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Text: Galatians 5:22, 23

*The Spirit enables us to tap into an unlimited supply of kindness and gentleness.

Colossians 3:12
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”

II Peter 1:7
“And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”

*To be kind is to be thoughtful of others more than of myself. It carries the idea of wanting to help, comfort, encourage, and do something for somebody else.

*To be gentle is the ability to respond to harsh and difficult situations without anger and aggression. It carries the idea of not retaliating with hostility and sharp words; controlling our tongue and temper.

Ephesians 4:32
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”

*The reason we are kind and gentle toward others is because Jesus has been kind and gentle toward us, He has forgiven us!

I. A PERFECT EXAMPLE

*Being kind and gentle is not just a description of our actions it speaks to our attitude.

Titus 3:4, 5
“But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

*God showed us what gentleness and kindness looked like, in real life, by giving us His Son Jesus.

II. PRACTICAL APPLICATION

I Thessalonians 2:7
“But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:”

*Kindness and gentleness are the hallmarks of people who are filled with the Spirit.

*Kindness and gentleness should govern all our relationships.

Romans 12:3
“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

*Kindness and gentleness are self-sacrificing Spirit filled actions done on the behalf and for the benefit of another person.

*May the fruit of gentleness and kindness ripen in our hearts and relationships as we seek to show a cruel and unkind world the love and grace that we have received from Christ.

TEXT: Acts 19

*The life changing power of the Gospel becomes evident and obvious when what we claim to believe is clearly displayed in our daily living.

“An idol is whatever you look at and say in your heart of hearts, ‘if I have that then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I’ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.’” Tim Keller

I. AN IMPORTANT QUESTION

*Proof of your salvation is not based on what you study, learn, and know; the surest sign you’re a Christian is the evidence of the internal work of the Holy Spirit producing external change.

Romans 8:9
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

Romans 8:16
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”

Ephesians 1:13
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

II. INADEQUATE POWER

*When the truth is rejected and refused repeatedly over time the result is hardness of heart.

*The purpose of the miracles was always to point people to the power of the message.

III. IDOL WORSHIP

*The power of the Gospel should change the way we live to the point that the very culture is effected, including the economy.

*The inner working of the Gospel starts rooting out the idols and exposing what we really love.

*Everyday Ordinary Idols
- Pleasure
- People
- Possessions
- Privacy
- Prosperity

*True success is defined as faithful obedience.

*Only Jesus has the power to crush our idols, setting us free and filling our life with joy.

TEXT: Selected Texts

*God is not looking for a few stand in’s, to come and volunteer but for sold out committed Christians who will have a very real part in the continuing mission of the Church.

*God’s mission from start to finish is the same; He is seeking, saving, sending and He is coming soon!

Act 1:7-11
“And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

I. INVOLVED IN CORPORATE WORSHIP

*Sunday worship is the gathering of God’s family to publically proclaim the greatness and glory of God.

“Worship is not restricted to what we do when we come together in church, but about the way we relate to God through the Spirit and in accordance with the teaching of Jesus, and that touches the whole life.” Colin G. Kruse

II. ENGAGED AND COMMITTED IN SERVICE

*The problem for many churches today is that they have a cruise ship mentality when we should have a battleship mindset.

I Corinthians 4:1,2
“Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”

*Jesus is not only our standard of service He is our source to serve others!

Philippians 2:4
“Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

III. FAITHFULLY CONNECTED IN COMMUNITY

*Real Christian community is bound together in love.

*John 17:9-11
“I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”

*Unity is Christ-like attitudes, affections and actions demonstrated toward one other.

*Caring, sharing and praying were a central and interregnal part of the early church.

“God did not make others as I would have made them. God did not give them to me so that I could dominate and control them but so that I might find the Creator by means of them. Now, other people, in the freedom with which they were created, become an occasion for me to rejoice, whereas before they were only a nuisance and trouble for me. God does not want me to mold others into the image that seems good to me, that is, into my own image.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

IV. CONTINUE TO CARRY OUT THE GREAT COMMISSION

“It’s not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world, as that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for the mission-God’s mission.” Chris Wright

*It’s not just what we say with our lips it’s how we live our life that causes the Gospel message to have greater impact.

I John 2:28
“And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.”

*The imminent return of Christ either brings us a sense of great joy or great fear.