Do You See Evidence of Godly Growth?

PRAY OVER THIS

“To godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2 Peter 1:7-8

 

PONDER THIS

When people see you, they should be reminded of Jesus. They should also see brotherly kindness. This passage is interesting because Simon Peter by nature was not given to brotherly kindness. He was a debater and an arguer. One of the great pieces of evidence of the new birth is that you are kind. A little girl once said, “God, make all the bad people good and all the good people nice.”

You can’t imitate kindness and love, and you can’t manufacture them. These are the fruit of the Spirit. Throughout your walk in faith, you can use these things as a checklist to say, “Am I growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?”

We need a faith that knows intimately. Then we need a faith that grows: Add to your faith, virtue. Add to your faith, knowledge. Add to your faith these things. Don’t be satisfied. Are you a growing Christian? Remember, to cease to be better is to cease to be good. We all need to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior at all stages in our lives.

When is the last time you grew significantly in your faith? How can you measure this?

How has God worked in your life to show familial love and kindness to others?

PRACTICE THIS

Ask another believer to honestly assess how you are growing in your faith.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Are You Kind to Your Family?

PRAY OVER THIS

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” Galatians 5:22

 

PONDER THIS

All around you people are hurting. You may say, “I’m not good at helping people when they’re suffering. I just don’t know what to say.” I can appreciate that. Sometimes though, it’s not what you say; it’s just that little act of kindness that means so much. Joyce and I lost our son Phillip to an unexpected crib death. It was such a difficult time and members of our little church came by to see us, to comfort us. I will never forget one deacon that visited us during that time. He didn’t know what to say but just laid his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it and looked into my face. A tear dropped from his eyes. He just looked at me and then turned his face away and went out. That touch, that squeeze, and that look meant more than a sermon would have. It was just an act of kindness. Oh, how we need to learn to be kind.

There are opportunities all around if we’ll just look. Do you know where we need to be kind the most? In our homes. Why is it that we sometimes are the most unkind to those we love, making the most cutting remarks in our homes? The religion that doesn’t begin at home doesn’t begin. There are many marriages and families that could be saved by a little gentleness.

Who are some people around you that are hurting?

Who have you been unkind to? How do you need to seek reconciliation and make changes?

PRACTICE THIS

Ask forgiveness from someone to whom you have been unkind.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Kindness in Conflict Brings Glory to God

PRAY OVER THIS

“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”

Proverbs 15:4

 

PONDER THIS

Are you a servant of the Lord? Then you can’t be quarrelsome. You’ve got to be kind in times of conflict. We all have times of conflict, but you need to be very careful when you get into an argument with another human being. It doesn’t matter whether that human being is saved or lost. There have been people who have opposed me, and I’ve tried to be kind to them. And I see God at work, not every time, but many times.

When I was a young pastor, I got a difficult letter from a member of the church. In the letter, he told me that he didn’t like my mannerisms or the way I preached. I prayed, “Dear Lord, help me to write back the kindest letter I can write.” I sent my response and then one day he came past the office and said, “You are the best friend I have.” When I’m in a quarrelsome situation with anybody, I must remember that there are people watching all around.

One woman came to her pastor and said, I have become a Christian because of you. And he said, “What was it that I preached that brought you to Jesus?” She said, “It was nothing that you preached. I was watching when a woman criticized you to your face. Your kindness to that woman convicted my heart. I knew what you had was real, and I gave my heart to Jesus Christ.”

When has someone’s kindness impacted your life?

When is kindness most difficult for you?

PRACTICE THIS

Seek to extend extraordinary kindness to someone today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Are You Missing Opportunities to Share Kindness?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:10

 

PONDER THIS

There are some of us who are afraid if we’re too kind, people are going to take advantage of us. Have you ever felt that way? Aren’t you glad that God keeps the score? Aren’t you glad that God knows? It doesn’t matter if somebody takes advantage of us if we’re acting like the Lord Jesus. People took advantage of Jesus. But He was and is kind.

Has the Holy Spirit ever impressed you to do an act of kindness to someone, but you delayed, and you got too busy, and then it was just too late, and you would have been embarrassed to do it? What often happens is we have an opportunity to do good, but we just let it pass by. Do you remember the story of the Good Samaritan who saw a man bruised and bleeding? He was on his journey, he stopped, and he helped the man right away. He didn’t make excuses. He didn’t say “I’m too busy,” “It’s too dangerous,” or “It’s none of my business.” He stopped and did what he could. All around us, people are bruised and bleeding. Some are bleeding financially. Some are bleeding emotionally. Some are bleeding spiritually. And they need you to say, “This is an opportunity to help, and I’m going to take it right now.”

When has someone influenced your life with a simple act of kindness?

What have been some of your excuses for not listening to the Holy Spirit about being kind to someone else?

PRACTICE THIS

Look for any opportunity you have to be kind today. Act without delay.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

It's not what you say...

BIBLE MEDITATION:

But love your enemies and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great. Luke 6:35

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I’ve seen bumper stickers exhorting us to “show random acts of kindness.” That’s a good thing. What is kindness?  It’s love in the little things.

A woman came down the aisle of a church to give her heart to Christ. The pastor wanted to know what had impacted her life for Christ.

She said, “You did.”

“Well, I’d be interested to know what I said that brought you to Christ.”

“It was nothing you said. It was something you did. I was standing nearby when someone criticized you very unfairly. I saw the kindness with which you responded. That’s when I knew your faith was real.”

ACTION POINT:

What random act of kindness can you do today that will demonstrate your faith is real?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Haunted by the ghost of guilt?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Jude 1:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Guilt dogs the footsteps of mankind. It gnaws. It growls. It eats away at the joy God intends for us. Warren Wiersbe has well said, "Before you sin, Satan whispers, 'You can get away with it. You can get away with it.' And after you sin, he shouts, 'You'll never get away with it.'"

That's just the way Satan does. He will encourage you to sin before you sin; after you sin, he accuses you. He's the adversary, the prosecuting attorney pointing his bony finger of accusation at you.

Is there no peace from guilt? Will the ghosts of our guilt always lurk nearby? Not with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit and the healing power of our Lord in you! The Holy Spirit is not the accuser; He’s the Convictor. In love, He convicts, to lead you to confession, drawing you to Jesus Christ, and to forgiveness, freedom and liberty.

When you come to honest brokenness over your sin, the Holy Spirit gives you such comfort that your sin is forgiven. When you need help, when you fail, the Holy Spirit stands close to the broken. We can confidently come to God and ask for cleansing. No psychologist or psychiatrist can take away guilt. Only Christ Jesus can.

ACTION POINT:

Read the story of the adulterous woman in John 8:1-11. Praise God for His loving kindness and generous mercy!

 LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

A Little Love Respect and Kindness

I recently heard these words from a very wise, down on his luck black man "sometimes you just gotta love the Hell out of em".

He was referring to the people who we often think of as a lost cause.

You know, the people we avert our eyes from as they pass by.

This man had a book written about him.

It's called, "Same Kind Of Different As Me" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.

The book is about unconditional love between a wealthy white couple and a black homeless man.

It's also about how God prepares the way for His divine purpose through the hearts of those who trust in Him.

God is very specific in His commands to share your love with the downtrodden.

And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' - Matthew 25:40

 Love is:

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant

5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-10

The background to the above verse and the implications of not being obedient.

31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'

37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' - Matthew 25:31-39

Lack of love for those less fortunate, including those in prison, the homeless, those in the prison of addiction and mental illness.

These are sinful attitudes that will have dire consequences.

41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'

44 Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?'

45 Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'

46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." - Matthew 25:41-46

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. - 1 Peter 4:8

Random Acts of Christian Kindness

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great.” Luke 6:35

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

I’ve seen bumper stickers that exhort us to “show random acts of kindness.”  I think that’s a good thing. And what is kindness?  It’s love in the little things.

A woman came down the aisle of a church to give her heart to Christ, and the preacher wanted to know what had impacted her life for Christ.

She said, “You did.”

The pastor said, “Well, I’d be interested to know what it was that I said that brought you to Christ.”

She said, “It was nothing you said. It was something you did. I was standing nearby when somebody criticized you very unfairly. I saw the kindness with which you responded, and I knew that your faith was real.”

ACTION POINT:

What random act of kindness can you do today that will demonstrate that your faith is real?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers