02/18/2025
Practical Tips To Avoid Judging Others
When I research a sermon, such as Sunday’s message on judgmentalism, I always try to think through some practical steps or tips in how to implement God’s desire for our lives. I rustled together a herd of ideas this week and I offer them to you. If you have a tendency (and maybe we all do) to look down in judgment on others, pick one or two of the following and put them into practice. See if it doesn’t move you closer to the ideal Jesus holds out for us.
Practical Tip: Before forming an opinion, ask: “Is this based on deep thought or just personal bias?”
Practical Tip: Observe patterns of behavior, not just moments.
Practical Tip: When correcting someone, start with empathy before offering truth.
Practical Tip: If you catch yourself gossiping or complaining, redirect the conversation to something uplifting.
Practical Tip: Each morning, thank God for one specific way He has shown you grace, and let that gratitude shape how you treat others.
Practical Tip: Whenever you feel the urge to "correct" someone unnecessarily, say: "God, I trust You with this person."
Practical Tip: When you feel the urge to criticize someone, pause and say a quick prayer: “God, help me see this person as You see them.”
Try This Daily Prayer: "Lord, help me to see others as You see them. Remove any pride, bitterness, or self-righteousness in my heart. Teach me to love, extend grace, and encourage rather than condemn. Amen."
Archived Posts
Gandhi and the Sugar
I wasn’t preaching Sunday, Reverend Jackie Chandler was. And she talked about the power of influence you get when you practice what you preach. This famous illustration came to mind. It fits Jackie’s points quite well. Enjoy!
Not Just for Parents
Our current sermon series is about How To Talk Parent, but it doesn’t require any of us to be parents to appreciate the bits of wisdom OUR parents shared with us growing up.
If Not Higher
Here’s a story I wanted to use when talking about ‘what you do when no one is looking’ yesterday. It’s a wonderful illustration of what Jesus was saying in Matthew 6:1-6—do what you do because of who you want to be, not so that others will take notice and praise you.
The Perfect Church
There is an old joke about the perfect church. We talked just a little about the perfect pastor, but turnabout is fair play. It goes like this:
The Clothes You Wear
Sunday I talked about Joshua the High Priest having his filthy clothing replaced by a cleaned and beautiful garments. I also used the illustration of a boy becomes a dragon—who ‘wears’ dragon scales—and is stripped of those scales in order to be restored to a boy. In fact, I could have done the whole sermon around all the clothing imagery in scripture.
What just missed the cut for Sunday’s Sermon
Naaman’s servants may actually become one of the hidden gems of the sermon. They say, essentially: “If the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it.”
One of the Longest Benedictions I Ran Out of Time to Share
Maybe you know the story of how Joseph and Mary accidentally left Jesus at the gas station on their way home from Jerusalem. Well, not the gas station bathroom in Jesus’ case. Joe and Mary are far down the road before they realize Jesus isn’t with them...