Embodying Love and Kindness in Our Community

Devotional

Day 1: Love as the Cornerstone

Love is the foundation of our faith, and without it, all our spiritual gifts and actions are meaningless. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 13, emphasizes that love must be the driving force behind everything we do. Love is patient, kind, and does not envy or boast. It is not proud, rude, or self-seeking. It keeps no record of wrongs and always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. As a congregation, we must strive to embody these qualities in our interactions with one another. This is crucial for our spiritual growth and the growth of our church.

When we interact with each other, we should always ask ourselves if our actions and words are rooted in love. Are we being patient and kind? Are we avoiding envy and pride? By focusing on love, we can create a nurturing and supportive environment that fosters spiritual growth and unity within our church. Let us commit to making love the cornerstone of our faith and our interactions with one another. [05:18]

1 John 4:7-8 (ESV): "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Reflection: Think of a recent interaction where you may not have shown love. How can you approach that person today with kindness and patience?

Day 2: Welcoming and Considerate

Our actions and words can either draw people closer to God or push them away. It is essential to be mindful of how we treat each other, especially newcomers. Familiarity should not lead to a lack of respect and kindness. We are here not just to receive blessings but to be a blessing to others. When we welcome and consider others, we reflect God's love and create an inviting atmosphere for everyone.

Being welcoming and considerate means going out of our way to make others feel valued and included. It involves listening actively, offering help, and showing genuine interest in others' lives. By doing so, we can create a community where everyone feels loved and accepted. Let us strive to be mindful of our actions and words, ensuring that they reflect the love and kindness of Christ. [09:17]

Romans 12:10 (ESV): "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor."

Reflection: Think of a newcomer or someone you don't know well in your congregation. How can you make them feel welcomed and valued today?

Day 3: Cheerful Giving

Giving should be done cheerfully and willingly, as God loves a cheerful giver. This includes not just financial contributions but also our time, effort, and love. When we give generously, we trust in God's provision and open ourselves up to His abundant blessings. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 9, encourages us to give with a joyful heart, knowing that our generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Cheerful giving is an expression of our faith and trust in God's provision. It is an opportunity to bless others and be blessed in return. By giving generously, we demonstrate our commitment to God's work and our willingness to be used by Him. Let us embrace the joy of giving and experience the blessings that come from a generous heart. [24:07]

2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (ESV): "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."

Reflection: Reflect on your giving habits. How can you give more cheerfully and generously of your time, effort, and resources today?

Day 4: Spiritual Battle

We are in a spiritual battle, and as we strive to grow our church and reach more souls, we must be prepared for challenges. This requires a thick skin and a steadfast commitment to God's work. Supporting each other, praying for one another, and working together are essential. We must recognize that our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of evil.

Being prepared for spiritual battle means putting on the full armor of God and standing firm in our faith. It involves being vigilant, prayerful, and supportive of one another. By doing so, we can overcome the challenges we face and continue to grow in our faith and our mission. Let us commit to standing together in prayer and support as we face the spiritual battles ahead. [15:33]

Ephesians 6:12-13 (ESV): "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."

Reflection: Identify a spiritual challenge you are currently facing. How can you seek support and prayer from your church community to overcome it?

Day 5: Active Participation

Building God's kingdom requires everyone's participation and support. Whether it's through prayer, volunteering, or simply being kind and welcoming, every effort counts. We must be proactive in our faith, seeking ways to contribute and support the church's mission. Active participation is a reflection of our commitment to God's work and our desire to see His kingdom grow.

Active participation means being intentional about finding ways to serve and support the church. It involves using our gifts and talents to bless others and advance God's kingdom. By actively participating, we demonstrate our love for God and our commitment to His mission. Let us seek opportunities to serve and support our church, knowing that every effort counts in building God's kingdom. [36:19]

1 Peter 4:10 (ESV): "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace."

Reflection: Think of one specific way you can actively participate in your church's mission this week. How can you use your gifts and talents to serve others?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Praise the Lord, everyone! I hope you're having a blessed week. Tonight, we delved into the importance of love and kindness within our congregation, focusing on 1 Corinthians 13, often referred to as the "love chapter." Paul emphasizes that without love, all our spiritual gifts and actions are meaningless. We must ensure that as a body of believers, we embody love in our interactions, showing kindness and patience to one another. This is crucial for our spiritual growth and the growth of our church.

We also discussed the need to be welcoming and considerate, especially to newcomers. Our actions and words can either draw people closer to God or push them away. It's essential to be mindful of how we treat each other, as familiarity can sometimes lead to a lack of respect and kindness. We are here not just to receive blessings but to be a blessing to others.

In addition, we touched on the importance of giving, as outlined in 2 Corinthians 9. Paul encourages us to give not just financially but also of our time, effort, and love. Giving should be done cheerfully and willingly, as God loves a cheerful giver. When we give generously, we trust in God's provision and open ourselves up to His abundant blessings.

We are in a spiritual battle, and as we strive to grow our church and reach more souls, we must be prepared for challenges. This requires a thick skin and a steadfast commitment to God's work. We must support each other, pray for one another, and work together to achieve our goals.

Finally, we discussed upcoming events and activities, emphasizing the need for everyone's participation and support. Whether it's through prayer, volunteering, or simply being kind and welcoming, every effort counts in building God's kingdom.

###

Key Takeaways

1. Love as the Foundation: Love is the cornerstone of our faith. Without it, all our spiritual gifts and actions are meaningless. We must strive to embody love in our interactions, showing kindness and patience to one another. This is crucial for our spiritual growth and the growth of our church. [05:18]
2. Welcoming and Considerate: Our actions and words can either draw people closer to God or push them away. It's essential to be mindful of how we treat each other, especially newcomers. Familiarity should not lead to a lack of respect and kindness. We are here not just to receive blessings but to be a blessing to others. [09:17]
3. Cheerful Giving: Giving should be done cheerfully and willingly, as God loves a cheerful giver. This includes not just financial contributions but also our time, effort, and love. When we give generously, we trust in God's provision and open ourselves up to His abundant blessings. [24:07]
4. Spiritual Battle: We are in a spiritual battle, and as we strive to grow our church and reach more souls, we must be prepared for challenges. This requires a thick skin and a steadfast commitment to God's work. Supporting each other, praying for one another, and working together are essential. [15:33]
5. Active Participation: Building God's kingdom requires everyone's participation and support. Whether it's through prayer, volunteering, or simply being kind and welcoming, every effort counts. We must be proactive in our faith, seeking ways to contribute and support the church's mission. [36:19]
### [36:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:02] - Introduction and Prayer
[05:18] - The Importance of Love
[09:17] - Being Welcoming and Considerate
[14:17] - Spiritual Battle and Commitment
[24:07] - Cheerful Giving
[36:19] - Active Participation and Support
[43:00] - Upcoming Events and Activities
[48:14] - Closing Remarks and Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

According to 1 Corinthians 13, what are the characteristics of love that Paul describes? How do these characteristics compare to how we often see love portrayed in society? [05:18]
In 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, what does Paul say about the attitude we should have when giving? How does this attitude affect our relationship with God and others? [24:07]
The sermon mentioned the importance of being welcoming and considerate, especially to newcomers. What are some specific actions or words that can either draw people closer to God or push them away? [09:17]
The pastor shared a personal story about bringing watermelon to church and how people's reactions affected him. What does this story illustrate about kindness and consideration within the church community? [10:27]

Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul emphasize that without love, all spiritual gifts and actions are meaningless? How does this principle apply to our daily interactions within the church? [05:18]
How can being cheerful and willing in our giving, as described in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, transform our church community? What are the potential impacts on both the giver and the receiver? [24:07]
The sermon highlighted the need for a thick skin and steadfast commitment in the face of spiritual battles. How can we develop these qualities while maintaining a loving and kind demeanor? [15:33]
The pastor mentioned that familiarity within the church can sometimes lead to a lack of respect and kindness. How can we balance familiarity with maintaining respect and kindness towards each other? [09:17]

Application Questions

Reflect on your interactions within the church. Are there specific ways you can show more love, kindness, and patience to others? How can you start implementing these changes this week? [05:18]
Think about a time when you were not as welcoming or considerate to a newcomer. What could you have done differently? How can you be more mindful of your actions and words in the future? [09:17]
In what ways can you give more cheerfully and willingly, not just financially but also with your time, effort, and love? Identify one specific area where you can start giving more generously. [24:07]
The pastor mentioned the importance of supporting each other and working together in spiritual battles. How can you better support your fellow church members in their spiritual journeys? [15:33]
Are there any upcoming church events or activities where you can participate more actively? How can your involvement help build God's kingdom and support the church's mission? [36:19]
Consider a person in your church who may feel overlooked or unappreciated. What is one specific action you can take this week to show them kindness and make them feel valued? [09:17]
Reflect on the pastor's story about bringing watermelon to church. How can you be more appreciative of others' efforts and contributions, even if they are different from your preferences? [10:27]

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "As we come to church, we'll come to church to get a blessing but we're also come to church to be a blessing and so the more we begin to really give ourselves unto God the more that God can do work in our heart and mind." [06:44] (11 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "We are in a battlefield, and we are working hard for the kingdom of God, and I thank God for all that God has, it's exciting. When I see souls getting saved, when I see people getting filled with the Holy Ghost, when I see people changing that used to be liars, now telling the truth, those that were strung out on drugs, now being able to walk straight without drug addiction, and it's exciting." [15:33] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Every man according as he is purposed in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. So as we're talking about this in the temple, according to some of the commentators, there's various chests, chests of necessity, which according to the law, they had to give." [26:39] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "God's not going to just meet your need. God's going to bless you until your cup is overflowing. As you have a heart for God and start giving yourself to God, there's nothing that God wouldn't. Is anything too hard for the Lord? No, nothing's too hard for God." [31:33] (14 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Sometimes God just blesses so much, rather than we just give ourselves to God, and we're just so thankful for all that God is doing. So I try to teach people. Sometimes you don't always know why you're giving yourself as much. You don't know why you're enduring as much. You don't know why you're bearing as much. There's something inside of you that says, keep on going. But when you get to that next level, man, that's such a blessing that you say, I'm glad I didn't give up." [42:13] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "One of the things I want to begin to really look at to help us to grow our work and that is to make sure as a congregation as people body the body of Christ uh the body of believers that we have love in our hearts that we are doing what God wants us to do and being what God wants us to be." [05:18] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "We are working very hard on blessing people, praying for people, doing all we can for the kingdom of God and as we're doing all we can we make sure that we're building upon our salvation building upon the spirit of God one thing I've noticed as many times is that we have good time with each other we love one another and we thank God for that but in our loving one another we get over familiar with one another but anybody can agree with that we don't appreciate people for how much they really how much we should." [09:17] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "I need you to understand something. As soon as I'm saying, I am declaring war on the devil, I'm going to go out into the devil's kingdom and take as many people as I can, and see that they get saved, do all I can to preach the gospel. Do you know that old dog's going to fight? Satan's not going to give up his people easily, and so when I'm saying this, I'm warning you that we have a work to do, and as we do a work for God, you're going to have to develop a thin, I mean, a hard skin. You're going to have to develop a thick head. You're going to have to stick with me and help me get this done." [15:33] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Paul was sharing with them, some of them were holding on to things, and they should be letting go of it and giving to the very program of God. And the more we begin to give ourselves unto God, then God's able to bless. But Paul was afraid that when they got there to receive the offering, they would be unprepared, haven't prayed about their giving, haven't prayed about what they're going to do for it, and then have to go through all those emotions. He said, we should be praying about things ahead of time." [24:07] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "I believe in doing all I can to build up the kingdom of God. Can I get somebody to help me out with that? That same burden, that same tenacity, come what may, I'm going on for God. I'm going to do what God wants me to do. You're going to have to deal with silliness. You're going to have to deal with, I'm trying to think of a good word for ignorance. I don't know what a good word for ignorance is. You got to deal with that sometimes. We love Jesus. More than anything else, and I've learned over the years, sometimes I have to pray for some folks just a little bit harder than some others, but the most important thing is that we're all growing in Christ Jesus." [20:17] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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