Be Kind: Rewind

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

(Romans 2:4 NKJV)

The Bible says the lovingkindness of the Lord leads to repentance. Through repentance, we are encouraged to think about our ways and turn our feet back to Jesus and God's ways. We are encouraged to think about God's lovingkindness in our lives. His favor, His love, and His grace towards us. It helps us focus more on our blessings and less on our problems!

God’s lovingkindness is not just for you to feel better. God saved you to be better.

God’s lovingkindness should motivate us to serve Him with due diligence. We belong to the kind culture, not the cancel culture. We are to rise and be the army of God in our homes, workplaces, and communities! In a toxic culture, where crime, corruption, greed, and hate are rampant-YOU have the power to create change!

for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. (Jonah 4:2 NKJV)

God is so kind to us. He lavishly pours His lovingkindness upon us, and we can be used as His vessels to pour out His lovingkindness to those around us. This is what God truly desires from us! Be kind because it is the witness that wins over the world!

Check out this powerful message by Dr. Terry Swan, Be Kind: Rewind, and be encouraged to start living out Kingdom Kindness in your own life today!

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE | MESSAGE NOTES

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God Is Our Great Physician

When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

(Matthew 9:12 NKJ)

A few years ago, my husband became ill. It didn't take long after we sought treatment from the physicians to find a tumor growing in his digestive system. Within days of the tumor being identified, he was scheduled for surgery with one of the best gastroenterologists in our region. Having that tumor removed, as soon as it was found, saved his life.

It's easy to decide to have something removed when you realize how dangerous it is to the health and well-being of your body.

The Word of God declares that God is our Great Physician. We often lean on God for the healing of spiritual, emotional, or physical pain, and His Word can guide us to recovery. But I wonder how often you turn to God to be a surgeon in your life.

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees in Matthew 9:12, they considered themselves “healthy” before God because of their observance of the law. They failed to acknowledge their spiritual sickness. Jesus was pointing out to them in this verse that only those who acknowledge their sickness can receive the help they need.

How often do you ask God to cut away the attributes that make you spiritually unhealthy?

I want to encourage you to ask God to show you the “tumors” of your spiritual life. For example, do you struggle with discontentment, pride, disobedience, selfishness, ungratefulness, offense, bitterness, anger, or hate? All of these adverse attributes and many others can make us spiritually unhealthy.

With the same urgency that my husband had his physical tumor removed, we should seek God to show us the areas of our spiritual life where things are growing that shouldn't be. Then allow Him to begin the work to remove them. Surgery can be painful, but it's always for the good of our health.

The Pharisees couldn't see their spiritual sickness- and it hindered their relationship with Jesus. I don't want anything to hinder my relationship with Jesus, and I'm sure you don't either. Thankfully we can prevent this from happening in our lives! We are all sinners in need of Jesus, and we can trust Him as our Great Physician, He is the best surgeon we will ever have.

I See Dead People

In the movie Sixth Sense, Bruce Willis stars as Dr. Malcolm Crowe, a psychiatrist attempting to help a young boy named Cole Sear. A fundamental tension exists throughout the plot’s development as Dr. Crowe doesn’t realize that Cole is also trying to help him. Working their way to mutual revelation, Cole finally breaks the tension eerily with a piercing statement, “ I SEE DEAD PEOPLE.” The plot later reveals that this struggle for Cole is the only reason he can see Dr. Crowe. Dr. Malcolm Crowe is dead. But he doesn’t know it.

One guy sees dead people. The other is dead and doesn’t know it. There is something for us to consider spiritually here from a symbolic perspective.

And He made you alive, who were dead in… sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air... 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind... just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (Ephesians 2:1-5 NKJV)

Do you see dead people?

Or, maybe I should ask if you are dead or alive personally?

I’m not talking about ghosts. Instead, I am referencing the reality that we can be dead due to separation from Jesus Christ and not realize it.

We can become so enthralled with walking after the course of the world that we remain spiritually dead. And, this state of existence is a dangerous place to be! But, thankfully, we all have the opportunity to become alive, despite all of our sins, by confessing Jesus Christ as our Savior!

In this message, I See Dead People, I share why we need to ensure that we are alive. I also share why your answer may change when processing this all-important question: Do you see dead people? Because, here’s the truth, there are dead people all around us, and God created us to bring the light of life into their lives through good works! I want to help you realize that you were made anew through salvation in Jesus Christ to do good works.

We do these good works because of the good things Jesus is doing in us, not because we are good people! Commissioned to spread the Gospel of Jesus to everyone we meet, it’s only through receiving the Gospel that the dead can be made alive, and God wants to empower you as His son or daughter to serve as a laborer for this cause.

Be encouraged through this message that God created YOU to serve a significant role in the Kingdom of God!

Are you willing and ready to be used by God and do something good that leads to someone’s salvation experience? According to Jesus’ own words, “The Harvest is ready, but the laborers are few.” Let’s go to work!

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works… (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV)

Check out this message by Pastor Eric and be encouraged to start using your time, talent, and treasure to populate Heaven and plunder Hell!

WATCH IT | DISCUSSION GUIDE | MESSAGE NOTES

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