We hear the Sermons, we know the Bible stories, we have confessed our sins to God and asked for his forgiveness through his son Jesus, but do we know how to put our faith into action? It’s simpler than you think!
- SERVE ONE ANOTHER: “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13 Tells us to use our Faith and newfound strength in Jesus to serve one another humbly and without expectation of reciprocation.
- ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 Instructs us to accept one another, the good…the bad…the ugly. Accept and respect people for their differences of opinion, their weaknesses, and their strengths and Love them regardless of those things.
- FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13 Reminds us that we must forgive those whose actions have caused us hurt, and also importantly we must forgive ourselves for things we have done.
- GREET ONE ANOTHER: “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings” Romans 16:16 Asks us to warmly greet all those we encounter, all our Brothers and Sisters in Christ, but especially those who have not yet accepted God’s Grace.
- BEAR ONE ANOTHER’S BURDENS: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 Tells us that we need to help each other, that we need to share in the struggles of each other. When you see someone who is hurting or struggling do you come to their aid or are you busy or scared to become involved in their problems? What would Jesus do?
- BE DEVOTED TO AND HONOR ONE ANOTHER: “Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10 Reminds us to be devoted to each other, to be a friend that people can trust and depend on, to not leave people behind. Put the needs of others above your own needs, and your needs will be fulfilled!
- TEACH ONE ANOTHER: “I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another.” Romans 15:14 Reassures us that we are each Ministers, we are all powerful evangelists. You don’t need a Seminary degree to Minister to others, you just need Faith, Compassion, and Love. Also we are reminded to constantly study the Bible, seek the Lord in prayer, and to study his word together for better understanding.
- DO NOT JUDGE ONE ANOTHER: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3-5 along with John 8:7 “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” In these verses Jesus is admonishing us to not Judge one another for our sins as we are all sinful and weak.
- ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 is talking about encouragement, in fact, it is encouraging us to be that positive light in the lives of others. Encourage others with your words, with your actions, and with your Love.
Now I challenge each of you to put these principles into action in your daily lives. Use them in your conversations with co-workers, strangers, friends, and family. You can even take it further and create a small informal group at your work, your church, or in your home among family and friends to discuss what is going on in each of your lives and study what God teaches us about those events and struggles. Discuss, study, and Pray…it’s that easy, no degree required. One of the most powerful tools in the Christian's toolbox is developing personal relationships with others. In closing, consider these words from 1 Thessalonians 2:8 “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”
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