07/16/2024
Top Eight Tips For Doing Unto Others:
Taking The Golden Rule of Jesus To The Next Level
The following are eight principles that work in almost all circumstances as we follow through on our commitment to treat others as we wish to be treated. I intended to use this in Sunday’s sermon but totally spaced it.
1. Listen long and hard—try to understand what someone is communicating before you begin thinking about your response or sharing your own ideas and experiences
2. Go out of your way to be helpful when others are in obvious need of a helping hand. (Being inconvenienced is the hallmark of faithful disciples of Jesus.)
3. Be twice as patient with others as you’d like them to be patient with you. (You can never go wrong with adding extra patience).
4. Don’t read ulterior motives into the actions of others. Assume the best about others as you’d want them to assume the best about you.
5. Offer a specific act of support and caring when someone is going through a rough patch. Avoid an offer of “If you need anything”. Instead try, ‘What can I do to be helpful? Mow your lawn, cook your dinner, walk your dog, etc.’
6. Be encouraging and positive just as you enjoy being surrounded by encouragement and optimism. Look to ‘catch’ the people around you being good.
7. Admit your mistakes readily and apologize immediately when you’ve hurt someone’s feelings or done something unworthy of your calling in Christ.
8. Offer to pray for someone and follow through with it. Taking prayer for others seriously is a powerful way to care for another. (Whether folks believe in God or not, making the offer will help them believe that you want what is best for them. Prayer is our way of expressing that.)
Archived Posts
Let’s Not Overlook Joseph of Nazareth
I asked my research assistant—a certain ChatGPT—what the most interesting facet of Joseph’s life might be. She shared a couple of things that didn’t make it into Sunday’s sermon but you might still find inspirational...
Key Takeaway from Sunday
If I had to identify a specific take away from
Sunday’s sermon it would probably be this:
The Rest of the Story
I mentioned Russell Conwell in Sunday’s message. He was a famous preacher, educator, and lecturer. His sermon/lecture “Acres of Diamonds” was turned into a book and sold rather well. I used Conwell’s illustrations to talk about sharing the good news of Jesus with those closest to us first—family, friends, coworkers, and church family. The wider world is our ultimate aim, but until you invest in the people God has already put in your life, you are unlikely to have much success.
No One Said It Would be Easy
To love Jesus first is to learn to love all the other people in our lives with greater intensity and less selfishness
What’s Saved Is Often Lost
Here’s the benediction we didn’t have time for yesterday (Sunday, November 3). It’s one of my favorite quotations (portions of a newspaper column). I hope you find it as inspiring as I have
Leftovers Continued…
It’s not just the fact that God is un-impressed by our leftovers, it actually goes deeper than that. In a sense, Jesus is passionately and purposely opposed to anything leftover. To be a follower of Jesus Christ is to work diligently to make sure that in the end nothing at all is left over.
Less Stuff and Fewer Wants
Here’s a point I left off Sunday’s sermon due to time and length. In dealing with an Entitled mindset it is very helpful if you can Reduce Materialism and Consumerism.