GDLC Audio

When it comes to the subject of pride, people are all over the map. What that means is that some people are boldly prideful while others are less bold about their pride. You see, there is no person on the planet that doesn’t struggle with pride. Pride is at the heart of original sin. Pride is in fact the cause of original sin and is therefore in the heart of every human being. And so regardless of where you think you are on this issue today, we’re reminded that the Lord calls us to avoid pride and while it’s not said in Romans twelve, embrace the humility that Jesus displayed in His life on earth. We’re reminded today that avoiding pride is God’s will for our lives and is one piece in the beautiful tapestry of the Christian life!

Paul writes in Romans 12:15 “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep”, and of course, all of us would wholeheartedly agree! When someone is celebrating, we celebrate alongside them. When someone is sad and overwhelmed, our hearts go out to them. But while we believe we should, it’s not always easy to do so. We are busy people and so to take time out for someone else can be hard. We have our own issues to consider and so it’s difficult to truly focus on and genuinely care about the joys or struggles that others experience. And yet...we’re reminded today that being there for others, in every circumstance, is God’s will for our lives and is one piece in the beautiful tapestry of the Christian life!

Today we come to a mark of the Christian life that sets us apart from what people believe is “normal behavior”. Most people will tell you “If someone hurts you...hurt them back.” “If someone takes advantage of you...write them off.” “If someone persecutes you...never speak to them again.” But today we’re reminded that Christians don’t act that way. We’re reminded that Christians don’t hurt, write off or ignore those that persecute them, but we actually “bless” them instead. Blessing a persecutor? Yes...we remember today that blessing persecutors is God’s will for our lives and is one piece in the beautiful tapestry of the Christian life!

Today we come to a mark of the Christian life that sets us apart from what people believe is “normal behavior”. Most people will tell you “If someone hurts you...hurt them back.” “If someone takes advantage of you...write them off.” “If someone persecutes you...never speak to them again.” But today we’re reminded that Christians don’t act that way. We’re reminded that Christians don’t hurt, write off or ignore those that persecute them, but we actually “bless” them instead. Blessing a persecutor? Yes...we remember today that blessing persecutors is God’s will for our lives and is one piece in the beautiful tapestry of the Christian life!

In all the things we can do to show our Christian faith, one of the simplest is to show hospitality to people. In fact, truth be told, it’s not just the simplest ways but it’s also one of the most effective! People don’t want to hear what you believe as much as they want to know that you care...even if they need to hear what you believe as well. But it’s not just about what people want, we’ll remember today that showing hospitality is God’s will for our lives and as such, is one piece in the beautiful tapestry of the Christian life