Posts with the tag “kindness”

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." - Ephesians 4:32Healthy communities require safe spaces where people can be honest about their struggles, questions, and failures. As stewards of community, we create these spaces through kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. This means extending grace when others make mistakes, listening without judgmen...  Read More

"The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly." - Proverbs 15:14As we near the end of our month-long journey exploring wisdom, we return to the fundamental truth that wisdom is ultimately a matter of the heart. The discerning heart actively seeks knowledge and understanding, while the foolish person is content to consume whatever appeals to their immediate...  Read More

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:35Jesus identified love as the distinguishing mark of His followers. Not knowledge, not spiritual gifts, not moral perfection, but love. This week we've explored how wisdom shapes our relationships with family, friends, teachers, leaders, and communities. In each case, the application of wisdom ultimately co...  Read More

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” - John 13:34The hallmark of our new life in Christ is not just better behavior or smarter choices; it is a radically different kind of love. In the Upper Room, just hours before His betrayal, Jesus gave His disciples a mandate that would change the world. He didn't just tell them to love; He set the st...  Read More

"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.” - John 13:34–35How did Christ love? His love was not passive or sentimental; it was active, sacrificial, and unconditional. He loved the people who were overlooked by society. He touched the unclean, ate with sinners, and we...  Read More

"Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." - 1 John 4:7 John's connection between love and knowing God reveals a profound truth: love isn't just a nice quality or moral virtue, but evidence of divine life within us. The kind of love John describes isn't natural human affection, but supernatural love that flows from ...  Read More

“Fathers, do not provoke your children, so that they won’t become discouraged.” - Colossians 3:21 Parenting has a way of turning into behavior management without us even realizing it. Stop that. Do this. Fix your attitude. Clean it up. When you’re tired, busy, and just trying to get through the day, control feels efficient. You’re not trying to be harsh. You’re just trying to survive. But deep dow...  Read More

"Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward." - Matthew 6:2 In the days of Jesus, giving at the temple was a public act. Inside the Court of Women stood thirteen offering boxes made of metal, each shaped like a trumpet. The tops wer...  Read More

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” – Matthew 5:44 Some stories stay with you. Chris Leggett’s story is one of them. He was just a guy from a local church who heard God’s call and said yes. He left behind comfort, safety, and familiarity to serve in one of the hardest places on earth. He believed people needed Jesus, so he went. And he lived out his faith in ...  Read More

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” – Matthew 5:43-44 No matter how kind you try to be, someone will still find a way to mistreat you. And when that moment comes, you will have a choice to make about how you respond. Most people fall into one of four categories. Some seek rev...  Read More

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” – Matthew 5:44 In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus consistently raises the bar on what it means to follow Him. He tells His audience not just to walk the extra mile or to refuse retaliation, but to go even further by loving their enemies. Then He takes it to a level most weren’t ready for. He says to pray for those who persecut...  Read More

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" – Matthew 5:44 When Jesus said these words, He was not just correcting a teaching. He was confronting a mindset. Over and over in the Sermon on the Mount, He started with the phrase, “You have heard that it was said,” because He was pushing back on the way Scripture had been twisted by the religious leaders of the day. In t...  Read More

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" – Matthew 5:43-44 Abraham Lincoln was once criticized during the Civil War for being too kind to his enemies. One advisor told him, “Mr. President, you should destroy your enemies.” Lincoln paused and then replied, “Do I not destroy my enem...  Read More

"And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two." – Matthew 5:41 In first-century Israel, the law allowed a Roman soldier to force a Jewish civilian to carry his gear for one mile. It was legal oppression, pure and simple. The Jews resented this rule deeply, and understandably so. Most young Jewish boys even measured out the exact distance from their home so they could drop the soldier’s...  Read More

“But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” – Matthew 5:28 Most of the time, the real battles we face never make it out into the open. They’re not waged in front of people. They happen in our heads, in our hearts, in those quiet moments when no one is watching. That’s exactly what Jesus is getting at when He talks ...  Read More

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” - Matthew 5:22 Jesus had a way of taking the obvious and flipping it. Everyone knew murder was wrong. Nobody argued that. But when He said, “You have heard it said… but I tell you,” He shifted the conversation from what we do with our hands to what we allow in our hearts. He was not just raising the standard....  Read More

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience... And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” - Colossians 3:12, 14Have you ever put on a brand-new outfit and instantly felt different? Like something changed. Not just on the outside, but in how you carried yourself? That’s the kind of ...  Read More

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10 Every vision from God starts with a burden. But not just a general one. A personal one. The kind of burden that settles deep in your heart and refuses to leave. The kind that keeps you up at night and stirs something inside you when you drive past certa...  Read More

"Anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God." – John 3:18 There is a common belief that if you are a good person, everything will work out in the end. Be kind. Stay out of trouble. Do your best. That will be enough to get you into heaven. But the Bible says something very different. Good people do not go to heaven. Saved...  Read More

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28 Suffering never feels good. Pain doesn’t make sense in the moment. And none of us would willingly sign up for the hard seasons that shake our world. But one of the clearest truths in God’s Word is that while He is not the author of evil or suffering, He is t...  Read More

"The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore." - Psalm 121:7-8 When the Bible talks about God as our source of security, it’s not just a temporary promise. It’s a permanent one. God’s protection is both for today and for eternity. That’s what makes His security unending. Let’s break down wha...  Read More

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." – Proverbs 31:26 Have you ever stopped to consider just how much a mother does? An article I read recently tried to break it down. They surveyed over 19,000 moms and listed all the different roles and responsibilities they take on every single day. Housekeeper, Chief Financial Officer, Laundry Manager, Uber Driver, T...  Read More

"For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39 Most love in this world comes with conditions. You experience it in friendships, in family relationships, and even in marriage...  Read More

"For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16 The greatest kind of love is not based on feelings, attraction, or even family ties. The greatest love is agape, the love that God has for you. It is selfless, unwavering, and never dependent on what you do or do not do. It is love that gives ...  Read More

"Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her." - Genesis 29:20 Romantic love is one of the most celebrated types of love in the world. It is the kind of love that fills movies, love songs, and stories. It is the feeling of being drawn to someone, of deep affection, and of wanting to be with them forever. In the Bible, this kind of lo...  Read More

"For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God." - Ruth 1:16 Family is supposed to be a place of deep love and connection. It is meant to be the kind of bond that stands firm through every season of life. In the Bible, there is a word for this kind of love; storge. It is the love that exists within families, the natur...  Read More

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time." - Proverbs 17:17 When you think about love, friendship may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But in the Bible, one of the most important kinds of love is phileo—brotherly love. It is the kind of love that binds true friends together, the kind that strengthens, encourages, and lasts through life’s challenges. One of...  Read More

"There is a friend who stays closer than a brother." - Proverbs 18:24 Love is often portrayed as something that should make you happy all the time. Movies, books, and social media paint a picture of relationships where everything is effortless, exciting, and fulfilling every single day. If love is real, it should always feel good. If you are with the right person, you should never feel lonely, fru...  Read More

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." - Isaiah 7:14   We all know what it’s like to wait, don’t we? Whether it’s sitting in traffic, standing in line, or waiting for family to arrive (and maybe hoping for the moment they finally leave), waiting is something we’re very familiar with. In a way, life itse...  Read More

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” - Matthew 25:40  On his first Sunday at a church of 10,000, a pastor decided to dress as a homeless man. His aim was to see how the congregation would respond to someone who appeared to be in need.  As he walked around the church’s perimeter, only three people out...  Read More

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” - Galatians 5:22-23   When you put on Christ, it’s more than a change in behavior, it’s a transformation of your entire being. This isn’t about adopting new habits or following a set of rules, it’s about experiencing a profound change within that shifts the way you see and i...  Read More

“Just as you want others to do for you, do the same for them.” - Luke 6:31   Did you know that Jesus’ teaching on kindness wasn’t entirely original? Long before Jesus walked the earth, similar principles were spoken by various thinkers and religious leaders. Confucius, for instance, advised, “Do not unto others what you would not wish done to yourself.”  The Buddhists taught, “Putting oneself in t...  Read More

“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another.” - Colossians 3:12   The word “good” in the Bible is often synonymous with “kindness”—a concept that’s central to the Fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5. This connection reve...  Read More

“God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance.” - Romans 2:4   I’ll never forget my basketball coach, Edgar Fowler. To say he was intense would be an understatement. From the moment he woke up until he went to bed, he yelled and screamed. He cussed like a sailor, and remember, his team was just a group of 8- and 9-year-old boys who only wanted to play basketball. I watched Coach Fowler pic...  Read More

 “God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” - Psalm 51:10   It’s important to understand that being kind won’t make you a Christian but being a Christian will make you kind. Do you see the difference? You can’t be good enough to earn the title of a child of God. Jesus didn’t instruct us to “be” good first; He called us to “believe.” It’s through belief that we becom...  Read More

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” - Ephesians 4:32   You might know Robert E. Lee as a prominent Confederate General from the Civil War, but did you know that after retiring from the military, he became the President of Washington and Lee University? During his tenure from 1865 to 1870, he implemented a remarkable principle that still res...  Read More

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" - Micah 6:8   Faithfulness is the cornerstone of living a truly good life. But how do you actually produce faithfulness in your own life? The answer lies in walking humbly with God. Psalm 37:23 tells us, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LOR...  Read More

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” - Micah 6:8   Have you ever wondered what it truly means to live "the good life" according to God’s standards? It’s a concept that extends far beyond material wealth or personal success. According to God Himself, the essence of a good life starts ...  Read More

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." – Galatians 2:20    How do you put on the clothes of gentleness in your life? It’s not about trying harder or willing yourself to be gentle. Gentleness isn’t something that comes from your own strength, it’s something that flows from God’s power working in you.  When you try to live more gently in your own...  Read More

“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” – Colossians 3:12 In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it’s easy to get caught up in the world’s demands, forgetting the profound wisdom of Colossians 3:12. Within this verse, we find both a problem and a solution—an invitation to embrace kindness as a ...  Read More