Helping Righteously

“1 is the loneliest number”

How we help others experience God’s grace - being the light of the world

Life is good, but God is harsh or Life is harsh but God is good - testimony of the Amish girl

Why doesn’t God end the harshness? 2 Peter 3:9

Don’t be hypocritical

Don’t condemn (but you have to evaluate). God is the Judge (who knows all motives and circumstances).

You will be judged for how you judge others - whether you used the same standard for yourself as for them - by God.

We judge others based on their behavior. We judge ourselves based on our intentions.

“ If you just followed the rules...”

If you don’t know motivation...

. - You needed mercy more than they did, but they need it as well

You should check your own motives and self-righteousness first. Questions...

X-Ray questions by David Powlison

1) What do you love? Is there something you love more than God or your neighbor?

2) What do you want? What do you desire? What do you crave, long for, wish? Whose desires do you obey?

3) What do you seek? What are your personal expectations and goals? What are your intentions? What are you working for?

4) Where do you bank your hopes? What hope are you working toward or building your life around?

5) What do you fear? Fear is the flip side of desire. For example, if I desire your acceptance, then I fear your rejection.

6) What do you feel like doing? This is a synonym for desire. Sometimes we feel like eating a gallon of ice cream, or staying in bed, or refusing to talk, etc.

10) Where do you find refuge, safety, comfort, and escape? When you are fearful, discouraged, and upset, where do you run? Do you run to God for comfort and safety or to something else? (To food, to others, to work, to solitude?)

You should check your own motives and self-righteousness first. Questions...

19) Whose political power would make everything better for you? Don't just think in a national sense. Think about the workplace and the church. Whose agenda would you like to see succeed and why?

33) When do you say, "If only..."? Our "if onlys" actually define our vision of paradise. They picture our biggest fears and greatest disappointments. They can reveal where we tend to envy others. They picture where we wish we could rewrite our life story. They picture where we are dissatisfied and what we crave.

Seek wisdom…not certainty. (life is harsh) How can I be light to to my world?

Don’t be indiscriminate

What is their motivation?

Circle of responsibility vs circle of control vs circle of concern - Differentiate

Life is harsh but God is good...

Seek God’s grace

Our greatest need AND the best way to be light to our world is to believe that God is a good Father and live that belief in the world in practical ways. God is good all the time.

Asking for grace

Helping out - knowing why - to show God’s goodness in the land of the living

Helping out - knowing when - be wise and joyful

Life is good, but God is harsh or Life is harsh, but God is good

The movie Click

Vision

Announcements: Chris Lowe- April 19th

Deb Gray -

How do you view life vs God? Which one is harsh and which is good? Why?

How easy is it for you to examine yourself? How does it help if you are in good relationships that are open to exploring motives without condemning?

When we have been hurt, we find it difficult to judge others like we judge ourselves. Why is having an attitude of mercy so important? What are 3 ways you could work to take the log out of your own eye?

Pursuing God in prayer and asking for him for help is primary in seeking to help others. How can you build a pursuit of God in prayer in your life better this week?

What is one way you would want others to pray for you this week in regards to the sermon?