Good Shepherd Community Church
Exodus 20:16 ESV
Truth-telling is foundational to the health of our community.
James 3:5-6 ESV
1. We pursue lies about our neighbor when we revile.
Proverbs 25:18 ESV
Matthew 18:15-16 NIV
2. We pursue lies about our neighbor when we listen silently.
Proverbs 17:4 ESV
Proverbs 18:8 ESV
Proverbs 20:19 ESV
3. We pursue lies about our neighbor when we flatter them.
Proverbs 29:5 ESV
Psalm 5:9 ESV
“Encouragement is truth spoken from a loving motive to increase faith and hope in the hearer. Flattery is a lie, masquerading as encouragement, from a selfish motive to manipulate the hearer in order to achieve the flatterer’s covert purpose.”
4. We pursue lies about our neighbor when we misattribute
We are called to faithfully represent the name of our neighbor.
With God, With Others, On Mission Takeaways:
• Are we trying to love God while ignoring the call to love our neighbor?
• How can we help repair a reputation or perception we have of someone?
• Who can you encourage and build up that doesn’t know Christ?
BIG IDEA: Love God by pursuing the truth of our neighbors name.
1. God is truthful.
2. Satan is the father of all lies.
John 8:44 ESV
Are we becoming more conformed with the image of Christ as people of the truth?
OR
Are we becoming more conformed with the image of the devil as people of falsehood?
Colossians 3:7-10 ESV
Psalm 19:14 ESV