship that He will accept from His creation, and He has repeatedly judged those who failed to worship Him according to His word. Therefore, the only way that we can acceptably worship God today is to worship Him according to His word.

That means that we must worship the right object — God, not men (Acts 10:26), not idols (1 Jn. 5:21), not demons (1 Cor. 10:19-22), not angels (Rev. 22:8-9), not Satan. Jesus said: “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Mt. 4:10).

When we come to truly understand what it really means to worship….God….with our spirits….in truth, above everything else God will be pleased, and that is the most important thing, but our lives will also be transformed. May God help us all to be the true worshippers who will worship in spirit and in truth.                                                        (KEVIN KAY)

No matter how deeply others know us, there are depths of our experience that no one can touch. There is a limit to the possible communion with another.  We never completely open up our nature to even our nearest and dearest.

In spite of ourselves, something is kept back.  It is not that we are untrue in this, and hide our inner self, but simply that we are unable to reveal ourselves entirely.  There is a bitterness of the heart that only the heart knows; there is a joy of the heart with which no stranger can meddle; there is a boundary beyond which even a friend who is as our own soul becomes a stranger.

Human friendship has limits because of the real greatness of man. We are too big to be quite comprehended by another. There is always something in us left unexplained and unexplored. We do not even know ourselves, much less can another hope to probe into the recesses of our being…  Man’s limitation is God’s occasion.  Only God can fully satisfy the hungry heart of man.

This is the love we long for, the love we crave. Augustine said it well, “You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find rest in You.”

No one can love us like God can love us. I can’t love anyone like this. I can’t provide this kind of love for others. But God can.

Look at yourself, for you have a reason to praise God today! You are loved, cherished, valued, treasured, even doted over – with all your possibilities and all your weaknesses. This knowledge uplifts and inspires us.

We need to learn and embrace this in order that may not only rest in this love, but in order that we might reflect it to others.

May we come to treasure all those whom God treasures. And, in the words of Rob Bell, “May your whole life become a response to the truth that you’ve always been loved, you are loved, and you always will be loved. And may you know, may you know deep in the depths of your soul, that there’s nothing you could ever do to make Him love you less.”

From before time and into eternity, an ancient and yet ever new love has sung to you:
Longer than there’ve been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there’ve been stars up in the heavens
I’ve been in love with you.

Only God could sing such lyrics and truly mean them. How will you respond to this love?                                                                        (RICHARD J. VINCENT)

THE ENVIOUS EAGLE
Dwight L. Moody once told the fable of an eagle who was envious of another that could fly better than he could. One day the bird saw a sportsman with a bow and arrow and said to him, “I wish you would bring down that eagle up there.”

The man said he would if he had some feathers for his arrow. So the jealous eagle pulled one out of his wing. The arrow was shot, but it didn’t quite reach the rival bird because he was flying too high. The first eagle pulled out another feather, then another–until he had lost so many that he himself couldn’t fly. The archer took advantage of the situation, turned around, and killed the helpless bird. Moody made this application: if you are envious of others, the one you will hurt the most by your actions will be yourself.

THE OLD SAMURAI
Near Tokyo lived a great Samurai, who was now old.

One afternoon, a warrior – known for his complete lack of scruples – arrived there.
The young and impatient warrior had never lost a fight. Hearing of the Samurai’s reputation, he had come to defeat him, and increase his fame.

All the students were against the idea, but the old man accepted the challenge.

All gathered on the town square, and the young man started insulting the old master. He threw a few rocks in his direction, spat in his face, shouted every insult under the sun – he even insulted his ancestors.

For hours, he did everything to provoke him, but the old man remained impassive. At the end of the afternoon, by now feeling exhausted and humiliated, the impetuous warrior left.

Disappointed by the fact that the master had received so many insults and provocations, the students asked: “How could you bear such indignity? Why didn’t you use your sword, even knowing you might lose the fight, instead of displaying your cowardice in front of us all?”

“If someone comes to you with a gift, and you do not accept it, who does the gift belong to?” – asked the old Samurai.