Embracing Kingdom Values: Love Without Favoritism

Devotional

Sermon Summary

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "Show them a little love. Ask them a genuine question and listen. All those micro interactions as you're going throughout the day can have such a big impact. Because it's so important. It doesn't have to be like, I'm not going to be a teacher that works with hard kids. I wouldn't make it. It just ain't my calling. I'm going to work with difficult adults. Just kidding. I'm a difficult adult. And so, but everybody can do, can open your home. Everybody can share a meal. Everybody can lean in to the quick interactions in life and show love. Be warm. Be hospitable. Be kind. Be humble. Honor others by simple words." [37:19]( | | )

2. "You can have the greatest faith in the world, enough faith to move mountains. You can speak so good that everybody listens to you. But if you don't have love, you sound like a clanging cymbal. It's like when kids come up here and play these drums. Just stick around after church. You know what I'm talking about. And so it's like, you can have all the words. You could have all the faith. But if you don't love, if you don't love, you sound like a clanging cymbal. And the reason he says that, it's because it's the highest value in kingdom of God." [22:41]( | | )

3. "If you want to be great, you must serve everyone. It's like, no, no, no. I want to be great so I can get all the privileges that come with being great. I want to like get good at something. I want to make some money. I want to have good positions so people can do good things. I want to have good people treat me nice. And I just want to be well-respected and have all the fun things that come with that. He said, no, no, no, no. If you want to be great, the value of the kingdom is start serving those around you." [13:24]( | | )

4. "The kingdom of God has a much different value system than what you learn growing up on this planet. It's a much different value system than the world. The worldly values are you got to look as good as possible. That's a good thing, right? But to value like attractiveness over character. The world values are like, making the most money or having the most power. But here's the deal. Those values have no weight in the kingdom of God. They get you a lot of things in the world, but they carry no weight in the kingdom of God. They carry no privilege in the kingdom of God." [14:53]( | | )

5. "Mercy triumphs over judgment. Mercy is better than judgment. You have received mercy freely, so show mercy to others. You have not been judged by what you've done. You've been forgiven because of Christ. So show grace to others. Show honor to others is what he's saying. And so what is the royal law of the kingdom of God? It's loving your neighbor as yourself." [19:27]( | | )

### Quotes for Members

1. "In the kingdom of God, there are no distinctions. Stop judging people. There's no distinctions, because we're all in the same boat. We are all equally guilty of sin. We've all messed up, and we continue to mess up. We're all equally guilty of sin. We're equally saved by grace. We've all been saved by grace. And we've equally loved, or we are equally loved children of God, if we have faith in Christ. We're all in the same boat. We're on equal ground, and that's why James says, who are you to judge? Who are you to make distinctions of others? Because you're in the literal same boat." [22:41]( | | )

2. "Remember, the life in the kingdom of God has a different value system than that of the world. We are called higher. We're called to live better than this. Let's stop being so superficial. Let's stop competing with one another. And let's strive in unity to try to live out the way God has called us to live. And so at the end of this, in verse 12, the last verse of this section, he gives us vision for what it could look like. To live in the kingdom of God in a way that's not judgmental. He says, so speak and act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." [24:27]( | | )

3. "To live out the royal law of love in the kingdom of God, I think the message of James in this passage is stop favoring, stop making distinctions, stop making judgments, stop being too cool for people. We've got to get rid of that kind of mindset because mercy triumphs over judgment. Give the same mercy that you have received. That's the mindset. And then the positive practice we have to put on is practice loving all your neighbors as yourself." [25:56]( | | )

4. "If you really fulfill the royal law according to scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You are doing well. It's kind of a loving your neighbor as yourself, you're doing well. And by the way, this is the royal law of scripture. So then he goes on, he says, but if you show partiality, you're committing sin and you're convicted by the law of transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law, but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it." [17:52]( | | )

5. "So speak and so act as those who are judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment. Mercy is better than judgment. You have received mercy freely, so show mercy to others. You have not been judged by what you've done. You've been forgiven because of Christ. So show grace to others. Show honor to others is what he's saying." [19:27]( | | )

6. "What are some ways that you're still living by the world's value system of looks, money, power, accomplishments? Those aren't bad things. But how are you making judgments on those values? Operating by those standards rather than the kingdom of God standards. Second question. What situations... Are you tempted to make distinctions and judgments in the world? Because we all have our weak spots. Is it at work? Is it in your neighborhood? Is it in your friend groups? Where is it? Where are you tempted to do this?" [37:55]( | | )

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