HOPE - CHARACTER QUALITY # 7

This week’s character trait to make a part of your Christian DNA is HOPE.  Advent, which moves us toward Christmas, is a message of hope.  It begins in the temple with a priest named Zechariah.

John’s father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David  (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),  salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us—to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; f or you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace."          Luke 1:67-79

Once Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist, Zechariah prophesies with great hope who this child will be and what it means in light of eternity as he will be the forerunner of the messiah, proclaiming his advent.

Answer the following three questions:

What is hope?

What do you hope for?

Is hope a uniquely Christian character trait?  Why or why not?

(See also 1 Timothy 1:1 and Romans 5:1-5)

GRATITUDE - CHARACTER QUALITY # 6

Luke 17:11-19  says, Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"  When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.  One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him — and he was a Samaritan.  Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"  Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

God has healed you leper.  What is your response?  Have you given Him thanks for the things he has done for you?  Here is a great opportunity.  Post your "thanks-givings" here for all the world to see.  Begin, I thank God for...then fill in the rest to the glory of God.

GIVING – CHARACTER QUALITY # 5

   Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.          --- 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

If I give so that I will be rewarded . . . God is Santa Claus.

If I give so that I claim an exemption on my tax form . . . God is a CPA.

If I give so I can impress my friends . . . God is my PR agent.

If I give to avoid punishment . . . God is a thief.

If I give so that I can express my love and so that others may hear the gospel . . . God is God.

-First Baptist Church

Seattle, WA

Why do you give your hard earned money to the work of the church?

How do you give?  Like any of the ways described above?

What do you think is the most important thing Christians should know about giving?

Share your answers, a scripture, make a comment or ask a question.

MERCY - CHARACTER QUALITY # 4

From the bible who comes to mind as a good illustration of mercy?  I hope you do not have trouble thinking of one.  If you remove stories of mercy form the bible, you will have very little left.  When I preach a theme like our current one, I find it best to preach about one character and not several. With mercy I find this hard to do for several reasons.  First of all, I have preached about most of them one time or another.  Like the woman caught in adultery (John 8).  You know, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”  Second, they are such familiar stories, like the man who owed the king a great debt and was shown mercy but turned around and did not show mercy to a fellow servant who only owed him a few dollars (Mathew 18).  Third, there are characters I want to use later in the year, like Joseph (Genesis 37-50), who was sold into slavery by his brothers, yet later saved those same brothers from a famine.

These are three of many great stories of mercy from the bible.  Can you think of any others?  Please share them through this blog.  How has mercy worked in your life, either as a recipient or an extender of mercy?  Was God evident in that situation?  How so?