Embodying Kindness and Goodness Through the Spirit

### Bible Reading
1. **Galatians 5:22-23** - "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
2. **Luke 10:25-37** - The Parable of the Good Samaritan
3. **John 13:34-35** - "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

### Observation Questions
1. What are the nine attributes listed as the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23?
2. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, who were the first two people to pass by the injured man, and what did they do? ([51:06])
3. How did the Samaritan show kindness and goodness to the injured man in Luke 10:33-35? ([57:53])
4. According to John 13:34-35, how will people know that we are disciples of Jesus?

### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think the priest and the Levite chose not to help the injured man in the Parable of the Good Samaritan? ([51:06])
2. How does the story of Keisha Thomas protecting a man wearing a KKK shirt illustrate the concept of "love in the face of hatred"? ([01:15:09])
3. What barriers to showing kindness were discussed in the sermon, and how can recognizing these barriers help us overcome them? ([54:03])
4. How does the concept of "love in action" as described in the sermon relate to the Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23? ([45:58])

### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you were the recipient of an act of kindness. How did it impact you, and how can you pay it forward this week? ([47:08])
2. Identify a specific barrier (self-righteousness, busyness, or fear of messy situations) that often prevents you from showing kindness. What steps can you take to overcome this barrier? ([54:03])
3. Think of someone in your life who is currently going through a tough time. What specific action can you take this week to encourage them? ([59:51])
4. The sermon mentioned the importance of generosity and reciprocity. How can you practice generosity in your community this week, and what impact do you hope it will have? ([01:08:31])
5. How can you show love and kindness to someone who is different from you or holds opposing views? Reflect on the story of Keisha Thomas and consider a practical step you can take. ([01:15:09])
6. The sermon emphasized the importance of asking the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the needs around us. How can you incorporate this practice into your daily routine? ([01:18:36])
7. Choose one aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) to focus on this month. What specific action will you take to cultivate it in your interactions with others? ([42:33])

Day 1: The Power of the Spirit in Bearing Fruit
Connecting deeply with the Spirit of Christ is essential for embodying the Fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This transformation is not achieved through sheer willpower but by surrendering to His Spirit. When we open ourselves to the Spirit, we naturally begin to bear His fruit, which can profoundly impact our lives and relationships. The pull of sin is strong, but living in Christ is stronger. By allowing His Spirit to work within us, we can overcome the challenges and temptations that come our way. [42:33]

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

Reflection: What specific area of your life do you need to surrender to the Spirit today to bear more fruit? How can you invite the Spirit to work in that area?


Day 2: Kindness as Love in Action
Kindness is more than just a feeling; it is love in action that produces goodness. It involves going out of our way to treat people with dignity and respect. The story of the Good Samaritan illustrates this beautifully, showing how true kindness can positively change someone's day or even their life. The Samaritan's compassion and care for a stranger in need exemplify how we should act towards others. When we show kindness, we reflect the love of Christ and make a tangible difference in the world around us. [45:58]

Luke 6:35 (ESV): "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil."

Reflection: Think of a specific person you can show kindness to today. What practical steps can you take to demonstrate love in action towards them?


Day 3: Overcoming Barriers to Kindness
Self-righteousness, busyness, and fear of getting involved in messy situations often prevent us from showing kindness. Recognizing these barriers is the first step to overcoming them. By asking the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the needs around us, we can become more aware of opportunities to show kindness. True kindness involves stepping out of our comfort zones to help others, just as the Good Samaritan did. It requires us to be intentional and willing to engage with those who need our help, even when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable. [54:03]

James 2:15-16 (ESV): "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?"

Reflection: Identify a barrier that often prevents you from showing kindness. How can you overcome this barrier with the help of the Holy Spirit today?


Day 4: Love in the Face of Hatred
The story of Keisha Thomas, who protected a man wearing a KKK shirt from being beaten, exemplifies love in the face of hatred. Her actions show that true kindness transcends all boundaries and reflects the love of Jesus. This kind of love is what will make the world recognize us as followers of Christ. It challenges us to love those who may not deserve it and to act with compassion even when it is difficult. By doing so, we demonstrate the transformative power of Christ's love in our lives and in the lives of others. [01:15:09]

Romans 12:20-21 (ESV): "To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Reflection: Think of someone who has wronged you or holds beliefs contrary to yours. How can you show them love and kindness today, reflecting the love of Jesus?


Day 5: Generosity and Reciprocity
Acts of kindness and generosity build goodwill and create a cycle of reciprocity. When we take care of others, God takes care of us. Our church's collective efforts, such as the greater things offering, demonstrate how generosity can make a significant impact in the lives of others. Stories of unexpected acts of kindness, like a fishing tournament winner donating his prize money, reflect the heart of our message. When we give selflessly, we not only bless others but also experience God's provision and care in our own lives. [01:12:36]

2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV): "The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

Reflection: Consider a way you can be generous today, whether through your time, resources, or encouragement. How can you create a positive impact in someone's life through your generosity?

I was so proud of all of our graduates, high school graduates and college graduates. You guys worked so hard and are earnest and deserve all the blessings that God has for you in the years ahead of you.

And let me just say, awesome job! We're so glad to have Corey, Lauren, and William leading our young adults, our students, and our college young adults. Let's give it up for these guys. Corey and Lauren, fantastic job.

Every Sunday night, we have our LP students at 5:30, and every Sunday night. So if you've got teenagers, you know, it's great. You know, maybe your grandkids are teenagers. Get them here on Sunday night. We've got incredible stuff happening here.

And then Thursday night, right? Thursday night at 7 o'clock is our young adults, and they meet here as well. So if you're a young adult, you're college age or you're post-college, we invite you to come and be a part of that every Thursday night.

And so we're good. What's in our series right now? We're in the middle of a series called Fruition, Fruition and How to Bear the Fruit of the Spirit in Our Lives, and how to bear His fruit.

And so we're going through the list of that famous fruit of the Spirit. Imagine yourself walking through life with love, joy, and peace, right? With your families and friends, right? Imagine yourself walking through life with patience, kindness, goodness, you know, with the people in the workforce, people that you work with.

Imagine your life walking with faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Man, it's an amazing thought to have these fruits in our lives.

And what we find in Galatians chapter 5, what we see here is the key, the key to resisting the lower impulses, right? The flesh. The key to denying those things and living out this beautiful kind of life that Christ has for us.

Here's the key. It's learning not how to try harder. You know, it's learning how to connect with the Spirit of Christ, with the power of Christ in our lives.

And it's a little simple poem I've been using throughout this whole series. And I'm really just hoping that this becomes a part of our thinking. It's really simple.

The pull of sin, right, is strong. But to live in Christ is stronger. So open yourself to His Spirit and you will bear His fruit. Surrender, submit yourself to Him, right, and you'll bear His fruit.

And that's what this series is all about. It's allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us, to change us, and to make us more like Jesus.

And so today we come to two fruits I want to talk about today: two fruits. And that's kindness and goodness. Kindness and goodness.

You know, one of my challenges as an 80% deaf person is when I go to the store or I go to the Secretary of State or anywhere and I've got to talk to people. And it's always... About once a week, I've got to talk to someone that I would like to call the low-talker.

Y'all, have you ever met a low-talker? Right? I mean, they just mumble and they need to breathe in. And it's hard enough for the hearing person to hear the low-talker. It's even worse for the deaf guy to hear the low-talker.

And you can just tell that they just don't want to work in, right? And they just don't want to be there. You can already tell. You know?

So, I got a question. I'll ask the question and I'll answer it with a low-talking voice. And then I have to ask them to repeat themselves. And, I mean, they're just annoyed by the fact that I have to ask them to repeat themselves. Y'all been there? You know?

And they're even more annoyed when I didn't hear it the second time. So, I say, "Hey, I didn't hear you. Can you say that one more time?" And then they were just kind of like out of frustration.

This has happened before where they say, "What is the problem? Are you deaf or something?" And I would look with my big smile. I said, "I'm absolutely deaf. Here's my hearing aid to prove it."

And then the look, you know, they're just mortified. I said, "Oh, I'm so sorry." You know, and then they try to open their mouth. And now they're not the low-talker anymore.

You know, and I'm milking out this deafness. I mean, I'm like, "Hey, you know, I'm going to make you feel really bad by the end of this conversation."

When I think about that, it's a perfect example of what kindness is not. But on the flip side of the coin, I've seen kindness in action. I've seen goodness happening. I've seen it when we least expect it.

Personally, in my life, I've seen, well, a random meal shows up when I least expect it. When someone will put a $100 bill or a $50 bill in my hand, you know, when I didn't expect it. Or an encouraging letter, an encouraging card, you know, from someone that just lifts my spirit.

And those are wonderful examples of kindness. I want to propose a definition, a working definition of kindness and goodness. And it's based on how that term is used in the Bible.

Kindness is, if you're taking notes, is love in action, which produces goodness. Kindness is love in action, which produces goodness. Kindness means going out of your way, you know, to treat people with dignity and with respect.

And when you're the recipient of unkindness, right, it disturbs. It's not fun to be around that. But when you're the recipient of kindness, it can just change in a positive way. It can change the whole trajectory of your day, even your life.

Kindness and goodness, it's a powerful, powerful fruit. And so the question is, how do we become a powerfully kind and good person?

Now, I'd like to answer that question by looking at the story that Jesus told in Luke chapter 10, verse 25. You know this story, but Luke chapter 10, verse 25, I want to read the story here.

And then we'll kind of break out some ideas and some thoughts here on how we can live out kindness and goodness in our lives.

Luke chapter 10, verse 25. One day, an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him the question, "Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?"

Now, Jesus replied, "What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?" The man answered, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength, and all your mind. And then he said, you also got to love your neighbor as yourself."

Right, Jesus told him, "Do this, and you will live." The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, "So who's my neighbor?"

So I'm going to stop here for a minute. This is an expert, an expert in Hebrew law, more likely a lawyer, an attorney, and he's asking Jesus a question, "Hey, how do I inherit eternal life?"

Jesus, hey, you know, He puts him back. He said, "Hey, what do you know? What's written in the Scripture?" He said, "Well, you got to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. And then you got to love your neighbor as yourself."

And Jesus said, "You've answered correctly. Do this, and you will live." Now, if this man was really, really, really honest, if this man really knew himself, he might have said, "Wow. So you're saying, Jesus, that I'm supposed to live that, because I'm not quite hitting the mark. I'm kind of missing the mark on all these things. I don't quite love the Lord your God with all my heart, soul, and mind like I should, and I don't love my neighbors as I should."

But you see in this story, you can almost kind of see a certain smugness. You know, the smugness. The pious, you know, man said, "Man, I've done it all. I've hit an A-plus on every category. You know, I mean, I'm about as good as good can be. I love as well as I can."

And so he wanted to clarify the question, "Oh, Jesus, you know, who exactly is my neighbor?" Because in my mind, my neighbor is the people I live with. It's the people I work with. Possibly, you know, the people in my synagogue.

And so then Jesus responds to his question by telling a story, and the story perfectly illustrates the virtue of kindness and goodness.

And so in verse 30, Jesus replied, "A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. And they stripped him of his clothes, they beat him up, and they left him half dead beside the road.

By chance, a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A temple assistant, in other words, a Levite, he walked over and looked at him. He saw him lying there. And he also passed by on the other side.

And so here are these two men. One's a priest, a pastor, right? And the other one's a Levite. He's a staff member. And these are the two people that most likely should stop. But these two did not see, did not want to stop and take care of this man on the side of the road.

We don't know why. We don't know. Maybe there was a fear, like, "Hey, if I help him, maybe the bandits are close by, and they're going to jump me too. This is a bad area of town, so I'm going to keep walking so I don't become a victim." You know, maybe that's a thought.

Maybe a thought is, "Hey, you know, I'm on my way to the temple, and I've got to be ceremonially clean. I can't be unclean. And if I touch him and get blood on me, then I'm not going to be able to perform my priestly or my tabernacle duties." That could possibly be a reason.

Maybe they were just in a hurry. We don't know why. But they did not stop and help this man.

There's a story told about in the 1970s. There was a seminary, Princeton Seminary, that conducted a study, and it took a group of theology students and told them that they needed to go, you know, from their class. It said, "Hey, we need to go to the other side of the campus, you know, and you've got to hurry. You've got to get over there. And when you get to the other side of the campus, you're going to do a short devotional and then a short message on the Good Samaritan."

And so all the students, they got up, and they started hustling. They said, "You've got to get over there real quick. You've got to hurry and get over there and teach the lesson."

And little did the students know that the teacher had hired an actor that would be along the path and set up this actor to be kind of like this, you know, homeless or a person that was in need.

And so this guy was, you know, everyone's walking past this guy, and this guy who was hired by the teacher is like, "Hey, please help me. I need some help. I need some assistance. I need some guidance, you know. Please give me some money or whatever it was."

But he was crying out, and about 90% of the students ignored the guy so that they could get to the other side of the campus to preach the message on the Good Samaritan.

That's hilarious to me. And sometimes I say, "Oh, man, that's just terrible, these guys." But, you know, we're good. We're so easy to judge sometimes. We're the same way.

Sometimes in our own lives, we can get so caught up, we can get so involved in our own lives that our eyes are not open to the needs around us. I think of several reasons that that happens for us.

And the first reason, if you're taking notes, is self-righteousness. Self-righteousness. We see someone struggling with life. We see someone that's, you know, going through. We see someone that's going through the pain of life.

And we sometimes, like, when we see that, we say, "Man, they brought it on themselves. They made their bed. They get to sleep in their bed. It's their problem, not mine. And so why should I help?"

We have this self-righteous attitude. There was a sociologist. Her name was Brene Brown. She said, "We are those people. Every one of us, we are those people."

She said, "The truth is, all the others, most of us have one paycheck, one divorce, one drug-addicted kid, one mental health diagnosis, one serious illness, one affair away from being those people. The ones we don't trust, the ones we pity, the ones we don't let our children play with, the ones bad things happen to. We are just one crisis away from being those type of people."

And yet we have a tendency to be self-righteous and to look down our nose on others sometimes. I wonder if the priest and the Levite felt like they were just too good for the guy on the road. I think that's what stops us from helping sometimes, self-righteousness.

Another reason is busyness. We're just busy. We don't have time. We're so fixated on our agenda. We have just so little margin in our lives. So we begin to think, "You know, if I stop and spend time with this person or with this situation, then I'll never get everything else done."

So we get protective of our time. A third reason is messiness. We're afraid of getting sucked into something that's going to drain us. You know, and we doubt that we can fix the problem.

What we don't realize is that God doesn't ask us to fix people, right? That's His job. God is asking us to treat them with kindness.

And so we've got all these types of reasons that sometimes we just don't show kindness and goodness in people's lives. And that for whatever reason, the priest and the Levite, they ignore the man.

But notice what happens. And that's in Luke chapter 10, verse 33. Then a despised Samaritan showed up.

Stop here for a minute, because I find this very interesting. Why in the world would Jesus say a despised Samaritan? Because if there was any group of people during this time period who could have, who would have walked past somebody who was bleeding, especially if that person was a Jewish person, if there was anybody, it would have been a Samaritan.

Because Samaritans and Jews, they hate each other. They just did not get along. They were like water and oil. It's like Michigan fans and Ohio State in the same room. They hated each other.

So if anybody could have gotten away with it, it would have been a Samaritan. But Jesus said that this despised Samaritan came along, in verse 33, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him.

You could also say that he felt like he had mercy for them, mercy, kindness, kindness towards him. And so going over to him, the Samaritan man soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them.

He put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn where he took care of him. The next day, he handed the innkeeper two silver coins. He tells him, "Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I'll pay you the next time I'm here."

Now, Jesus looked at the man, that religious leader, verse 36. He asked him, "Now, which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?"

And the man replied, I find it interesting he didn't say Samaritan because Jewish people don't even like to say the word Samaritan. So he says, "The one who showed him mercy, the one who showed him kindness, that's the one."

And then Jesus said, "Yes. Now go and do the same."

And so that's the question. How do you and I go and do the same? How do we show kindness like the Samaritan man? What can we learn from this story?

I got three thoughts here. How to show love in action to your neighbor?

Number one, encourage when someone is hurting. Encourage someone who is hurting. What does it mean to encourage someone? You know, we say all the time, "Hey, I just want to encourage you." What does that mean?

You know, the word encourage, a very simple definition is this: to give courage to someone. To place courage inside of someone. In the case of the man who was attacked in this story, nothing steals a person's courage like facing a tough situation all by yourself.

In fact, they become the opposite of courage. They become discouraged. Discouraged. Discouraged. Discouraged. When you're facing tough times, it's tough. And it's very discouraging.

Who do you know right now that's just going through a tough time? You see, you have an awesome opportunity. If it's someone that you know, you have an awesome opportunity to come alongside of him or alongside of her and to inject some courage.

To inject some courage. The Bible gives us a great picture here in Isaiah 35. Isaiah 35, verse 3. It says, "Listen, the feeble hands." You'll notice it's underlined. "The feeble hands." Study the needs that give way.

If you want to write it on the side of your note, "The weak needs." The weak needs. It says, "Study the needs that give way." Verse 4. "Say to those with fearful hearts." You'll see that underlined again. "Fearful hearts."

Here's what we say: "Be strong. Do not fear. Your God will come. He will come with vengeance. With divine retribution, He will come to save you."

And so this scripture presents three kinds of people who need encouragement. I think the feeble hands. Those are the ones that might be dealing with physical pain or physical limitations.

And encouraging them could be just as simple as coming alongside and giving them a helping hand. You see a need. And you say, "You know what? That person can't get the job done. I want to step in and do what they can't do on their own."

And you can bring encouragement by just offering yourself a heart of love. The weak needs. That's somebody who is emotionally weak. They're just overwhelmed. Life is just killing them at all sides. Life is just crushing them.

And your encouragement might be to just remind them who they are in Christ. I love what we say. What we're saying this morning: "I am who you say I am."

And to remind them who they are in Christ. That they are loved. That they have purpose. That we have meaning. That we are a child of God. Where the evil one wants to whisper into that person's ears and say, "Hey, you're a failure. You're no good. You're a no count."

And so to the weak needs, you can come along with some powerful words of encouragement. Say, "Hey, you got this. And you can keep doing this. You keep going on. Don't be held back by words of lies."

The weak needs. And then you got the fearful heart. This is somebody who's struggling spiritually. And your encouragement to them might just be to come alongside of them and pray with them.

And help them. Answer questions. And to listen. How many of your friends, how many of your co-workers or neighbors are walking around you with feeble hands, weak needs, fearful hearts?

How many of them are going to be struggling and need some encouragement? And every day I believe God places people on your path. Every day.

And who need these words of encouragement. Who need a helping hand. And you have a powerful opportunity. Even one of us. To instill courage through a simple act, word, or a prayer of encouragement.

There is a second thing we can see in the story with the Good Samaritan. We ought to give when someone needs help. To give.

And you see the Good Samaritan, right? He was generous with his time. He was generous with his money. I mean, he got his donkey. And he has his transportation. And he inconvenienced the Samaritan.

He inconvenienced himself for the convenience of someone else. He takes care of the man. He bandaged him with his own olive oil and wine. He gives him what he needs.

He places him on his donkey. He walks him to town. He takes him to a hotel. He pays for it. And then he stays the night with him. Wakes up the next day and he tells the innkeeper, "Hey, here's my credit card."

Right? He can stay as long as he needs. He's got a running tab. When I come back through, I will pay up. I mean, he did this out of the generosity of his own heart.

True, true. He's a Jewish man who is a Samaritan person. And he did it regardless of who he was, what he did, what his life was all about. He did it regardless of the fact.

I love Proverbs 14, verse 21. It's a powerful word for us. It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor. It's a sin. You see that? It's a sin to despise.

We define the word despise, right? The word despise means to belittle. It means to show hatred. It means to ridicule. So think about that.

It is a sin to belittle, to ridicule, to show hatred to one's neighbor. When we belittle others in spite of their situation, we are showing off an attitude that is sinful.

By the way, every time I read this verse, it's a powerful verse against racism. Racism, can I just say that racism, it's never a skin problem. It's a sin problem. All day long.

So the Bible says it's a sin to despise, to belittle one's neighbor. But then look at the rest of this verse. But blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.

Now, we understand we can't help every need. But we should never look down our nose to the down and out. First, it's suggesting that we're blessed when we're kind to the needy.

And kindness, it comes in different forms. It can be giving food, money. It can take the time to point them in the right direction. Give encouraging words.

I love Proverbs 11, verse 25. A generous person will prosper. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. In God's economy, when we give, we always get back more than we gave.

He said that whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. He said when you take care of others, God says, "I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to take care of you."

By helping your neighbors, by helping the people in need around you, you're building up goodwill with them. And in turn, they look out for you. It reciprocates over time.

Because there's going to come a time, young people, there's going to be a time where you're going to be a feeble hand. There's going to be a time where you're going to want people helping you.

You know, there's going to be a time where you're weak in the knees. And you need someone to speak into your life. And there's going to be a time where you're going to be fearful in heart.

And you're going to need someone to come alongside you and encourage you. And the Lord. And so I challenge all of us. Listen. There is a goodwill in kindness.

Because it reciprocates over time. It reciprocates. And that's what God is saying. When you take care of others, I'm going to take care of you.

Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. I think about the generosity of this church. Man, listen. Can I just brag on you for a minute? You guys are awesome in the way that you give.

You guys do so well. When we bring up projects, when we do the greater things offering, you guys just know how to step up.

I got to be honest. This year, you know, I had written before this year a goal of $45,000. That was going to be the highest we'd ever gotten.

And so this year, I had lowered the goal. Because, you know, our offering hasn't been as strong as it used to be. I know inflation is happening and the economy is tough.

And I said, "You know what? Last year, our offer was $40,000. I said, let's just put $40,000. That's our goal. What we did last year, $40,000."

And honestly, I wasn't even sure that we would get $40,000. But you guys stepped up. And this year, you know, two weeks ago, we took the offering.

And the last two weeks, after all the collaboration, we have collected over $46,000. And I asked God to forgive me for my lack of faith. That's awesome.

You guys give to needs. And sometimes the way we give, we never see the long-term impact of it. But God can use that.

Every dollar, every quarter, every penny that was given, it's going to make an impact in someone's life, spiritually speaking.

In fact, yesterday, we had a fishing tournament. And about 40, 50 people at this tournament. We do this every year.

And the person that won yesterday, don't come to church here. They go to a different church. But they won the first place prize for $300.

And I went to the event organizer, Dan. And Danny was running the event. And he said, "Hey, this is awesome. I won. You know, but I don't need the money."

I said, "I want you to take this money and give it back to your church. And you know what the needs are, Danny. So you take it back."

And Danny said, "Okay, I know exactly what this goes for. And this would go towards greater things often."

And I put $46,000 because that's where we were back by Wednesday. But I think since then, we're closer to $47,000, including gifts like this.

The generosity. When you give to those in need. Powerful. You can give in different ways.

Here's the last one. We're done. Love those that are different from you. Love those that are different. Love them.

We're called to love. This is exactly what God has called us to do. One of the most moving stories of love happened in 1996 when a group of Ku Klux Klan members held a rally in downtown Detroit.

And the police knew that there was going to be tension. It was going to be an ugly situation. And they were down there and so the police kind of put up a barrier between the KKK crowd versus those that were against the KKK, which would be, I think all of us here, would absolutely, you know, ugly what KKK stands for.

When they were in the KKK, they were against the KKK. They were there, you know, rooting for their causes and on the other side were all those shouting back, you know, at the KKK.

One of the KKK guys, one of the Ku Klux Klan guys, snuck in on the other side where the non-KK group were in. They kind of snuck in and he wanted to kind of cause some trouble in the crowd.

And he was kind of there and no one noticed him at first. And finally people were like, "Wait a minute," you know, he had the KKK shirt on, you know, put something on, you know.

And so they started saying, everyone said, "Look, it's a KKK guy right here." And so it got ugly, really, really intense. And they started wanting the guy to kill the Nazi, to kill the Nazi.

And they started kicking and beating this man. And then down, there was this 18-year-old African-American girl named Keisha Thomas who saw this situation unfold.

And even though she hated everything that this man stood for, realized that his life was still a life that mattered to God. And she'd jump in.

You see the famous picture. She'd jump in and save this man's life. And she'd turn and say, "Oh, stop." They interviewed this Keisha Thomas.

They interviewed her later. And they asked her why you would protect a man who would most likely want to harm her if he had the opportunity.

And she said that her faith played a big, big role in all of this. And she said, and I quote, "I knew what it was like to be hurt. The many times that it happened to me, I was someone. It would have stood up for me."

This brave young girl walked across the street to protect a human being who would have very likely wanted to wish her harm. But regardless, she showed love in the face of hatred.

That's how you love your neighbor. That's how you show the love of Jesus. That's how you show kindness.

You know, how is the world going to know you're a follower of Jesus? How is the world going to know?

Well, let me tell you what the Bible says. In fact, let me tell you what the Bible doesn't say. It doesn't say that the world will know that we're followers of Jesus by our perfect theology.

It doesn't say that, right? It doesn't say that the world will know that we're followers of Jesus by our church attendance. It doesn't say that the world will know that we're followers of Jesus.

It says if we've been baptized, which is important, right? If we give money. I mean, all these things are good. But that's not what the Word of God says.

Notice what God says in John chapter 13. A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.

Love one another. Your love for one another. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you're a disciple of Jesus.

And that's what the Good Samaritan did. He loved even though the Jewish man probably hated him. He showed kindness anyway.

And my friend, the world is looking for Christians to reveal this juicy fruit. Fresh, juicy fruit of kindness and goodness.

This is a world that shows hatred in so many different ways. But the people of God can make a difference. Because this is how the world will see it.

It's not shown by the perfect Facebook post that we put out there that the Word is just right. That's not how it's shown.

The best way to make a difference is by showing kindness. Love. Love in action. It produces.

And here's my challenge for you this week. Ready? My challenge is to ask God to open your eyes. This is where the Holy Spirit says, "Holy Spirit of God, I need you to help me open my eyes."

Because so often we get so busy, we get so involved in our own world that we just don't see the need. Oh, there's needs every day all around us.

Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes. And then take a step. Take a step. I want to challenge you.

You see on the back of me, you're connecting with God. And that step is, you know, this week, I'm going to make a decision. Let's show an act of kindness to a person I know.

Maybe there's someone you know. Maybe there's someone that God has put it on your mind, put it on your heart right now. Whatever that is.

It might be a word of encouragement. It might be a prayer. It might be a phone call. It might be like, "Hey, I know that person. They're struggling financially. I'm going to help out."

Whatever that is, I'm going to encourage you to step out and to show kindness, love in action, show goodness.

But then here's the second thing here. I want you to open your eyes and ask God to open your eyes to a person in need who might be a stranger.

Might be someone you barely know. And say, "God, show me what that means. What I can do to show kindness in that person's life."

Or Holy Spirit, help us today, right? Help me to produce fruit that reflects what Jesus did for us.

Oh, Jesus is so kind. Jesus is so good to us. Even when we didn't deserve it. He loves us in spite of our failings. In spite of all the things that we've done wrong.

He loves us. He loves you. Our Heavenly Father, we ask you to help us today to live out this fruit.

Oh, Holy Spirit, work in our hearts this week to love like you love. To give like you give. To show kindness and mercy and goodness like you did to us.

Help us to reciprocate that to others. Help us to see. And help us to act. In Jesus' name, amen.

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "Imagine yourself walking through life with love, joy, and peace, right? With your families and friends, right? Imagine yourself, you know, walking through life with patience, kindness. Goodness, you know, with the people in the workforce, people that you work with. Imagine your life walking with faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Man, it's an amazing thought to have these fruits in our lives." [42:33](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)



2. "Kindness is love in action, which produces goodness. Kindness, it means going out of your way, you know, to treat people with dignity and with respect. And when you're the recipient of unkindness, right, it disturbs. It's not fun to be around that. But when you're the recipient of kindness, it can just change in a positive way. It can change the whole trajectory of your day, even your life. Kindness and goodness, it's a powerful, powerful fruit." [47:08](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)



3. "We see someone struggling with life. We see someone that's, you know, going through. We see someone that's going through the pain of life. And we sometimes, like, when we see that, we say, man, they brought it themselves. They made their bed. They get to sleep in their bed. It's their problem, not mine. And so why should I help? We have this self-righteous attitude." [54:39](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)



4. "A generous person will prosper. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. In God's economy, when we give, we always get back more than we gave. He said that whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. He said when you take care of others, God says, I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to take care of you." [01:08:31](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)



5. "Love those that are different from you. Love those that are different. Love them. We're called to love. This is exactly what God has called us to do." [01:12:36](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)



### Quotes for Members

1. "The key to resisting the lower impulses, right? The flesh. The key to denying no things and living out this beautiful kind of life that Christ has for us. Here's the key. It's learning not how to try harder. You know, it's learning how to connect with the spirit of Christ, with the power of Christ in our lives." [42:33](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)



2. "We ought to give when someone needs help. To give. And you see the Good Samaritan, right? He was generous of his time. He was generous of his money. I mean, he got his donkey. And he has his transportation. And he inconvenienced the Samaritan. He inconvenienced himself for the convenience of someone else. He takes care of the man. He banished him with his own olive oil and wine. He gives him what he needs. He places him on his donkey. He walks him to town. He takes him to a hotel. He pays for it. And then he stays the night with him. Wakes up the next day and he tells the innkeeper, Hey, here's my credit card. Right? He can stay as long as he needs. He's got a running tab." [01:04:42](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)



3. "How is the world going to know? Well, let me tell you what the Bible says. In fact, let me tell you what the Bible doesn't say. It doesn't say that the world will know that we're followers of Jesus by our perfect theology. It doesn't say that, right? It doesn't say that the world will know that we're followers of Jesus by our church attendance. It doesn't say that the world will know that we're followers of Jesus. It says if we've been baptized, which is important, right? If we give money. I mean, all these things are good. But that's not what the Word of God says. Notice what God says in John chapter 13. A new command I give you. Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another by this. Everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. Love one another. Your love for one another. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you're a disciple of Jesus." [01:17:21](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)



4. "We discussed the barriers that often prevent us from showing kindness, such as self-righteousness, busyness, and the fear of getting involved in messy situations. We also shared a modern-day example of Keisha Thomas, an 18-year-old African-American girl who protected a man wearing a KKK shirt from being beaten, despite his hateful beliefs. Her actions exemplified love in the face of hatred, showing that true kindness transcends all boundaries." [01:15:09](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)



5. "When you take care of others, I'm going to take care of you. Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. I think about the generosity of this church. Man, listen. Can I just brag on you for a minute? You guys are awesome in the way that you give." [01:09:22](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)



6. "And so going over to him, the Samaritan man, and he soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. He put them on him. He put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn where he took care of him. The next day, he handed the innkeeper two silver coins. He tells him, take care of this man." [57:53](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)