Creekside Church
Before We Lose Our Minds | The Art of Listening
In so many ways the world feels like it’s on fire. From politics to conspiracy theories, to debates about global warming to social unrest to fake news it seems like everywhere you look there is conflict or something new to be afraid of. What’s worse, it’s hard to even know what to believe anymore even when we earnestly go looking for answers. And to top it all off we have this global pandemic that has disrupted our everyday rhythms and left us with new uncertainties about what the future holds. All of this can leave you feeling like you’re slowly losing your mind. But you don’t have to feel like this. There can be peace amidst this chaos and starting September 20th I want to give you three ways to find that peace in a series I’m calling, “Before We Lose Our Minds”.
Locations & Times
Creekside Church
660 Conservation Dr, Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z4, Canada
Sunday 9:00 AM
This sermon is about not losing our minds when we encounter someone we dislike or disagree with. This happens in our daily in person interactions but has been amplified by our ability to connect with unlimited people online.
In the sermon today we'll talk about making 4 shifts in how we react to ideas, actions, words and posts that we dislike or disagree with.
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Shift from Outrage to Curiosity
Proverbs 18:2 - Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.
Proverbs 18:13 - To answer before listening— that is folly and shame.
From Pride to Humility
Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
From Destroy to Restore
Gentleness = Power Under Control
Galatians 6:1 - Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently.
From Me to We
Romans 14:1 - Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.
Romans 14:15 - If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.
Romans 14:19-20 - Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
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What is your go-to response when you encounter something you dislike or disagree with? Is there one of the four shifts from the sermon that you want to focus on?