Self Awareness

Transcript

i'm not much of giving any of my talks x titles i know people always call me when x i'm doing an excitation what's your x excitation on i don't know x i don't know what to say x um and you know i'm kind of old school i x wouldn't have the slightest idea how to x make a slide nor have i ever tried x i remember the era when bible classes x and sundays adult sunday school used to x be round table discussions rather than x lectures so i'd like to kind of keep x this more of a round table discussion i x know we can't keep our mics open x uh zoom wouldn't support full duplex but x at any time you want to break in and say x something if you have a thought please x do so don't wait for me to stop just x jump in anytime x um x [Music] x i probably will also ask people to do uh x some short readings during the course so x if you could keep your uh cameras on so x i can see who's here in person that x would be very helpful x with that aside uh first thing i'm going x to do is x have a reading from the book of the x hebrews x as a source of encouragement uh when we x are instructed to stir up x uh one another uh to love and good works x and not neglecting our meeting together x so let's see brother bob davis you're x the first one i see if you have your x bible handy x oh bob seems to have x oh i guess he went to get his bible hey x brother bob davis x if you could if you would please read x hebrews chapter 10 x uh verses 24 and 25. x i'll be happy to thank you x hebrews 10. x and let us consider x how we may spur one another towards x love and good deeds x not giving up meeting together as some x are in the habit of doing x but encouraging one another x and all x the more as you see the day approaching x thank you brother bob now we we hear x these uh verses read quite frequently on x sunday morning x and i think they're very powerful words x and i think they deserve a great deal of x attention uh because um x we do need x to x provoke one another unto loving good x works this is a very precarious era that x we live in x some people are of the mind that we x could very well be right at the brink of x the return of christ x and there's certainly good reason to uh x think that now i know every generation x has thought that the disciples asked x jesus that very question x will you now at this time restore x uh the kingdom to israel x and they had good reason to ask that i x mean the world at that particular point x was uh x you know gotten to the point where the x followers of christ were in a very x precarious situation literally for their x very lives x so i can certainly understand why that x generation would have felt that way x and throughout the ages for the next two x thousand years i think probably uh x almost every generation of believers has x had that concern x i um i think i've mentioned before i x have the obituary of my great x grandfather written by x the recording brother here in boston i x believe it was brother raleigh at the x time x you know saying how we're scanning the x skies daily just waiting for that moment x of price return because we know it's so x near x that was in the year 1912 x hundred 110 years ago x and the brother and then didn't think x any different in boston than we do right x now x and with good reason i may add these are x not foolish people these are people who x had very good reason to believe the day x is coming x as do we x and sometimes those are not very x pleasant x um signs of the time shall we say x i'm you know it's very discouraging for x example when we see people x who x have a x desire to serve god who enter into the x waters of baptism or have been raised in x the truth x who then decide to walk away and we see x that so often and it's heartbreaking x but it's not just in this generation you x know i was thinking when i was in sunday x school there were about a dozen x people of my age now i was at the very x bottom of the age list in my particular x group x so i was you know people who were a year x younger than me such as brother dana x adams they were in the next group x uh down in age but everybody in my group x was a little bit older a little more x mature x um you know certainly more sensitive to x things like the uh the draft and the war x in vietnam and things of that nature x and out of those 12 to 13 uh x uh young men and young ladies i believe x i'm the only one x who is still an active number and an x ecclesia x and that's a sad thought and it's x nobody's fault it's not that uh their x parents did them a disservice it's not x that the ecclesia failed them or their x sunday school teachers x i mean brother bill cadell jr was a x marvelous sunday school teacher x i don't think there's one person in x boston that could think of one negative x thing to say x about our brother bill cadell jr x i don't remember bill cadell senior that x well but he was a good man too from what x i remember but it wasn't their fault x you know we have we are adults when we x enter into the waters of baptism we put x on the name of christ it's an adult x decision x and i think it's important that we need x to provoke one another until love x and good works because quite frankly i x think it's the only way we have that x we're going to keep our heads x above the ground and to be able to put x up with all that we have to go through x in our mortal daily lives x we cannot forsake the assembling of x ourselves together x now we're very good at meeting together x on sunday mornings even through this x pandemic x and god bless your brother phil for x having the technology that you're able x to share that we were able to meet x together even when there were only a x couple of people at the building in x stoughton x we were able to get together and we were x able to meet online x hundreds of people x were able to get together and meet x online x and we were very very fortunate here in x boston x that we were able to do so and x i think we all really have to uh be x appreciative that we've had this x uh x wonderful opportunity it serves as an x example i think x because indeed we see the day x approaching x so that kind of leads me into the first x topic of the stuff first of all anybody x have anything they'd like to interject x okay x um the first subject of um the x discussion i think the first topic under x this heading x i would like to think about integrity x um it's a word that gets thrown around a x lot but you know what does it mean x in scripture what examples do we think x of of a person's integrity x and the first one i came across was uh x i'd like to read as proverbs x chapter x 11. let's see who do i here see here x kathy skroy x kathy would you please read proverbs 11 x verse 3 x you're muted kathy x okay x okay the integrity of the upright shall x guide them x but the x perverseness x of of transgressors shall destroy them x yeah x and i think that has a pretty uh x important message you know it's x important to have integrity x it's important that our word means x something x that we be truthful i mean we're always x gonna be sinners x we are always going to fall short x there's no question about that x but i think our moral integrity is one x of the few things in life that we have x control over x um x you know we make the decisions x how we live our lives x you know our moral choices x are our own and when you give that up x you're basically giving up the one thing x you have any control over x so i think the man's integrity his x willingness to tell the truth x his desire to be kind one to another x you know it's one of the few things we x can control and one of the few things x that we have power over x and i think you know from what kathy x just read that it's a very important x thing x that we keep this in mind x uh from progress right in the book of x proverbs from chapter 12 12. brother jim x boyco x would you please read from proverbs x chapter 12 verse 22. x yeah i'm just uh finding the verse here x proverbs 12 verse 22. x the lord detests lying lips but he x delights in people who are trustworthy x there you go x so i mean that's a that's really a a x twofold x a statement yes on the one hand god x despises lying x but on the other hand he tells us that x he is delighted x by uh those that deal truthfully x so it's not just though you lied that's x bad no you told the truth that's great x you know your honesty is appreciated by x god and that's again that's not a x difficult thing x but it's something that god looks at x with great favor x and i think a lot of times people you x know try to see the negatives but x it's i think it's even more important x that we grow on the positives and that's x something we can do every day x uh our integrity can um x [Music] x can so you know please our heavenly x father x and you know bob when you talk about x integrity yeah i remember um x when my kids were young um x social media was a a new thing you know x and it was a real worry x for a lot of parents and i think that x one of the things that i discovered x is that x for a lot of these children x their their true character comes x through through x you know their social media posts x and when i was growing up and when you x were growing up you know it was easy to x be a certain person on sunday x and to sometimes slip up and be a x different person x during the week as teenagers x and nobody would know x except us x and it and it uh i think the point i'm x trying to make is i think there's a x difference between one's integrity x in one's reputation x right we can manage our reputation x reputation i think is how we're x perceived by others x but integrity in my view is really who x we are deep down x and um you know if we if we are who we x say we are x then that's what uh i think x you know that's that's i think what what x you're leading to would you say well i x think our integrity uh you know makes us x who we are x yeah you know that is what builds our x reputation x right but but you can fake a reputation x oh yes absolutely but you can't fake x your integrity that's true x yeah i think that's true x yes x and it's not just the social media thing x it's a lot of things i know um you know x i i'm still very active at the school x where i used to work i go to a lot of x sporting events yes you know and that i x think is you know so important because x that's the kind that nobody cares if a x kid you know the team wins or loses the x football game yeah it's always great x when your team wins x but i think what the kids get out of x athletics you know the character it x feels the self-discipline you know i x think it helps in so many different x walks of life it helps in their x academics x i'm a very uh pro school x uh athlete x athletic department kind of a person x you know i never used to be really i x thought it was you know just fun and x games but x um x you know as i've grown older and i've x seen more first hand i've really come to x the realization how much it strengthens x a person's character when they're part x of a team x or be a team or band or theater or x whatever they're part of a group that x depends on them as individuals x and how they conduct themselves i think x is very important and i think that's the x lesson that they learn that will carry x them through life x and i think that what you're talking x about tonight isn't so much just being a x part of a a group at school we're x talking about being united in christ oh x absolutely x yeah x you know puts it on steroids right x i think it all comes down to that but x that's what helps build character x in whatever way shape or form it comes x the bottom line as far as we're x concerned is how our reputation christ x is not only perceived but what it x actually is x and i think those are very good points x steve does anyone else have anything x they'd like to interject x uh let's see here brother richard are x you with us brother richard ferreira x yeah i am here hi richard would you be x so kind to uh do a reading for me please x uh hebrews chapter 13 certainly yeah x hebrews 13 verse 18. x pray for us x for we trust we have a good conscience x in all things willing to live honestly x thank you x you know and um x i think it just goes back to what uh x steve and i were just saying that x integrity x um is something that carries us through x on all things at school at home x uh at our jobs with our neighbors our x friends through all sorts of activities x and all sorts of relationships x with other people x because i mean obviously people look at x us x and decide whether or not they even want x to be friends x a lot of times based on that character x and our integrity x and if we don't care about this uh x particular aspect of our lives how's x anybody ever gonna wanna you know be x friends with us in the first place x and if x you know we don't share that in our walk x walking christ how's he gonna look at us x so i i think it's a very important uh x thing that we keep in mind in x identifying christ x both through x action x and through example x and that our identity as uh new x creatures in christ uh x um you know doesn't mean that it has to x be identified you know from a bump a x sticker on our car or a slogan on a x t-shirt or a tattoo on iran's x it's what's inside of us x who we are x you know what we help build ourselves to x be x and i think that comes through um x constant reading of the word i think it x goes right back to the very first uh x reading that we did that we not forsake x the assembling of ourselves together x because we need each other and more so x than ever do we need each other x and um i i just think that these are all x the very important building blocks x that we uh develop what we are x internally rather worrying about how we x are perceived on the outside x through material things you know wearing x a t-shirt that says you know jesus is x coming is fine but x you know you have to live it you have to x believe it you can't just display it i x guess that's what i'm getting at x anybody x thoughts comments x okay well i thought the first path we x would explore under this heading um x would be in relationships x and this can include any kind of x relationship whether it's dating or x marriage x or a child development x um x developing safe and happy friendships x how we get along with others again our x siblings our parents uh children x uh co-workers etc etc x and um x [Music] x i think uh one of the things that we x need to do when x we're x trying to build these relationships x is to be able to recognize uh x temptations x that may come along x that we x are uh x that would be able to overcome x and one way to recognize temptation is x by separating the commandments x of the trust of faith which uh x from god and temptations of the flesh x which is of man x so um x let's see here if we can look at james x uh chapter one x let's see who do we have on the list x here david or andor roberta x um could you do a reading please x if you could please read james chapter 1 x verses 13 through 15. x 13-15 x yes brother james 1 x let no man see when he is tempted i am x tempted of god for god cannot be tempted x with evil x neither tempteth he any man x but every man is tempted x when he is drawn away of his own lusts x and enticed x then when he is conceived he bringeth x for sin and sin when it is finished x bringeth forth death x very good thank you x so x what no man say when he is tempted i'm x tempted of god well we know that god x uh tests people x i mean i think you know obviously he x tested adam in the garden x and that didn't go very well x he tempted x or x attempted abraham x would he be willing to kill his son how x on earth he was ever able to do that x abraham must have been a remarkable man x i can't imagine having to be in those x shoes i mean we can tell the story x of how he was about to sacrifice his son x and god stopped him but x how on earth that man was able to do x such a thing x and go through with it and have such x amazing faith in god that god could x raise his son from the dead x i mean to me that says to me well he x didn't he didn't believe abraham i don't x think believed that god was going to x stop him from killing him x abraham's faith laid in the fact that he x believed that god could raise his son x from the dead x and you know that's an even x a greater level of faith it's one thing x to say well okay well god will probably x not make me actually do it x but to believe that it's actually going x to happen that you actually have to kill x somebody your own son you're only x well not his only son but his only son x through his uh x through his wife x that x he would be able to go through that with x the assurance that god could raise him x up from the dead x and i think that is a truly uh x remarkable thing x and i can't imagine what an incredible x man of faith abraham truly must have x been x and i can only hope that someday i'll x have the pleasure of getting to meet him x um x [Music] x let's see i kind of lost my train of x thought i'm sorry um x but i guess my point is that by knowing x when temptation x uh turns into sin x um and believing that god gives us the x power to resist temptation x [Music] x that we can avoid getting in over our x heads when problems x do come our way and we know that they x certainly will x so what's the next step that we need to x take x and i would say it would probably uh x hinge on being doers of the x word uh james uh back to james chapter x one let's save you who do we have x so bob before you go ahead and move on x yeah you know in terms of the round x table discussion you are hoping x um x you know when you think about temptation x um x you know how is it that we overcome it x right i mean i think uh x sometimes x it's it's through willpower x but willpower doesn't uh you know x willpower comes and goes right x absolutely x and i think to me x it's having x you know a greater understanding of why x we are living a christ-like life x um x you know it's not so much about avoiding x doing things it's about x agreeing x to uh to live a certain way does that x make sense x i i think so in general anyway yes x yeah x um x you know so willpower goes to certain x goes a certain distance but if you've x got a real you know if there's a purpose x behind why you're living a life of you x know following jesus if it's because you x know you truly desire to honor god maybe x it makes it easier to to step up x uh if you truly desire to x honor jesus life x maybe it makes it easier to x live that way as opposed to simply x trying to avoid doing something i think x that's where i'm going x okay um x i'm curious uh you know so that's that's x that's part of uh resisting you know x temptation i would think but i think x that we all play a part in helping each x other right you know the community that x you talk about is one where we can draw x strength from others examples we can x draw strength from x um x you know just um comfort that we might x have and confiding in someone or that x sort of thing x this is sandy i'm sorry i was thinking x also steve that you know we also can to x our strength from someone's experience x whether it's negative or it's a failure x or or someone sharing x their trials and troubles with somebody x that yes i i was able to conquer this x mountain i was able to get through this x it was hard it was miserable it was x wrong but i was able to do it and um x you know even though we could learn from x other people's mistakes though i always x feel like i have to make my own to learn x yeah not necessarily you know i think x that you you know with that experience x you're able to help somebody along the x way x and um and we can learn from our own x fakes as well you know x um yeah x yeah x i think we can learn from other people's x mistakes as well as for my wrong yeah x the important things that we learn x and i think there's probably different x temptations different people have yeah x what makes one person may not tempt x another uh for example x you know they the scriptures talk about x how people are tempted by money and x riches well i've never had a lot of x money in riches but x i've always had enough money to pay my x bills x i've always had enough uh x you know to to get what i you know to x what i x basically need and i've always been x content with what i have i don't have a x big fancy house but i have a nice house x i don't have x a big fancy cat x but i got a car i enjoy x i'd like to have another van if i could x afford to put the gasoline in it x but you know those those are material x things that for some reason i've never x really been that personally tempted by x but i can understand why some people may x be x so maybe simple for me to say well you x know a 2005 crown vic is you know my x idea of a nice car i'm perfectly x satisfied x somebody else may lament the fact that x they can't afford a corvette x i don't want a corvette i can't fit in a x corvette x so i haven't but maybe if i could i'd be x tempted by it there's nothing wrong with x having one but there is something wrong x if you put x um wealth ahead of x uh makes that your priority in life x and again back to abraham one of our x wealthiest men in scripture and he never x put that as a priority in his life x that was not the most important thing in x his life x hey i saw david hill had his hand up x david hill x say that x we sometimes question why we have x temptations x or trials x and uh x and then x i think this is the answer in this first x chapter of james x says that we're at accounted all joy x and why will we be joyful when we fall x into temptation well i think the answer x is is that it's an opportunity x for us to grow x it's an opportunity for us to learn x and then he goes on in verse three x knowing that this is the testing of your x faith and so the trials that we have to x uh go through x eventually if we respond in the way that x are expected to x our faith is increased x and so we you know and then we present x if we can do that i think we present a x better example to those around us x excellent anybody else x okay i think i was just starting to x speak about you know how we can be doers x of the word and why we would want to be x um back in james chapter one i'll read x this one um x james chapter 1 x verses 22 to 23 x but be you doers of the word and not x here is only x deceiving your own selves x for if any be a hearer of the word and x not a doer x he is like a man beholding his natural x face in a glass x and um x [Music] x again i can see where it is it is so x easy x to just simply go to church on sunday or x read from the bible or x you know whatever x and and hear the word x but not be doers x so how do we separate x those those two activities we need to x obviously we need to read and obviously x we need to spend time one with another x but how do we take that x and turn that into action x any thoughts on that x stephen court x i think x how we do that is um x starting out x to do the simple things x that we like um x would we like somebody to open up a door x for us while we're going into a store or x or whatever or um you know the simple x little things that we like and i think x that's how we can start doing things x that god wants us to do x is to think about well one of the things x that we x like when people do things for us and x and we can kind of keep that in mind as x we go through our lives through the week x and and be attuned x uh x to uh helping people out x very good x and we certainly all have opportunities x to do that x um x we we all have x uh x families or friends that we associate x with even if we don't get out of the x house as much as we'd like to x uh we are still in touch with people x and i think there's a lot of ways that x you know just that behavior alone x um x can be seen by other people even if they x don't understand why or know why x we act or behave a certain way x i think it is appreciated when people do x things for other people x now just go back to my example at the x school you know i said i went to a lot x of sporting events x now x i don't get to too many professional x sporting events anymore x um i used to like to go into red sox x games and even the occasional uh x patriots game but it's just gotten so uh x priced out of uh reality but i just x don't bother anymore once in a while i x used to go to a paw sox game x but even that now that they've moved out x to worcester i don't know if i'm going x to be doing that anymore or not x but um you know for all the times i did x go i never once had a professional ball x player come up to the stands and say bob x thanks for being here x but you know what i go to a high school x game x and the vast majority of the kids will x thank me for having come to their game x because they realize i'm not a resident x of the town they live in x i'm now retired i no longer work at the x school and yet of my own desire i'm x there to try to support their activities x and they appreciate that x the same with the parents i hear from x numerous parents oh thank you so much x for coming out to the game x no professional ever thanked me x but the kids do x and you know it's just an example of how x your simple actions your daily actions x can be seen x and appreciated by other people x so i think it's important that we always x try to show a level of concern x and good will towards all men x because you just never know how x somebody's going to react brother x stephen x yeah um i had an example x happen to me i went and uh x was doing something for somebody x and this person said well x why did you do that why did you do that x for me and i said because christ told me x to x and for this person he just couldn't x understand why i was doing it x and so there was an example of x testifying to somebody but by saying x well because christ tells me to and so x maybe he'll get interested and maybe x read his bible x you never know what's going to affect x somebody x you you really don't x and to you know let opportunities slide x by x i think is a is a dreadful thing it's a x sad thing x and i'm not just exhorting on um you x know what we can do for people outside x the community but also for people inside x the community x for our young people for our elders x for our friends our contemporaries x there's all sorts of situations that x will pop up in life x where you can do simple acts of kindness x and it doesn't take a lot x you know when i heard katie had um x contracted coven i picked up the phone x and gave her a call no big deal i don't x need a pat on the back x but you know it just seemed to me to be x the right thing to do x but i can't cure her x i don't have the the ability to say okay x you are cured x i can't do that i can't help her to the x degree that she needs to be helped but x at least i can pick up the phone and say x hi i'm thinking of you x and you know it's a lot of times it is x those little things i can't raise a man x from the dead x but i can direct you to the scriptures x that talk about the man who can x and if you know if that opportunity x should present itself x then i think we need to be doers and be x able to x take advantage of those situations x because it's a lot of times it's the x little things in life x bob can i jump in with a comment i think x you just did yeah x um i think i think stephen brought up a x great point and i think he sort of x piggybacked on it in a way x and that is um x you know stephen made the comment that x why is he doing this he's doing this you x know i i can't remember exactly how you x worded it uh stephen but you know it was x because of jesus and in the scriptures x it talks about you know giving a cup of x water x in my name right there are a lot of x people who are x kind people there are a lot of people x who do good works x and i think the distinction that we x might consider making is not only doing x those good works but explaining as you x sort of talked i can't raise the dead x but i can point you to the man who can x and if we're simply doing good works and x the accolades are flowing back on us x well that's you know that's not x the intent right the intent is x that we do these things so that god x would be glorified you know let your x light so shine that others may see your x good works x and glorify your father in heaven x absolutely x and by doing so x uh x god is pleased with us x sure x yeah x yeah can i say something this is sandy x hi x hi x where's your videos x my video's not working right now x um i think of the parable about the wise x man building his house on the rock x and x it's all it's knowledge and x understanding but it's also x um x [Music] x i don't have it in front of me but also x the one that does it acts on it you know x so it really goes hand in hand you know x being a wise man is knowing x our x knowing god's word and also doing for x others and um i think that's they have x to go together you know um x they both hurt yeah x yeah only one x right x okay that's it x thank you sandy x the end x is that somebody else x i'm like uh stuart x stewart did you have your hand up x yeah x hi brothers and sisters how you going um x yeah appreciate the discussion x hey um i i was just thinking about this x uh x kind of connection between x um doctrine and practice you know it's x like x um x brother stephen talked about the you x know the why and the kind of reason the x rationale behind why we do things and x um just reminded me of this discussion x we're having back home where i come from x um with our summer school class and it's x all about you know the the x giving kids the x the reason why they should you know buy x into christ and x um you know the reason why they should x be motivated the reason why they choose x to give their lives to christ and x you know this kind of fundamental x premise about who god is and x understanding x that we act in a pure way because god is x pure because you know we x shine our lights because god is light x and x um you know we've got no greater reason x than that apart you know from um jesus x christ his son to do what we do x or to act how we act um x and this this idea of you know hearing x the word x uh understanding why we believe x something and understanding what we x believe in and then having you know that x doctrine impact our life x um x is what god wants us like it's it's not x just listening and it flicking through x our heads and x you know disappearing it's it's x impacting our lives and x if we really understand who god is and x the fact that he is pure then why x wouldn't we act in a pure way and so on x and so forth x um as you look at his character and how x awesome it is x it's every reason for us to act the same x way because you know he's so great he's x so good x um x and you know connect those two and x without that it's it's yeah our lives x are a x bit of a sham so x yeah appreciate the discussion x thank you x and uh yeah i mean it just boils down to x the fact that we're here for a very x short time x nobody's gonna remember most of us when x we're gone maybe they won't remember any x of us x i mean i could pull out a list right now x with the christadelphian athleisure i x think i got a list here from x 1918 or something like that x there's very few names you would x recognize on the list x there's a couple of hamptons and atoms x and there's an eagles x um i'm trying to think but that's about x it most of the names and names x completely foreign to me x maybe x some of us older ones might might x recognize names that i don't but x it's a very short list who was that x person i never heard of that person in x my life x and that was only 100 years ago x and yet every believer is known to god x you know i can you imagine being uh x being in the kingdom and introducing x yourself and i'm just using this as an x example but introduce yourself to x somebody else i'm so-and-so i was lived x in boston massachusetts whoa so did i x [Laughter] x you know x in 2018 well i was there in 1918. x never heard of them x but god certainly has heard of them x and that's the important thing we can't x put our faith in ourselves x because our legacy is virtually x non-existent x but to god x better comment sure x audrey oh okay x um i was just thinking x examples of our x thinking about our lord at the x you know the day before he was x to be um x arrested how x you know the disciples were arguing x about who's going to be the greatest and x here's the son of god and he's showing x humility and he x takes off his garment and he washes the x disciples feet x so that that is definitely x teaching a principle in action and x that's what we need to do for each other x you know we say that we're humble and x stuff but our actions need to show it x yeah i think that's wonderful you know x one of the things i know you're just in x the book of james one of the things that x james speaks about is uh how the tongue x is a fire x um i think it's james it says that x um x i think i got that one on the line here x yeah x james chapter three x and the tongue is a fire a word of x iniquity so is the tongue among our x members that it defile up the whole body x and set up on fire the course of nature x and it is set x on fire of hell x for every kind of beast and bird and x serpent and all things in the sea x is tamed x and has been tamed of mankind but the x tongue x can no man tame x it is an unruly evil it is full of x deadly poison x and that's what we have to come back x we really have to take a moment and x think about what we say x because you can say just one thing to x one person the wrong way x and it can undo years of x good work x um x you know and and we are the the x creatures on this earth that that have a x tongue in order to speak no other animal x on earth can speak well at least not x speak intelligently yeah i know i i've x heard parrots ask for crackers and x things like that but x they're just mimicking they're not x talking intelligently x man is the only creature on earth that x has this gift x and we can use it wisely and be doers of x the word x we can use it wisely x and with integrity x we can use it wisely and develop healthy x good lasting relationships x and not just with x our x boyfriend girlfriend spouse x um whatever but also with friends x neighbors people we come in contact with x so much good can come from the time you x know and steve was talking earlier about x the impact of social media x and you can use that with just about x anything x but x the tongue x the tongue can have more impact than x anything x it's something that we x need to control it's something that we x need to x use for good x and we can do marvelous things with our x tongues oh there are people out there x that can speak so well you know i have a x difficult time speaking on on the x computer like this x i'm not so bad when it comes to talking x face-to-face but an environment like x this i'm x not very comfortable x but x nevertheless um x i i think it's important to realize that x as much evil can come forth from the x tongue as good and vice versa x and that's what we need to concentrate x on is we know we're going to make x mistakes but we still need to try and x concentrate on using our tongue for good x for matters of integrity for building x relationships and for praising our x creator in heaven x anybody x i see a hand i'm so i can only see a few x screens here at a time x ellen were you gonna say something you x look like you're smiling x no sorry go ahead x i was just going to say like sort of to x put a point on what you're saying x um x it's only the word of god that can x discipline the tongue x and in that chapter that you're looking x at x my eye was drawn to verse 17 and 18 x where it talks about the wisdom that is x from above and it says that it is x peaceful gentle and easy to be entreated x full of mercy x good fruits without partiality x and without hypocrisy x and here's the here's the slammer and x the fruit of righteousness is sown in x peace by them that make peace x so if you know if we follow those x directions x the tongue can be tamed x oh yes x what first was that david uh verse 17 x and 18 chapter three x i think the point is it's something that x we have to work at it's something we x have to make happen x as living creatures it's just not going x to come naturally i don't think x ordinarily x it's something that needs to be x developed x with a good positive frame of mind x and i think to develop that frame of x mind the first thing we have to do is x search the scriptures daily x and we have to learn and practice x kindness one towards another x it's it's all it all grows it all uh x very much x spreads itself out x ellen you keep looking like you're about x to say something x there was a couple times but um x it just makes me think x like like an overall x picture like x somebody said to me once x like you need to live your life so that x when x people x like you're an example x so that when x people see you x they say x i want x what she has x like x like that you you're joyful and the way x you live your life is x you know christ-like and x but not christ-like in a way that x i know i feel like sometimes x it's like fire and brimstone x with some people x and x it should be more the the joy and x when you think about being christ-like x people x thronged christ x like they wanted to be around him they x wanted to hear what he had to say x they x they were x and he x he enthralls people x they x they x just couldn't get enough x so to be christ-like x you have to x make it so that people want x what you have to offer x very good x i see we're getting close to the end of x that time does anybody else have x anything they'd like to say x all right well then i uh i guess that's x about it x i um x thank everybody for your attention and i x love i x it's sort of uh frightening x to think that all of our good works x can be destroyed so easily x by our tongue x yes x this all arguments usually are started x by x something that we say x rather than something that we do x we can x we can make people angry x by what we say x and i think that is so critical that we x have to do something to x make our tongues behave x and the only way we can do that i think x is by x reading the word x having the word of god implanted x in our mind so that we have an attitude x we have a x desire x to smooth things out x rather than to be confrontational x jesus x very seldom was confrontational x but as ellen said x he had a lifestyle that people were x attracted to him not only by what he did x but what he said x because he had x god's purpose x in his mind x so i think that we've got a big job to x do i know i do x a big job to do is to x clear our mind and x sort of have an implant x of the word of god and the attitude of x jesus x so that we can replicate that x not replicate it but become part of it x you know what i mean yeah x and i think likewise it's important to x remember i mean not everybody did love x jesus i mean there are people that hated x him so much that they ended up x crucifying him because they just hated x everything he did and x the threat that he posed to their way of x livelihood and everything else x and it's possible people will meet us x and hate us too x but you know we live in a society where x everything is supposed to be so x politically correct you can't say this x you can't say that you can't x belong x if god instructs us to do something then x that's what we do we don't have to x you know always feel like we're on god x that somebody's going to be offended by x the fact that we believe the things x concerning the kingdom of god x in the name of jesus christ that's the x priority x it's great if we could get everybody to x feel good about christ x but the bottom line is it's not going to x happen x it didn't happen when jesus was walking x the earth it's certainly not happening x today x but we have to concentrate ourselves to x do the best possible job we can do for x ourselves for our brothers and sisters x our young people our elderly x people we come in contact with love our x neighbors as ourselves x and x you know x people aren't always going to like us x and they're not always going to x appreciate everything that we say x so i suppose if you got to make anybody x happy i guess you have to make god happy x first x and i guess that's the bottom line x excuse me brother bob sister audrey how x are you hi x so i was just to go along with that x james 1 19 x know this my beloved brothers let every x person be quick to hear slow to speak x slow to anger x so that's something that's a prayer that x i pray every day several times a day x people are drawn to somebody that x listens i mean you you are you're drawn x to somebody that listens and i think x that's that it's just a really good x guide x be quick to hear x slow to speak and slow to anger x good words to live by x one one last x comment from brother richardson x good i there's so many wonderful pers x way the bible provides so many wonderful x ways to look at christ and i'm x quite a few have been brought out that x are all very helpful x and i just want to add one more to that x and um x we x read in galatians 3 this phrase x you know we we x if you be christ you know we put on x christ and then we're therefore we're x heirs x to the uh as as a seed of abraham which x is which is through faith because x abraham was a man of faith x and um x we often think of the galatians 3 x putting on of christ in association with x that x sort of x one initial event of baptism that's very x much the context of those passages x but the faith of abraham was a lifelong x faith x and he x for example x uh x waited a very long time for his son x has promised seed to be born x and then of course you mentioned x uh he was asked to sacrifice x him x and uh and and which would have been a x huge trial and test x and um x so when we put on christ it's not us x a single moment in time x putting on christ and the faith that x goes along with that x is x if it is the faith of abraham then x that's a lifelong faith x and um x and we we x and what we're trying to do is not uh x uh x be the you know we're we're we're not x trying to we're trying to emulate christ x in our character x not you know just develop our own x wonderful x characters but specifically in x particularly the character of christ x and and i think that that gives us a x different an additional way to think of x putting on christ is not just associated x with that x moment in time that we were baptized but x we put on christ x you know daily uh x for our whole life x it's a lifetime commitment and so x wonderful that it is because it makes us x it forces us x to make it a part of our daily lives if x baptism was just a one-day one-shot deal x what would the advantage of that be x it's something that you have to make a x lifelong commitment x and bob i always remember talking about x the breaking of bread x and uh the fact that you know jesus x commanded us to x uh to do this in his x in his memory and uh you know that's a x weekly thing at least for us x [Music] x you know we're to examine ourselves x where to sort of x make sure that it is a lifelong thing x pray without ceasing well i think that x means pray often but x yeah i don't think you can pray every x second of every day obviously but pray x often and i would say certainly at least x daily x yeah read the scriptures daily x you know x keep in touch with people try to do so x daily x you know it's not that tough we live in x a world of tremendous communication