Kindness

It's what we believe, why we believe it, and what we stand upon.

It's our values.

That's a better way.

Key core values, but it's our values.

Our core values.

And then number three, it gives us guidance.

Integrity guides you.

Better decisions.

Listen to what he says in Proverbs 11, 3.

The integrity of the upright guides them.

The integrity, I don't, I guess the thing's not working either, but that's okay.

You got them.

Hey, better decisions, greater confidence, less fear.

That's what integrity brings to you.

See, people that have knowledge, which has led to wisdom, which means what they know to be true, they're living, that's true wisdom, is more, or should I say, less likely to be terrorized, whether it's a coronavirus or the or any unexpected trial or tragedy that comes if they believe that, hey, if they believe in their heart, God said, I'll never leave you nor forsake you, but I'll be there.

They know that.

That's why I've not, I promise you, I have not lost one minute of sleep over this.

Because I know, we know.

All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.

I don't understand the good yet, but it's coming.

It's coming.

Why?

Because of the integrity in my heart.

I know it protects me from, I have less fear, greater confidence, and hey, better decisions.

So, there's four things that if you and I were to have integrity with our family and with those in our church, that there's gotta be practice in our lives.

There gotta be.

Are we ready?

Here we go.

Number one, how can we practice integrity at home or at church?

Speak honestly.

That's the first one.

Integrity means that we are honest in our speech.

Can I get an amen?

Ephesians 4, 15 says, speak the truth in love.

Proverbs 27 says, Blessed is the man who walks in his integrity.

Now watch.

His children shall be blessed after them.

The pastor's church will be blessed after them.

The children's ministry for Anita and those involved will be blessed after them.

Dad, your home will be blessed after you.

If you're living that righteous, godly integrity in front of your family, when you're living the, then this is what the whole fruit of the Spirit, this whole nine characteristics is all about.

It's talking about if you have integrity, these are the characteristics that will be displayed in your life consistently.

Hello?

That's what he's talking about.

Honesty.

My favorite person I fell in love with in college, and I quote him a lot, is Mark Twain.

I actually went to the city there outside of Las Vegas.

What was the name of that little uh cowboy town where the donkeys were just running the streets?

Anyway, that was Mark Twain's first newspaper job.

And boy, I as we I've been there a couple of times, and I'd just sit there on that little uh, I call it the little, it's not a tavern, but a little restaurant, but it was back then it was called a tavern.

And I'd sit there and I was drinking my coffee and just reading the papers that he had written and the quotes that he had in those newspapers.

And one of the things he said, and uh I wrote it down and put it in my notes, and it was about integrity.

Listen to what he said.

Speaking honestly is better because it takes a lot of stress out of our lives.

And then he goes on and he says, if you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

Hello?

That's pretty good.

If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

I wish we could tell that to the government.

Hey, isn't it amazing?

They just fabricate lies.

But now watch.

So, and I'm sitting back, I I'm not laughing, but I'm smiling with a big smile.

All their lies are are catching them every time.

They're catching up with them.

They catch up with them.

Why?

Because you can be sure, hello, you can be sure your sins will find you out.

Numbers 23, 7.

You got, I'm telling you, they're gonna get you every time.

Not sometime, every time.

Mark Twain said, you know what?

If you tell the truth, you can lay down at night and not worry about what you said that day.

You know, if you're lying and you're cheating and you're trying to cover up stuff from your family, your wife, or whatever, you lay down and you know what you're thinking?

What did I say?

You you lie so much you don't even remember what you said.

And you know be no.

That's it.

Now, with that said, there are some people that like to speak the truth, but they like to speak it without a loving, kind attitude.

Do you know anyone like that?

We all do.

Hey.

Now I got now.

I don't want to say what I was gonna say, Darren, would you say that?

No, no, but but you got some people, and Darren, you're not every once in a while, but you don't do that, not regularly.

But there's some people they can't wait to just tell you the truth.

It's kind of like Clintish wouldn't make my day.

They just grate on you, don't they?

You see those people, what's your first inclination?

Oh, that's it.

Or I'm going this way.

I don't want to hear what they got to say.

Even though you it's the truth, it's the way you say it.

Amen.

So again, blessed is the man who walks in his integrity.

His children should be blessed after.

You know what?

I was, man, this has been good this week.

I've been reading a lot of things about success and what children look for in their parents that builds them up instead of tearing them down.

Guess what?

You know what your children are not really impressed with?

You know what these children right here, these kids are really not impressed with?

All of them.

They're not really impressed with them.

Now don't get me wrong.

You can go buy them anything, yeah, they will they all like that.

But you know what they want more from you and me than anything?

It's not you that you're the president, it's not that you own your own company, it's not all that stuff.

You know what they want?

They want honesty, love, kindness, and integrity.

Because when you give them that, you are building a foundation in them that you're building your home.

And you're, you know how they're going to be successful?

It's when they can walk around and let me tell you when when they're successful.

When children can come over to your house, and they come over to our house a lot, and they always have, and you can see the politeness, the kindness, the humbleness, the the yes sir, the no sir, the yes ma'am, and the no ma'am, and how can I help?

And the I'm I'm telling you folks, that are are those are values that have to be taught.

Train up a child, hey, while he is young and when he's old, he'll not depart from it.

Proverbs 22, 6.

Those are the values that mean more to them, and that's what's gonna, can I tell you that would be the great, if you don't have a dime, if you teach them to be honest in these next three things we're gonna learn in integrity, they'll be the most successful children, they'll have the most successful lives they could ever have.

When you teach them to love Jesus and to live out what it means to walk in the fruit of the Spirit.

I'm always, my grandchildren right here today, and I'm so glad they're here.

We've had such a good time.

They always say, What does puppy like for them to say?

Yeah.

I got a game I play with them.

We haven't played it lately.

The$5 store.

I said, at the end of the week you're staying with us, if you have more pluses than minuses, we'll go to the$5 store.

What is the pluses and the minus?

If they say, huh, what?

Boop, that's a minus.

They gotta get 50 in a row.

Yes, sir, and no, sir, and yes, ma'am, and no, ma'am.

50.

And we count.

They'll go, they'll have 10 and then say, huh?

I said, up, nine.

Up and down, up and down.

And it's funny because every once in a while they'll get close to the end of the week and they'll say, How many?

And then they'll start asking me questions, so they can say, Yes, sir, yes, ma'am, no ma'am.

Pretty smart.

Pretty smart.

They get poppy.

But the kids want to see a real daddy and a real mommy.

Can I get an amen?

One of the greatest things I ask for myself is that when I go home, and and by the way, last week, you know, each week when I preach, and I love you to tell me that was a great message or good message, Pastor.

And it really does, it encourages me to keep studying.

I I I do.

And and I appreciate that.

And and it it does make me want to work harder.

But let me tell you something, when I walk into that apartment Susan.

I forgot everything else said.

You know why?

She lives with me.

She knows if it's really true or not.

Hello! Or last week, when I looked at my I always look at my Facebook page before I go to bed because I I try to keep up with y'all.

Y'all know that.

I try to hit likes or stuff.

I pray them with you.

I pray for you when you put stuff.

I really do.

I I pray for every one of you on Facebook.

And and when you a lot of times you I'm just watching what y'all doing and I'm praying for you.

But last Sunday night, when I right before I went to bed, I saw on there at 807 that Braden and Brooklyn's dad and mom, but John especially their dad.

Wrote.

Because John's like me.

He doesn't say a whole lot.

He'll just but he wrote on there.

Danny, thank you.

That makes you that message on Patricia.

It was happy.

I don't know if he's ever done that before or he hadn't done it in a long time.

But you know, that's what I'm talking about.

The people that really know you, do you live that integrity in front of you?

And it starts with honesty.

Number two, confess regularly.

Mark Twain said in one of his statements, to keep your marriage brimming with love in the loving cup.

When you're wrong, admit it, and when you're right, shut up.

That's pretty good, isn't it?

When you're wrong, admit it.

When you're right, shut up.

I thought, man, because usually when we're right, we kind of like to do a little bragging about it, don't we?

At least I do.

But I thought that was powerful.

And I thought that's biblical.

James 5, 16.

What does it say?

Confess your faults one to another, that you may be healed, and then the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth life.

So that's powerful.

But now we've got to take it a step further.

We've got to take it a step further.

And that is the next blank restitution.

If I've wronged someone, I need to go to them and make it right.

Although I'm, you know, I really wonder why we don't do that more.

And I think part of it is we're so used to, if we wrong God, what do we do?

If you confess your sins, his faithful and just to forgive you your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1.9.

So we we and it's done.

It's a forget it, you know, it's in the past, keep going.

But that's not the way it works with each of us.

If I've wronged John, not only must I ask him to forgive me, but I need to, hey, write what I did wrong to him.

Whether it's what I said, whether it's what I did.

If I don't, I cannot have a right relationship with the Lord.

And by the way, this really goes strong with the parents, husband and wife.

In fact, 1 Peter 3 says, if we don't get it right, our prayers will be hindered.

And Jesus said, if you know that, lay your offering at the altar, go make it right, then come back and worship God.

Matthew 18, 15 says, if you know you got aught with your brother, you go to him and him alone and get it right.

I'm sorry I lied to you.

I'm sorry I cheated you.

Gets back to the you go to the store and they give you too much money back, what do you do?

Give it back to them.

If they cheated, if if they charged you too much, what do you do?

Hey, wait a minute, this isn't right.

What if they if they charged you ten dollars too much?

This isn't right, you owe me ten dollars.

What if they gave you ten dollars more than they were supposed to?

What are you doing?

Hello?

You okay out there?

It's really gotten quiet.

Hello.

Confess regularly, make it right.

We have to.

We have to.

Number three, live consistently.

We are to be consistent in our lives.

And there's two things under that.

There's two things under that.

A public life as well as our private life ought to match.

Amen.

I know a lot of people that their private life does not match their public life.

Are you one thing at home?

And this is what where it really is real.

You come home and you act one way, and then when you're with the buddies and the and the jocks are at your work, you act another way.

It's amazing how you can control what you say and how you say it at home.

But then when you go to work and you're with the buddies and you're trying to be one of them or try to impress them, you talk your language a different way.

Oh boy, have I seen that so much.

And then I've seen it the other way.

If you're just a downright jerk, you're a jerk at work and a jerk at home.

Hello.

I was being nice.

And I've been one of those.

Amen.

O me?

Oh me.

So we've got to live consistently.

In fact, B, our words and our walk must match.

I love 2 Corinthians 3.2.

You're writing a gospel.

Well, first of all, you are our letter written in our hearts.

That's what 2 Corinthians 3.2 says.

You are our letter written in our hearts, known and read by all men.

And that's where I came up with you writing a gospel, a chapter each day, by the deeds that you do and the words that you say.

Men read what you write, distorted or true.

What is the gospel according to you?

And you need to apply that for your family.

In fact, that'd be a good saying to put up on the wall somewhere.

Does your walk match your hey?

Words?

Or does your words or does your walk match your talk?

Oh, that's powerful.

That's on me.

That's on me.

Number four.

Come boldly.

Commit boldly.

You gotta be bold.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind.

Hey.

With all your soul and your neighbor as yourself.

Watch this.

Get ready.

God's word teaches us that success in life plus failure at relationships equals failure.

Success in life plus failure at relationships equals failure.

The moment that you and I fell in our relationships, no matter how successful we are in anything else, listen, hey, God's word tells us that we are a failure because Jesus said, a new commandment I give unto you.

Now watch, that you love one another as I loved you, that you also love one another.

And by this, verse 35 in John 13, hey, all people shall know that you're my disciples by your love, by your relationship.

Very important.

Very important.

I love the passage as we look at the second word, kindness, in Titus 3.4, where it says, Jesus is the kindness of God.

So not only do we have integrity, we've got to have, we've got to be kind.

We've got to be kind.

And here's what kindness is.

How is Jesus kind to me?

That's the best way for me to give it to you.

Ready?

Number one, he understands my weaknesses.

In fact, in Galatians 6, 1 and 2, he says, bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ, remembering that next time it might be one of you who's in the wrong.

Share each other's troubles and problems together.

That's what Galatians 6, 1 and 2 says.

And Hebrews 4 says we can come boldly unto the throne of grace, asking for mercy.

Why?

Because Jesus has been tempted in every area that we've been tempted.

He knows.

He understands my weaknesses.

Have you ever tried to understand your weaknesses?

Probably not, because we're too prideful.

I don't like my weaknesses.

Anyone like your weaknesses?

No.

But thank God God sends us helpmates like Susan.

She compliments my weaknesses.

I compliment her weaknesses.

Thank God for that.

But we need to learn to understand our hey, our mates' weaknesses.

That's why we do the temperament test.

That really helps you understand the difference in each other and their weaknesses.

Number two, he tells me the truth.

Jesus tells me the truth about me.

You say, Danny, I thought Jesus loved me just as I am.

Oh, he does.

But he loves you more.

He loves you so much that he wants you to grow in your spiritual understanding and your likeness to him.

He wants you to walk in the fruit of the Spirit.

Grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Oh, he does.

Trust me, he does.

And then number three, Jesus forgives my sins.

Can I get an amen?

A lot of people think that Jesus is.

There are people that have the concept of God that someone, that somehow he's a cosmic killjoy, and is up there just waiting to slap your hand.

That's not the God I serve.

I have people tell me all the time, a lot of people, that they don't believe in God.

Especially today, it's growing.

It's really growing.

And I never get defensive about that.

I just smile and say, why do you not believe in God?

You know what they tell me?

Most every time.

They'll tell me some hurt.

They've been hurt.

Or listen to what they'll do.

They'll tell me about a tragedy.

They lost a loved one.

And they believe God caused that.

And you know what I tell them?

I don't believe in that God either.

Because that's not the God I believe in.

The God I believe in is love.

And he loved you so much that he sent his son 2,000 years ago to die on a cross for you that you might have life and have it more abundantly.

And he's with you in every tragedy, every situation.

He's there to comfort you.

He promised he'll comfort you.

He'll never leave you.

John 14, 18.

That's the God I believe in.

That's the God I believe in.

And then the last thing.

Jesus affirms my word.

Jesus affirms my word.

Listen to what he says in concluding.

Isaiah 49, verse 16.

Isaiah 49:16

Jesus said, I have engraved you in the now listen, in the palms of my hand.

I have engraved, I've written you, you in the palms of your name in the palms of my hand.

When you and I get to heaven, if we want to stand before the Lord and we want to ask Jesus the question, Am I valuable to you?

What's my worth to you?

You know what he's going to do?

Ladies and gentlemen, this is about behold, this, hold on.

Here's what he's going to do.

Here's how much I loved you.

And he's going to show you the nail print scars in his hand.

Jesus said, Be ye kind one to another.

Tenderhearted.

Forgiving one another.

Even as I have forgiven you.

So today, can I challenge us to be real?

Amen?

Can I challenge us to be real?

Can I challenge us to walk our talk?

And can I challenge us to let it start at home first?

Amen.

You know what?

I can know the truth.

You say, Well, I am kind.

I do have integrity.

You know how, if I really wanted to know if that was true, where I who I would ask?

For me, you need to ask Sue.

For me, you need to ask Mary, their mother.

Stephanie.

Eric.

My son.

They know.

You need to, hey, you need to ask my best friend.

The people I spend a lot of time with.

They know.

And then I really wanted to get to the root quick.

I just asked your children.

But you know, they're so loving, sometimes they wouldn't say anything bad with them.

But here's the question you gotta ask.

When you stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, will he say that you were a man or woman of integrity?

Will he say you were kind?

Were you tender hearten?

And let me tell you what I believe.

I really believe this with all my heart.

And I've seen it in my own life.

The older you get in the Lord, I didn't say age-wise, but that has a lot to do with it too.

But the older you get in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord, 2 Peter 3, 8, and you grow and you mature in your spiritual life, the more integrity you're gonna have, the kinder you're gonna be.

You know why?

Because you're gonna be like Jesus.

He's gonna metamorphose you.

He's gonna transform you.

Your thinking, your values, all that you are.

And then you're gonna take those values that's in your heart and you're gonna integrate them into your actions.

And let it start now, especially at home for these kids, these great kids.

One of my goals in life, and they're both sitting, two of them out of the six are sitting right here.

And for for your kids, your children, right here, all you, you know what my goal is?

I got I got notes today.

Now let me tell you what blesses me.

I've got Sarah's little thing about preaching here at the cross.

I got that, and then I got notes today, and and and from Emma, and it was so sweet.

And here's what she said.

She says, best pastor ever.

Wow.

Then she puts under there, kind, and I didn't tell her I was preaching on this message.

Kind, funny.

Wow.

Love, hugs, kisses, funny, jokes, amazing, preaching, Jesus' uh.

Kind funny best church ever.

Now let me tell you what.

You think I'm gonna throw that away?

No.

Because next time Sister Fluffyhead's giving me a hard time, and Deacon Potter Head's giving me a hard time, and somebody that comes up and just snips at me, and they're probably telling me the truth, but they're just trying, they can't wait to see me rub me down.

Bam! Just let me have it.

Instead of me going back and say, you want to find okay, boom, boom, give back.

No, I'm gonna think about little Emma said I was kind.

I can't do that.

I can't do that.

Love is kind.

Love is long suffering.

Ancient, kind, good.

Next time Susan candy beat me and clay and pickleball.

I gotta remember, kind, good, loving.

But no, do you get that, folks?

Listen to me.

We are a walking testimony for Jesus.

I love you.

As we have opportunity, Galatians 16.

This week, do good.

Do good to all men.

Every head bow, every eye closed.