June 8th 2014 – Life in the Kingdom – Judging

Do you want this world to be a better place?  Start with the person in the mirror.  Do you spend more of your energy pointing out other people’s problems or dealing with your own stuff?  In this message we explore Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom way of choosing to spend the majority of our time and effort on dealing with the plank in our own eye…

If you want a study tool to go along with the podcast, see Lift Notes here:

Life in the Kingdom: Judging

June 8^th 2014 by Kasey Crawford

Today’s Passages: Matthew 7:1-6; John 7:24; Eph 4:15

 

Jesus is drawing a contrast: either we can spend most of our ______ and __________ pointing out ___________ in other people; or we can spend our time and energy asking God to _________ and ____________ our junk.

 

Jesus is working from an assumption: it almost always takes ______ to _________ in a relationship; meaning if there are problems, disagreements, discord, etc, it is very rarely ______ ______ person’s fault. It is almost always each other’s brokenness _____________ into each other.

 

The distinctive of the kingdom minded follower of Jesus is that they choose to stop the vicious cycle of ______________ others and instead focus their energy on working on their ________ stuff.

 

If everyone would spend the majority of time and energy working on their own stuff, we wouldn’t be judging each other so much and filling our relationships with that ___________ and instead we would be working on our own stuff so we can become healthier and thus make a ________ contribution to the relationship.

 

A key question to ask yourself when you notice what feels to you like something wrong in someone else: Are you ______________ about the situation and ______________ someone else or are you investing your energy into seeing how ­­­__________ might be able to ____________ something in your life in order to be part of the solution?

 

Yet, there is a place for speaking ___________ into one another’s lives.

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.    John 7:24

 

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.      Ephesians 4:15

 

There is a special place in the context of a __________ relationship between a brother or sister in Christ where you can speak truth about something in their life that is out of _______________ with God’s will and it will actually help them _________ to be more like Jesus.

 

Even when there is truth to be shared about another person’s issues, it is only helpful if it comes in ________ ________, like a surgeon’s blade, it can either be used gently to _________, or carelessly to _______.

 

Lastly, even if you do have an insight into someone’s life, and you are coming from a motive of love and humility, you need to be careful about whether or not they are ­­­­­___________ to receive it.

 

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.                 Matthew 7:6

 

 

Living as a Disciple in the Kingdom…

What is God saying to you?

 

 

What are you going to do about it?

 

 

 

*answers: time, energy, problems, heal, redeem, two, tango, only, one, feeding, criticizing, own, negativity, positive, complaining, blaming, you, change, truth, trusted, alignment, grow, small doses, heal, wound

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