Judge Not
John 8
Driving down the street as the day turns to dusk, you take a shortcut to the market. After a couple of turns, nothing looks familiar. You're lost. As you approach a stop sign, you see several unsavory types standing in a circle, right beside the stop. It looks like a shady deal going down. You approach slowly and try not to stare at the men. They appear to be concentrating on an object in the middle of the circle. Fear flows from every pore in your soul. What do you do?
In John 8:1-11, an angry mob pushes a naked woman to the ground in front of Jesus. The woman, caught in the act of adultery, and the men, ready with stones in hand, expect a verdict from Jesus. Jesus replies, He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first. One by one stones drop to the ground and the men walk away. Only the woman and Jesus remain.
Are we quick to judge and slow to show mercy? Do we judge people based on where they live, church attendance, what they wear, who their friends are, where they spend their money and time? Everything is not always as it seems. Could it be that the men huddled around the stop sign were discussing philosophy or perhaps a difficult to understand passage from the Bible?
"Love One Another" is a basic fundamental of following Christ. Love one another as you love yourself by placing each person's position above your own. Instead of looking down on people, humble yourself and extend mercy. Strive to please God by allowing judgment to rest in His hands.
Used by permission from NewSpring Church
|
Upcoming Events
October 19 - Quarterly Business Meeting at 7:30 PM.
October 30 - Lord's Supper
November 6 - Carry-In Dinner & Birthday Celebration for Ann Brautigam. No PM Service.
|
|
|
|
|
New Series Next Week:
Weird
These days, it's normal to deal with financial debt, high divorce rates, and bad relationships. Maybe it's time to shake things up. Join us as we explore life beyond normal in our series, WEIRD. The messages are entitled: Weird In A 'God' Way, Weird Is Better, Weird Desires, Weird View of Money, Weird Way To Save The World.
Last Week:
Pastor Ben finished up our series on the Biggest Loser. He talked about how to Lose Our Pain. In all actuality, we will never lose our pain in this world, but we can use it, or allow God to use it for our good. Too many times we want to get through the pain and then just forget about, never thinking of it again, but that doesn't do any good for us. Other times, we allow the pain to identify us and we hold on to it, never getting past it. Yet, God wants us to use it to help us grow spiritually.
This message is (or soon will be) available on our website, just under the calendar, or you can visit us on iTunes. You can also listen to previous messages.
Next Week:
We are starting a new series: Weird. We will start with Weird In A 'God" Way and we will begin with Matthew 7.
|
|
|
|
