Kindness and Goodness - June 7, 2026

Paul writes to Titus on Crete, an island that bragged about Zeus and baked into its culture the vices of its gods. The gods there stayed far off and mostly smote people. That distance trained people to be indifferent. So the claim lands hard: distance promotes indifference. The flip side is the playbook for Christian witness in a mean-spirited culture: closeness produces kindness.

Titus 3 opens by calling believers to remember their responsibility. Paul tells them to submit to rulers and authorities, even hostile ones. Obedience in a hard place becomes a bright contrast. “Be ready for every good work,” no slander, no fighting, show gentleness to all. The call reaches all spheres, even the online ones where distance makes rudeness feel cheap and easy. Proximity changes tone. Face to face changes posture.

Then Paul makes them remember their past. “You too were once foolish, deceived, disobedient, enslaved.” That memory kills smugness. It grows empathy. Jesus did not stand far off and judge. He drew close. While sinners were still sinners, Christ died. So when sin shows up in others, the move is not to push them away and create space, but to move toward them with grace.

Next, the text makes them remember God’s kindness. “The kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared.” The point gets underlined with words like mercy, kindness, and even philanthropia, a fondness for people that gives sacrificially. Salvation does not come by works of righteousness, because there were none to bring. It comes by mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. The image lands like a rusted Jeep winched out of a ditch, rolled into the shop, and rolled out parade-ready. The Spirit makes people new. Heirs of hope live like heirs.

Then Paul pushes into purpose. Good works do not earn salvation; they flow from it. Changed roots bear changed fruit. So avoid the traps that choke that fruit: foolish debates, superiority games, quarrels about secondary things. In the essentials, unity. In the non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity. And if someone insists on stirring division, warn once, warn twice, then be done. Unity matters.

The wrap is simple and sharp. Submit to authorities. Be ready to help. Avoid fighting. Be gentle. Kindness is commanded, given unconditionally, and used by God to transform. Think Zacchaeus. Jesus’ kindness at his table broke the grip of greed better than a thousand arguments. Closeness produced kindness, and kindness produced change.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Closeness produces everyday kindness Closeness disrupts the easy indifference that grows in the gaps. Moving toward people changes tone, softens heat, and creates space for good works to land. Proximity is not strategy fluff; it is how the gospel came to sinners, and how disciples show up in hard places. [02:35]
• 2. Remembering past sin breeds humility Memory keeps the edge off moral superiority. If salvation met a life that was foolish, deceived, and enslaved, the only right posture toward strugglers is gentleness. Humility does not excuse sin; it moves toward sinners the way Christ moved toward enemies. [07:24]
• 3. Salvation is mercy, not merit God’s kindness appeared when no record could earn it. The Spirit’s washing and renewal, not personal effort, made a new heart and a new future. Grace does not just acquit; it recreates, then sends people out as heirs who finally have fuel for good works. [10:58]
• 4. Unity requires resisting divisive debates Secondary fights drain love and stall mission. Wise churches refuse echo chambers, conspiracy tangles, and rallying factions, because charity is not optional and essentials are few. When a person will not stop splitting the family, real love draws a boundary. [21:05]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:20] - Zeus and the Cretan ethos
• [01:58] - Distance promotes indifference
• [02:35] - Closeness produces kindness
• [02:55] - Submit to rulers anyway
• [04:46] - Ready for every good work
• [05:03] - No slander, be gentle
• [06:36] - Remembering a shared past
• [09:02] - Christ drew close in love
• [10:58] - Saved by mercy, not works
• [12:39] - Jeep-in-the-ditch renewal
• [15:55] - Avoid foolish debates
• [17:38] - Essentials, liberty, charity
• [21:05] - Reject divisive people
• [26:20] - Zacchaeus and real change

Bible Reading
Titus 3:1-10 (ESV)
1 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him.

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Observation Questions

1. What specific actions does Paul instruct believers to prioritize in Titus 3:1-2, and what does he tell them to avoid?
2. How does Paul describe the believers’ past before encountering Christ in Titus 3:3? What contrast does he draw with their current identity?
3. In the sermon, the story of Zacchaeus was used to illustrate kindness leading to change. What immediate action did Zacchaeus take after experiencing Jesus’ kindness? [26:20]

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Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Paul emphasize remembering their past (Titus 3:3) as a foundation for how believers should treat others? How might this memory combat pride or indifference?
2. The sermon compared the Holy Spirit’s work to restoring a rusted Jeep. What does this analogy reveal about the nature of salvation and transformation? [12:39]
3. Paul warns against “foolish controversies” and divisive people (Titus 3:9-10). How might debates over secondary issues harm the church’s mission and unity?

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Application Questions

1. In what relationships or situations (online or in person) do you find it easiest to create “distance” instead of engaging with kindness? What practical step could you take to move closer this week?
2. The sermon stressed that remembering our past sin fosters humility. Is there someone in your life whose struggles or choices irritate you? How might reflecting on your own past failures change your posture toward them? [07:24]
3. Paul says good works flow from salvation, not earn it. What is one “good work” you could intentionally do this week to reflect God’s kindness to someone who doesn’t expect it?
4. Have you ever been part of a disagreement in the church over a secondary issue (e.g., worship style, holidays, etc.)? How did it affect unity, and what would you do differently now? [17:38]
5. The sermon warned against divisive behavior. How can you discern if your convictions or conversations are edifying the church or unintentionally causing division? [21:05]
6. Zacchaeus responded to Jesus’ kindness by repaying what he stole. Is there a tangible way you could “make things right” in a relationship or situation as a result of God’s kindness to you?