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MATTHEW 23:8-11 NLT 8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. These verses can seem perplexing. Yet they contain some important truths. The first is that in the Kingdom of God we are all siblings – all on the same level. (Jesus did not specifically address gender in this passage, but it fits in perfectly. Any attempt to classify women as inferior or second-class in any way goes against the spirit of what Jesus said in this passage. And Galatians 3:28 certainly backs up this idea.) Jesus is not telling us it is wrong to acknowledge we have an earthly parent called a father. For the Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. He must be referring to the custom of calling so...

MATTHEW 23:8-11 NLT 8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. These verses can seem perplexing. Yet they contain some important truths. The first is that in the Kingdom of God we are all siblings – all on the same level. (Jesus did not specifically address gender in this passage, but it fits in perfectly. Any attempt to classify women as inferior or second-class in any way goes against the spirit of what Jesus said in this passage. And Galatians 3:28 certainly backs up this idea.) Jesus is not telling us it is wrong to acknowledge we have an earthly parent called a father. For the Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. He must be referring to the custom of calling so...

MATTHEW 23:8-11 NLT 8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. These verses can seem perplexing. Yet they contain some important truths. The first is that in the Kingdom of God we are all siblings – all on the same level. (Jesus did not specifically address gender in this passage, but it fits in perfectly. Any attempt to classify women as inferior or second-class in any way goes against the spirit of what Jesus said in this passage. And Galatians 3:28 certainly backs up this idea.) Jesus is not telling us it is wrong to acknowledge we have an earthly parent called a father. For the Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. He must be referring to the custom of calling so...

MATTHEW 23:8-11 NLT 8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. These verses can seem perplexing. Yet they contain some important truths. The first is that in the Kingdom of God we are all siblings – all on the same level. (Jesus did not specifically address gender in this passage, but it fits in perfectly. Any attempt to classify women as inferior or second-class in any way goes against the spirit of what Jesus said in this passage. And Galatians 3:28 certainly backs up this idea.) Jesus is not telling us it is wrong to acknowledge we have an earthly parent called a father. For the Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. He must be referring to the custom of calling so...

MATTHEW 23:8-11 NLT 8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. These verses can seem perplexing. Yet they contain some important truths. The first is that in the Kingdom of God we are all siblings – all on the same level. (Jesus did not specifically address gender in this passage, but it fits in perfectly. Any attempt to classify women as inferior or second-class in any way goes against the spirit of what Jesus said in this passage. And Galatians 3:28 certainly backs up this idea.) Jesus is not telling us it is wrong to acknowledge we have an earthly parent called a father. For the Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. He must be referring to the custom of calling so...

MATTHEW 23:8-11 NLT 8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you 'Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. These verses can seem perplexing. Yet they contain some important truths. The first is that in the Kingdom of God we are all siblings – all on the same level. (Jesus did not specifically address gender in this passage, but it fits in perfectly. Any attempt to classify women as inferior or second-class in any way goes against the spirit of what Jesus said in this passage. And Galatians 3:28 certainly backs up this idea.) Jesus is not telling us it is wrong to acknowledge we have an earthly parent called a father. For the Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. He must be referring to the custom of callin...

MATTHEW 23:8-11 NLT 8 “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don’t address anyone here on earth as 'Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don’t let anyone call you 'Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. These verses can seem perplexing. Yet they contain some important truths. The first is that in the Kingdom of God we are all siblings – all on the same level. (Jesus did not specifically address gender in this passage, but it fits in perfectly. Any attempt to classify women as inferior or second-class in any way goes against the spirit of what Jesus said in this passage. And Galatians 3:28 certainly backs up this idea.) Jesus is not telling us it is wrong to acknowledge we have an earthly parent called a father. For the Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. He must be referring to the custom of ca...

MATTHEW 23:8-11 NLT 8 "Don't let anyone call you 'Rabbi,' for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 9 And don't address anyone here on earth as 'Father,' for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. 10 And don't let anyone call you 'Teacher,' for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you must be a servant. These verses can seem perplexing. Yet they contain some important truths. The first is that in the Kingdom of God we are all siblings -- all on the same level. (Jesus did not specifically address gender in this passage, but it fits in perfectly. Any attempt to classify women as inferior or second-class in any way goes against the spirit of what Jesus said in this passage. And Galatians 3:28 certainly backs up this idea.) Jesus is not telling us it is wrong to acknowledge we have an earthly parent called a father. For the Bible tells us to honor our father and mother. He mus...

1 PETER 5:5 NKJ 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Don’t run around spiritually naked! Clothe yourself with humility! Humility will protect you, just as clothing protects your body. Without humility you are exposed and vulnerable. Without being clothed with humility, you risk embarrassment. Humility will keep you from the mistakes of pride. What is humility? Humility is an attitude, a way of thinking. It is remembering that you only know in part. True humility is not putting yourself down, but simply seeing yourself as the Bible says you are. “I am what I am by the grace of God.” Everything you have is a gift from God. So without Him, you can do NOTHING! Humility is the opposite of pride. Pride is the wrong estimation of yourself, and of others. It is forgetting that others are very important to God and greatly loved...

LUKE 12:6-7 NLT 6 “What is the price of five sparrows – two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Thoughts of inferiority attack us all. No one, no matter how beautiful or successful, is immune. How should you determine how valuable you are? The best way to determine the value of something is to find out what someone is willing to pay for it. What was the price God was willing to pay for you? ROMANS 8:32 NLT 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? The price God was willing to pay for you was the death of His Son. No greater price could have been paid! Who should you allow to determine your value? Who is really smart enough to know you and your potential? A parent? A spouse? A boyfriend or girlfriend? A neighbor? A boss or teacher? Hardly! All these people a...

TITUS 3:2 NKJ 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. It’s easy to criticize others. But God says don’t do it! MATTHEW 7:1-2 NKJ 1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. One of the biggest traps is to criticize our leaders. Since all leaders are human, none are perfect. But it is wrong, and counter-productive, to criticize them. It may be the “spirit of the age” we live in, but it’s not the way the Spirit of God operates (Acts 23:5). (We can discuss policies without personally attacking and condemning individual people.) Those who criticize others are proud. They assume they know what is best, and that they are qualified to judge and even condemn others. They think they are better than those they criticize. ROMANS 2:1 NLT 1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When yo...

EPHESIANS 4:13-15 ESV 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children … . 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, Ultimately, God plans for you to grow up in every way into being like Jesus Christ. But no one is born mature and fully developed – either physically or spiritually. When we receive Jesus Christ, His life enters our inner being, causing us to be born again as a child of God (John 3:3). We enter God’s family by pure grace, not because of any effort or virtue of our own. The moment we are born again, we have all the rights and privileges purchased for us by the death of our wonderful Lord, Jesus Christ. But we have to learn who we are, what is ours, and how to walk in it. We must learn to use the authority God has given us. (The only reliable source...

1 PETER 5:5 NKJ 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Don’t run around spiritually naked! Clothe yourself with humility! Humility will protect you, just as clothing protects your body. Without humility you are exposed and vulnerable. Without being clothed with humility, you risk embarrassment. Humility will keep you from the mistakes of pride. What is humility? Humility is an attitude, a way of thinking. It is remembering that you only know in part. True humility is not putting yourself down, but simply seeing yourself as the Bible says you are. “I am what I am by the grace of God.” Everything you have is a gift from God. So without Him, you can do NOTHING! Humility is the opposite of pride. Pride is the wrong estimation of yourself, and of others. It is forgetting that others are very important to God and greatly loved...

LUKE 12:6-7 NLT 6 “What is the price of five sparrows – two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Thoughts of inferiority attack us all. No one, no matter how beautiful or successful, is immune. How should you determine how valuable you are? The best way to determine the value of something is to find out what someone is willing to pay for it. What was the price God was willing to pay for you? ROMANS 8:32 NLT 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? The price God was willing to pay for you was the death of His Son. No greater price could have been paid! Who should you allow to determine your value? Who is really smart enough to know you and your potential? A parent? A spouse? A boyfriend or girlfriend? A neighbor? A boss or teacher? Hardly! All these people a...

TITUS 3:2 NKJ 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. It’s easy to criticize others. But God says don’t do it! MATTHEW 7:1-2 NKJ 1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. One of the biggest traps is to criticize our leaders. Since all leaders are human, none are perfect. But it is wrong, and counter-productive, to criticize them. It may be the “spirit of the age” we live in, but it’s not the way the Spirit of God operates (Acts 23:5). (We can discuss policies without personally attacking and condemning individual people.) Those who criticize others are proud. They assume they know what is best, and that they are qualified to judge and even condemn others. They think they are better than those they criticize. ROMANS 2:1 NLT 1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When yo...

EPHESIANS 4:13-15 ESV 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children … . 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, Ultimately, God plans for you to grow up in every way into being like Jesus Christ. But no one is born mature and fully developed – either physically or spiritually. When we receive Jesus Christ, His life enters our inner being, causing us to be born again as a child of God (John 3:3). We enter God’s family by pure grace, not because of any effort or virtue of our own. The moment we are born again, we have all the rights and privileges purchased for us by the death of our wonderful Lord, Jesus Christ. But we have to learn who we are, what is ours, and how to walk in it. We must learn to use the authority God has given us. (The only reliable source...

1 PETER 5:5 NKJ 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Don’t run around spiritually naked! Clothe yourself with humility! Humility will protect you, just as clothing protects your body. Without humility you are exposed and vulnerable. Without being clothed with humility, you risk embarrassment. Humility will keep you from the mistakes of pride. What is humility? Humility is an attitude, a way of thinking. It is remembering that you only know in part. True humility is not putting yourself down, but simply seeing yourself as the Bible says you are. “I am what I am by the grace of God.” Everything you have is a gift from God. So without Him, you can do NOTHING! Humility is the opposite of pride. Pride is the wrong estimation of yourself, and of others. It is forgetting that others are very important to God and greatly loved...

LUKE 12:6-7 NLT 6 “What is the price of five sparrows – two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. 7 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. Thoughts of inferiority attack us all. No one, no matter how beautiful or successful, is immune. How should you determine how valuable you are? The best way to determine the value of something is to find out what someone is willing to pay for it. What was the price God was willing to pay for you? ROMANS 8:32 NLT 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? The price God was willing to pay for you was the death of His Son. No greater price could have been paid! Who should you allow to determine your value? Who is really smart enough to know you and your potential? A parent? A spouse? A boyfriend or girlfriend? A neighbor? A boss or teacher? Hardly! All these people a...

TITUS 3:2 NKJ 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. It’s easy to criticize others. But God says don’t do it! MATTHEW 7:1-2 NKJ 1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. One of the biggest traps is to criticize our leaders. Since all leaders are human, none are perfect. But it is wrong, and counter-productive, to criticize them. It may be the “spirit of the age” we live in, but it’s not the way the Spirit of God operates (Acts 23:5). (We can discuss policies without personally attacking and condemning individual people.) Those who criticize others are proud. They assume they know what is best, and that they are qualified to judge and even condemn others. They think they are better than those they criticize. ROMANS 2:1 NLT 1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When yo...

EPHESIANS 4:13-15 ESV 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children … . 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, Ultimately, God plans for you to grow up in every way into being like Jesus Christ. But no one is born mature and fully developed – either physically or spiritually. When we receive Jesus Christ, His life enters our inner being, causing us to be born again as a child of God (John 3:3). We enter God’s family by pure grace, not because of any effort or virtue of our own. The moment we are born again, we have all the rights and privileges purchased for us by the death of our wonderful Lord, Jesus Christ. But we have to learn who we are, what is ours, and how to walk in it. We must learn to use the authority God has given us. (The only reliable source...