2026-07-12 - Kind People Are My Kinda People

The sparkly shirt that says, “kind people are my kind of people,” gives a little nudge without barking an order. The shirt draws attention, and kindness does something like that too. It becomes a statement about what kind of people belong to Jesus.

Paul sets kindness inside the bigger work of taking off the old nature and putting on the new. Ephesians 4 does not treat kindness as a nice personality trait for naturally gentle people. Paul ties it to the truth that comes from Christ, the Spirit renewing thoughts and attitudes, and the call to stop looking like darkness and start looking like Jesus. The old life is like an old jacket: familiar, comfortable, full of memories, and still not the thing that fits anymore.

The new nature has to be chosen like a garment. The Spirit does not merely tell a person to stop doing the bad thing; the Spirit gives a new thing to put in its place. Lies get replaced with truth because the body cannot be built up by people stealing reality from one another. Anger gets named honestly because it so often comes wrapped around pride, and it gives the devil a foothold when it is allowed to drive the bus. Stealing gets replaced with hard work and generosity because the old nature takes, while kindness gives.

Words become one of the clearest tests of the new nature. Paul does not leave much room for “I’m just direct” or “people can’t handle the fire.” The text says words should be good, helpful, and encouraging to the person who hears them. If people believe words can help plants grow, then words spoken to actual people should be handled with far more care. Genesis shows God speaking creation into being, so words carry weight.

Paul also places identity right in the middle of the call to kindness. Who a person really is does not come from self-condemnation or self-perception; it comes from what Jesus says. Christ has identified his people as his own, and that seal does not expire like some forgotten belt in a closet. The beloved child is called to tie the belt back on and keep following Jesus.

Ephesians 5 gathers it all together: imitate God because his people are his dear children. Christ loved and offered himself as a sacrifice, and that example makes kindness bigger than friendly thoughts. Kindness becomes love with hands, attention, service, forgiveness, and compassion, in everything, all the time.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Old habits need holy replacements. The old nature can feel soft and familiar, like a jacket full of memories, but familiarity does not make it faithful. Paul’s command is not only to stop sinning, but to put on the new nature created to be like God. A Christian life cannot live on subtraction alone; the Spirit forms new reflexes where old impulses used to run the show. [05:53]
• 2. Anger often protects wounded pride. Anger can feel powerful because it produces adrenaline and the feeling of being right, but Paul names its spiritual danger plainly. The foothold given to the devil often begins when offense becomes identity and pride gets to drive the bus. Kindness interrupts that cycle by asking what would help the other person rather than what would vindicate the self. [11:23]
• 3. Words should help people grow. Paul gives a simple but searching test for speech: was it helpful, and did it encourage the person who heard it? Harshness dressed up as honesty still fails the shape of Christ if it tears down rather than builds up. Since God’s own words create, human words should be treated as powerful instruments, not disposable noise. [16:08]
• 4. Christ’s claim outranks self-condemnation. Identity does not finally rest in what a person thinks about personal failure, shame, or distance from God. Christ has identified his people as his own, and his knowledge of their sin does not surprise him or cancel his mercy. The returning disciple is not asked to earn an expired place, but to tie the belt back on and follow. [18:47]
• 5. Kindness imitates beloved sonship. Paul grounds kindness in being God’s dear children, not in being naturally nice or socially polite. Christ’s love becomes the pattern: costly, embodied, and given for the sake of others. The call to be kind is therefore a call to behave like the Father’s children in every room, every task, and every conversation. [24:33]
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:20] - Kind People Are My Kind of People
• [01:26] - Be Kind to One Another
• [03:12] - Throw Off the Old Nature
• [05:25] - Old Jackets and Familiar Habits
• [06:36] - Put On the New Nature
• [08:22] - Truth Builds the Body
• [09:55] - Anger Gives a Foothold
• [12:34] - Taking Versus Giving
• [13:35] - Words That Help and Encourage
• [18:47] - Who Jesus Says You Are
• [22:00] - Get Rid of Evil Behavior
• [23:20] - Forgiven as Christ Forgives
• [24:33] - Imitate God in Everything
• [28:16] - Following Jesus Means Behaving Like Him

Bible Reading
Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
"You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NIV)
“In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”

Ephesians 4:29-32 (NIV)
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV)
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

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Observation questions

1. According to Ephesians 4:22-24, what two actions does Paul say believers must take to live a renewed life?
2. The sermon mentions that anger often gives the devil a “foothold” (Ephesians 4:27). What example was given about how anger can escalate into something harmful? [11:23]
3. What two questions does the sermon suggest asking to evaluate whether our words align with Ephesians 4:29? [16:08]

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Interpretation questions

1. Why might Paul connect unresolved anger to giving the devil a “foothold” (Ephesians 4:27)? How does pride play a role in this dynamic?
2. Ephesians 4:29 says words should “benefit those who listen.” How does the analogy of talking to plants (mentioned in the sermon) illustrate the power of words? [14:55]
3. The sermon states, “Who you are isn’t who you think of yourself. It’s what Jesus thinks of you.” How does this idea challenge common misconceptions about identity? [19:06]

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Application questions

1. The “old jacket” metaphor in the sermon describes habits that feel familiar but no longer fit a life in Christ. What’s one “old jacket” habit you’ve struggled to take off, and what “new garment” could replace it? [05:53]
2. When have you noticed anger rising in you recently? What practical step could you take to address it before it becomes a foothold for bitterness or pride?
3. Think of a conversation you had today. Did your words pass the test of being “helpful” and “encouraging” (Ephesians 4:29)? If not, how could you rephrase them next time?
4. The sermon says kindness is “love with hands.” What’s one tangible way to show this kind of love to someone who’s hard to love this week? [24:33]
5. How might remembering your identity as a “dearly loved child” of God (Ephesians 5:1) change the way you respond to criticism or failure?