Discipline

Colossians #10 – Enjoy Your Family

What does God expect of Christian parents and their children? In this incredibly practical sermon, we explore in great detail what it means for children to obey their parents, and parents to lovingly lead their children toward God’s best for them. This sermon will help you consider how you were raised, and help you correct errors in how you may be raising your children. And, it will give hope to imperfect parents as even Jesus was raised by imperfect parents but turned out just fine.

You Shall Not Bear False Witness (Part 5)

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” – Exodus 20:16

Q: What is the ninth commandment?
A: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

What does this mean?

Because we worship and love God, we shouldn’t deceive, betray, or speak badly about other people, but instead we should defend them, speak well of them, and build them up.

If God hates lying, what would be the opposite of that? Speaking the truth! God loves the truth. In fact, Jesus said that he is the truth (John 14:6).

Sometimes it’s hard to speak the truth, especially when you need to say something to someone that might not be fun to hear.

We all need correction. Children need correction from their parents, husbands and wives need correction from each other, and Christians in a church family need correction, called “rebuke”, for the sake of healthy community.

But if we are going to do that, we have to be willing to speak the truth. Sometimes it’s easier to just keep quiet or say something that is a bit more comfortable so that the person to whom you are speaking doesn’t get their feelings hurt.

It is very important to be sensitive and gentle in the way we communicate the truth, but we still need to communicate the truth to others if we are going to grow in the ways that God wants us to grow. We also should be able to receive the truth from others when they speak it to us!

Read Ephesians 4:15–16:
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,  from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

1. Why does Paul say that we should speak the truth in love?
2. How have you seen the correction of your parents be a form of this type of truth telling?
3. Sometimes, it’s hard to admit, but wouldn’t you say that this has been a blessing in your life? (Parents might need to do a little coaching here.)

Prayer
Our Father, may we be humble enough to give and receive the truth in a way that honors you and helps us grow. Help us overcome our temptation refrain from truth-telling or to tell a falsehood because we fear the opinions of other people. May we only fear you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 John #9 – Test the Spirits

At The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Pastor Mark Driscoll recently taught a Bible study series to the core launch team entitled “1 John: The Father Heart of God.” Recorded in black and white as the church plant was in its infancy.

1 John #6 – Children of God

At The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Pastor Mark Driscoll recently taught a Bible study series to the core launch team entitled “1 John: The Father Heart of God.” Recorded in black and white as the church plant was in its infancy.

1 John #3 – Jesus is Your Propitiation

At The Trinity Church in Scottsdale, Pastor Mark Driscoll recently taught a Bible study series to the core launch team entitled “1 John: The Father Heart of God.” Recorded in black and white as the church plant was in its infancy.

IX. DO NOT LIE

A lie is two things: saying what is untrue or not saying all that is true. When we lie about others, we’re saying we’re OK with benefitting at their expense because we’re more important than them. And once that lie is released, the truth can never be regained for them.