HAVE
SOMEONE READ: ST. from sermonillustrator.orgCHARACTER
“Quality of Life Series”
1/20/04
LEADER: “WOULD YOU CHOOSE YOU?”
From: http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-22.htm#TopOfPage
If you were an employer trying to hire an efficient, honest, and competent employee, would you hire yourself? at your salary? If you had to live with someone just like yourself for the rest of your life, would you look forward to it as a wonderful opportunity and privilege? Would you choose you for a best friend?
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE # 1
http://www.cybernation.com/victory/quotations/subjects/quotes_character.html
“The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.”
Thomas B. Macaulay 1800-1859.
English Whig lawyer, politician, essayist, poet and popular historian)
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE # 2
http://www.cybernation.com/victory/quotations/subjects/quotes_character.html
“Character is the result of two things: Mental attitude and the way we spend our time.”
Elbert Hubbard 1856 - 1915 US author
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE # 3
http://www.cybernation.com/victory/quotations/subjects/quotes_character.html
“We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it.”
Abraham Lincoln 16th President of the United States
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #4
“When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody may believe them.”
Plato 427-347 BC Greek Philosopher
From: http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-22.htm#TopOfPage
quoted in Sanctity of Life, C. Swindoll, Word, 1990, p. 91
Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
John Wooden, former coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball team,
LEADER: Character is the one thing we make in this world and take with us into the next. The circumstances amid which you live determine your reputation; the truth you believe determines your character.
From: http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-22.htm#TopOfPage
1. Reputation is what you are supposed to be; Character is what you are.
2. Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community; Character is what you have when you go away.
3. Reputation is made in a moment; Character is built in a lifetime.
4. Reputation grows like a mushroom; Character grows like an oak.
5. Your reputation is learned in an hour; Your character is does not come to light for a year.
6. A single newspaper report gives your reputation; a life of toil gives you your character.
7. Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor; Character makes you happy or makes you miserable.
8. Reputation is what men say about you on your tombstone; Character is what angels say about you before the throne of God.
9. Your character is what God knows you to be. Your reputation is what men think you are.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #6
“A man's reputation is what other people think of him; his character is what he really is.” Jack Miner, author
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #7
“Men show their character in nothing more clearly than what they think laughable.”
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe 1749-1832 German poet, novelist, playwright, philosopher, one of the greatest figures in Western literature
The Integrity Crisis by Warren W. Wiersbe, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991, pp. 75-76
From: http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-22.htm#TopOfPage
Will Rogers was known for his laughter, but he also knew how to weep. One day he was entertaining at the Milton H. Berry Institute in Los Angeles, a hospital that specialized in rehabilitating polio victims and people with broken backs and other extreme physical handicaps. Of course, Rogers had everybody laughing, even patients in really bad condition; but then he suddenly left the platform and went to the rest room. Milton Berry followed him to give him a towel; and when he opened the door, he saw Will Rogers leaning against the wall, sobbing like a child. He closed the door, and in a few minutes, Rogers appeared back on the platform, as jovial as before.
If you want to learn what a person is really like, ask three questions: What makes him laugh? What makes him angry? What makes him weep? These are fairly good tests of character that are especially appropriate for Christian leaders.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE # 8
From: http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-22.htm#TopOfPage
“The best index to a person’s character is (a) how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can’t fight back.” Abigail Van Buren, US advise columnist “Dear Abby”
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE # 9
From: http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_character.html
“A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803-1882 American author, poet and philosopher
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE # 10
When wealth is lost, nothing is lost;
When health is
lost, something is lost;
When character is
lost, all is lost.
From: http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_character.html
“I have conquered an empire but I have not been able to conquer myself.’
Peter The Great 1672-1725 Emperor of Russia
Charles Swindoll, Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, pp. 107-8
From: http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-22.htm#TopOfPage
A. who cannot be bought;
B. whose word is their bond;
C. who put character above wealth;
D. who possess opinions and a will;
E. who are larger than their vocations;
F. who do not hesitate to take chances;
G. who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
H. who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
I. who will make no compromise with wrong;
J. whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
K. who will not say they do it” because everybody else does it”;
L. who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity;
M. who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;
N. who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
O. who can say “no” with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says “yes.”
LEADER: Let’s look at a Short Term Investment
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #13
From: http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-22.htm#TopOfPage
“Character is a by-product; it is produced in the great manufacture of daily duty.” Woodrow Wilson 28th President of the United States
HAVE SOMEONE READ: The Sistine chapel
From: Today In The Word, August, 1989, p. 40
http://www.christianglobe.com/Illustrations/theDetails.asp?whichOne=c&whichFile=character
It is said that as the great Michelangelo painted the magnificent frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel--lying on his back for endless hours to finish every detail with great care--a friend asked him why he took such pains with figures that would be viewed from a considerable distance. "After all," the friend said, "Who will notice whether it is perfect or not?" "I will," replied the artist.
LEADER: Let’s look at a Long Term Investment
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE # 14
"A good character is the best
tombstone. Those who loved you, and were helped by you, will remember you when
forget-me-nots are withered. Carve your name on hearts, and not on marble."
Integrity is "a better
long-term investment than the best Certificate of Deposit known to man!"
Charles Spurgeon 1834-1892
It is likely, that no other author ever has been published, distributed, or sold more sermons and books. (http://members.aol.com/pilgrimpub/whoschs.htm)
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #15
http://www.cybernation.com/victory/quotations/subjects/quotes_character.html
“Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconcious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character…”
Dr. Stephen R. Covey Author The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which is ranked as a No. 1 best-seller by the New York Times, having sold more than 12 million copies in 32 languages and 75 countries throughout the world
From: http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-22.htm#TopOfPage
Sow a thought, reap an act;
sow an act, reap a habit;
sow a habit, reap a character;
sow a character, reap a destiny.
Source unknown
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #16
From: Who You Are When No One’s Looking, Bill Hybels, IVP, 1987, p. 7
From: http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-22.htm#TopOfPage
“Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.” Phillips Brooks 1835-1893 American clergyman and author
HAVE SOMEONE READ: QUOTE #17
“Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.”
James A. Michener 1907-1997 Epics Novelist
LEADER: LET’S LOOK AT SOME WAYS TO as Will Rogers said:
“Live in such a way that you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”
Will Rogers 1879-1935 Performer, journalist, philosopher
From: http://www.ezillustrator.com/
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-08-21-00.shtml
The Word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. —
Psalm 33:4
Part of the unspoken code among the settlers of the American West was that a man always kept his word. That explains why Andrew Garcia made a 1,300-mile trek in 1879 to pay a debt. In September of the previous year he had bought supplies in Bozeman, Montana, to hunt buffalo. The 10 pack-mules, ammunition, food, and gear cost him $300 more than he had, so a merchant loaned him the rest. He promised to pay it back by January 1.
The winter snows came early that year, however, and Garcia couldn't get back to Bozeman. His travels took him through Colorado and down into New Mexico. Finally, a year later, he headed back to Bozeman. "Don't bother," his buddies told him. But Garcia believed in keeping his word, so he returned and paid the debt.
Followers of Christ should also be known as people of integrity. If we say we'll help with a Sunday school class, or assist in the nursery, or spend time with a family member, or complete a job as agreed, do we keep our word even if something better comes along? Are we true to our word?
God's promises are never broken (Psalm 119:160), and what He does, He does in truth (Psalm 33:4). As His followers, our words are to be as true as His Word. —DCE
I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care:
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare. —Walter
One who values God's Word will keep his own word.
As for me, I will walk in my integrity.
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-08-02-99.shtml
One side of Harry Elders' business card had a photo of his smiling face. On the other side was his motto: "Integrity Can Be Communicated."
For half a century, Harry worked as a narrator and actor in radio and TV. One of his favorite ongoing projects was Unshackled, a Chicago-based radio show dramatizing conversions to Christ. But whether he was narrating a film about foreign missions or a promotional video for a bank, his integrity permeated everything he did. There was no conflict between his walk and his talk. When you hired Harry, you got all of him--virtue, kindness, and principle.
After Harry died, a local newspaper had a column of tribute titled: "A voice of integrity is silenced, but its messages will live on."
People like Harry remind us of what David wrote in Psalm 26. It begins and ends with integrity: "I have walked in my integrity" (v.1), and "I will walk in my integrity" (v.11). In between these statements he wrote, "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart" (v.2). David's desire was to be pure before the Lord so that he could worship and tell of all His wondrous works (vv.6-7).
Integrity can be communicated--when we are true to the Lord everywhere, all the time. --DCM
Lord, help me put away deceit
And live a life that's true--
And may there be integrity
In all I say and do. --Sper
There is no legacy as rich as integrity.
HAVE SOMEONE
READ: 1 Peter 1:13-16
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled;
set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.
14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had
when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy,
so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am
holy."[
HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Start With One Step” 2/12/01 Our Daily Bread
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/odb/odb-02-12-01.shtml
I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. —Leviticus 11:44
"Be holy, for I am holy." Is there any command more difficult to obey? Probably not, yet there it is in God's Word (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16).
But how can we be as holy as God? After all, the reason we must trust Jesus as Savior in the first place is because we are not holy. "All have sinned," Romans 3:23 tells us. And even after we put our faith in Christ for salvation, how can we think about being as holy as God is?
The challenge of trying to match God in the holiness category can seem far too complicated to attempt. But if we yield to the Holy Spirit who lives in us and convicts us, we will grow.
Taking one step at a time should help. For instance, what is one thing you do or say or think that does not reflect God's holiness? Maybe you treat others harshly. Or you have a secret sin. Tackle that area today. Talk to God about it. Ask His forgiveness. Then, by His power, seek to overcome it.
Or think of this: What one thing can you do to enhance your relationship with God? The more time you spend with Him, the more you will become like Him.
Little by little, step by step, work to rid your life of unholy behavior. And strive each day to grow closer to God. As a believer in Jesus Christ, there is no greater challenge. —JDB
Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God's children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek. —Longstaff
For a Christlike walk, keep in step with Christ.
LEADER: How do we be holy as He is holy?
HAVE SOMEONE READ: Isaiah 33:15
He who walks righteously and speaks
with sincerity,
He who rejects unjust gain
And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;
HAVE SOMEONE READ: 1 Peter 2:12b
“Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
LEADER “Honorable Conduct” EXCERPT Today’s Word 6/27/97
http://www.crusade.org/word/word539.html
Application:
Whether we like it or not, every Christian is an advertisement for Christianity. By our lives we either commend Christ to others or we make people censure Him or think less of Him.
Since the word "honorable" means "beautiful," we adorn our testimony by our behavior. It is the outer life that strikes the eye. Is your Christian life winsome? Is your life attractive? God wants us to live a life appropriate to our profession. Our life should match the gospel.
We often hear the phrase, "What you are speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say." Another phrase is, "I’d rather see a sermon than hear a sermon any day." Living the life before them will make a much greater impact.
The closer we live to people the less we need to say. There are certain things we avoid even though they may not be sinful. They may be course, off-color, shady, and beneath the dignity of the child of God.
The Christian is an ad for God. God not only wants us to live a life of integrity but He wants us to appear to live that life as well.
HAVE SOMEONE READ: Deuteronomy 6:6
These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. –
A successful advertising agency has inscribed these words on the floor of a rotunda in its headquarters: Community, Integrity, Restlessness, Freedom and Responsibility, Curiosity and Winning. As employees pass by, they are reminded of the company's core values.
It has become common for businesses to display their central beliefs in prominent places. But it's not exactly a new idea.
At a critical time when God's people moved from desert wandering into the Promised Land, the Lord charged them to take His core values and demonstrate them in a variety of ways: "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them . . . . You shall bind them as a sign on your hand . . . . Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (Dt. 6:7-9).
How would it revolutionize your life, for example, if you viewed the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1-17) as God's core values? Have the character traits of loyalty to God (v.3), faithfulness in marriage (v.14), and honesty (vv.15-16) become the principles that guide your thinking and actions?
In your heart, home, and workplace, put God's core values on public display. –DCM
God's core values are so plain,
We should ever teach and train
Others to obey His law,
Bow and worship Him in awe. –Hess
Core values are of no value unless they reflect God's values
HAVE SOMEONE READ: “Transformed by Beholding”
MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST By Oswald Chambers
http://www.gospelcom.net/rbc/utmost/01/23/
We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a
mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image . . .
2 Corinthians 3:18
The greatest characteristic a Christian can exhibit is this completely unveiled openness before God, which allows that person’s life to become a mirror for others. When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors. You can always tell when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord, because your inner spirit senses that he mirrors the Lord’s own character. Beware of anything that would spot or tarnish that mirror in you. It is almost always something good that will stain it—something good, but not what is best.
The most important rule for us is to concentrate on keeping our lives open to God. Let everything else including work, clothes, and food be set aside. The busyness of things obscures our concentration on God. We must maintain a position of beholding Him, keeping our lives completely spiritual through and through. Let other things come and go as they will; let other people criticize us as they will; but never allow anything to obscure the life that "is hidden with Christ in God" ( Colossians 3:3 ). Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him. This is an easy thing to allow, but we must guard against it. The most difficult lesson of the Christian life is learning how to continue "beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord . . ."
HAVE
SOMEONE READ: ST. from sermonillustrator.org
Two brothers were convicted of stealing sheep in the old days in England. In accordance with the brutal punishment of those times, they were branded in the forehead with the letters ST--Sheep Thief. One brother, unable to bear the stigma, fled to a foreign country where he tried to hide himself. He wandered from land to land and at last died full of bitterness, and was buried in a forgotten grave. The other brother repented of his misdeed and did not try to run away from home. He said, "I can't get away from the fact that I once stole sheep, but I will remain here until I win back the respect of my neighbors and my own self-respect.
The years passed, and he gradually established a reputation for respectability and integrity, honesty and worth. At last a stranger in town saw an old man hobbling along with the letters ST branded on his forehead and asked a native what they signified. After thinking for a while, the villager said, "It all happened a long time ago, and I have forgotten the particulars. But I think the letters are an abbreviation for Saint."
There it is--the wonderful grace of God in the penitent, believing heart can change and transform the character and turn the very scars of sin into a badge of honor and beauty.
LEADER: What can we do to kill our character?
From: http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-22.htm#TopOfPage
1. Self-centeredness.
2. Distorting the gospel to serve your agenda .
3. Using your verbal skills to control others.
4. Appetite for power and possessions.
LEADER: What can we do to build our character?
From: http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-22.htm#TopOfPage
CHARACTER BUILDERS:
1. Righteousness: doing what is consistent with God’s character.
2. Godliness: a life of respect and reverence for God.
3. Faith: trust in God.
4. Love: self-sacrifice for God and others.
5. Patience: love that endures.
6. Gentleness: a controlled spirit that can hate sin yet love the sinner.
7. "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17
HAVE SOMEONE READ: Proverbs 2:6-8
6
For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 Guarding the paths of justice,
And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
From: http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-22.htm#TopOfPage
Fame is a
vapor,
Popularity an accident.
Riches take wings.
Only one thing endures,
Character.
- Horace Greely, idealist, founder and editor of the NY Tribune, helped found the New Yorker Magazine which spoke against slavery, was nominated for President in 1982.
Source unknown
QUOTE # 1
“The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.” Thomas B. Macaulay 1800-1859.
English Whig lawyer, politician, essayist, poet and popular historian)
QUOTE # 2
“Character is the result of two things: Mental attitude and the way we spend our time.”
Elbert Hubbard 1856 - 1915 US author
QUOTE # 3
“We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it.”
Abraham Lincoln 16th President of the United States
QUOTE #4
“When men speak ill of thee, live so as nobody may believe them.”
Plato 427-347 BC Greek Philosopher
“Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are. “
John Wooden, former coach of the UCLA Bruins basketball team,
2. Reputation is what you have when you come to a new community;
3. Character is what you have when you go away.
4. Reputation is made in a moment; Character is built in a lifetime.
5. Reputation grows like a mushroom; Character grows like an oak.
6. Your reputation is learned in an hour; Your character is does not come to
light for a year.
7. A single newspaper report gives your reputation; a life of toil gives you
your character.
8. Reputation makes you rich or makes you poor; Character makes you happy or makes you miserable.
9. Reputation is what men say about you on your tombstone; Character is what angels say about you before the throne of God.
10. Your character is what God knows you to be. Your reputation is what men think you are.
QUOTE #6
“A man's reputation is what other people think of him; his character is what he really is.” Jack Miner, author
QUOTE #7
“Men show their character in nothing more clearly than what they think laughable.”
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe 1749-1832 German poet, novelist, playwright, philosopher, one of the greatest figures in Western literature
Will Rogers was known for his laughter, but he also knew how to weep. One day he was entertaining at the Milton H. Berry Institute in Los Angeles, a hospital that specialized in rehabilitating polio victims and people with broken backs and other extreme physical handicaps. Of course, Rogers had everybody laughing, even patients in really bad condition; but then he suddenly left the platform and went to the rest room. Milton Berry followed him to give him a towel; and when he opened the door, he saw Will Rogers leaning against the wall, sobbing like a child. He closed the door, and in a few minutes, Rogers appeared back on the platform, as jovial as before.
If you want to learn what a person is really like, ask three questions: What makes him laugh? What makes him angry? What makes him weep? These are fairly good tests of character that are especially appropriate for Christian leaders.
QUOTE # 8
“The best index to a person’s character is (a) how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can’t fight back.”
Abigail Van Buren, US advise columnist “Dear Abby”
QUOTE # 9
“A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803-1882 American author, poet and philosopher
QUOTE # 10
When wealth is lost, nothing is lost;
When health is
lost, something is lost;
When character is
lost, all is lost.
“I have conquered an empire but I have not been able to conquer myself.’
Peter The Great 1672-1725 Emperor of Russia
A. who cannot be bought;
B. whose word is their bond;
C. who put character above wealth;
D. who possess opinions and a will;
E. who are larger than their vocations;
F. who do not hesitate to take chances;
G. who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
H. who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
I. who will make no compromise with wrong;
J. whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
K. who will not say they do it” because everybody else does it”;
L. who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity;
M. who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;
N. who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
O. who can say “no” with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says “yes.”
QUOTE #13
“Character is a by-product; it is produced in the great manufacture of daily duty.” Woodrow Wilson 28th President of the United States
The Sistine chapel
It is said that as the great Michelangelo painted the magnificent frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel--lying on his back for endless hours to finish every detail with great care--a friend asked him why he took such pains with figures that would be viewed from a considerable distance. "After all," the friend said, "Who will notice whether it is perfect or not?" "I will," replied the artist.
QUOTE # 14
"A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you, and were helped by you, will remember you when forget-me-nots are withered. Carve your name on hearts, and not on marble." Integrity is "a better long-term investment than the best Certificate of Deposit known to man!" Charles Spurgeon 1834-1892 Christian Author
QUOTE #15
“Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconcious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character…”
Dr. Stephen R. Covey Author The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which is ranked as a No. 1 best-seller by the New York Times, having sold more than 12 million copies in 32 languages and 75 countries throughout the world
Sow a thought, reap an act;
sow an act, reap a habit;
sow a habit, reap a character;
sow a character, reap a destiny.
Source unknown
QUOTE #16
“Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.” Phillips Brooks 1835-1893 American clergyman and author
QUOTE #17
“Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth tries.”
James A. Michener 1907-1997 Epics Novelist
Psalm 26:11
Isaiah 33:15
1 Peter 2:12b
Deuteronomy 6:6
A successful advertising agency has inscribed these words on the floor of a rotunda in its headquarters: Community, Integrity, Restlessness, Freedom and Responsibility, Curiosity and Winning. As employees pass by, they are reminded of the company's core values.
It has become common for businesses to display their central beliefs in prominent places. But it's not exactly a new idea.
At a critical time when God's people moved from desert wandering into the Promised Land, the Lord charged them to take His core values and demonstrate them in a variety of ways: "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them . . . . You shall bind them as a sign on your hand . . . . Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates" (Dt. 6:7-9).
How would it revolutionize your life, for example, if you viewed the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1-17) as God's core values? Have the character traits of loyalty to God (v.3), faithfulness in marriage (v.14), and honesty (vv.15-16) become the principles that guide your thinking and actions?
In your heart, home, and workplace, put God's core values on public display. –DCM
How would it revolutionize your life, for example, if you viewed the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1-17) as God's core values? Have the character traits of loyalty to God (v.3), faithfulness in marriage (v.14), and honesty (vv.15-16) become the principles that guide your thinking and actions?
In your heart, home, and workplace, put God's core values on public display. –DCM
God's core
values are so plain,
We should ever teach and train
Others to obey His law,
Bow and worship Him in awe. –Hess
Core values are of no value unless they reflect God's values
“Transformed by Beholding”
We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a
mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image . . .
2 Corinthians 3:18
The greatest characteristic a Christian can exhibit is this completely unveiled openness before God, which allows that person’s life to become a mirror for others. When the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, and by beholding God we become mirrors. You can always tell when someone has been beholding the glory of the Lord, because your inner spirit senses that he mirrors the Lord’s own character. Beware of anything that would spot or tarnish that mirror in you. It is almost always something good that will stain it—something good, but not what is best.
The most important rule for us is to concentrate on keeping our lives open to God. Let everything else including work, clothes, and food be set aside. The busyness of things obscures our concentration on God. We must maintain a position of beholding Him, keeping our lives completely spiritual through and through. Let other things come and go as they will; let other people criticize us as they will; but never allow anything to obscure the life that "is hidden with Christ in God" ( Colossians 3:3 ). Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him. This is an easy thing to allow, but we must guard against it. The most difficult lesson of the Christian life is learning how to continue "beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord . . ."
“Start With One Step”
I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. —Leviticus 11:44
"Be holy, for I am holy." Is there any command more difficult to obey? Probably not, yet there it is in God's Word (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:16).
But how can we be as holy as God? After all, the reason we must trust Jesus as Savior in the first place is because we are not holy. "All have sinned," Romans 3:23 tells us. And even after we put our faith in Christ for salvation, how can we think about being as holy as God is?
The challenge of trying to match God in the holiness category can seem far too complicated to attempt. But if we yield to the Holy Spirit who lives in us and convicts us, we will grow.
Taking one step at a time should help. For instance, what is one thing you do or say or think that does not reflect God's holiness? Maybe you treat others harshly. Or you have a secret sin. Tackle that area today. Talk to God about it. Ask His forgiveness. Then, by His power, seek to overcome it.
Or think of this: What one thing can you do to enhance your relationship with God? The more time you spend with Him, the more you will become like Him.
Little by little, step by step, work to rid your life of unholy behavior. And strive each day to grow closer to God. As a believer in Jesus Christ, there is no greater challenge. —JDB
Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God's children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek. —Longstaff
For a Christlike walk, keep in step with Christ.
The Word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. — Psalm 33:4
Part of the unspoken code among the settlers of the American West was that a man always kept his word. That explains why Andrew Garcia made a 1,300-mile trek in 1879 to pay a debt. In September of the previous year he had bought supplies in Bozeman, Montana, to hunt buffalo. The 10 pack-mules, ammunition, food, and gear cost him $300 more than he had, so a merchant loaned him the rest. He promised to pay it back by January 1.
The winter snows came early that year, however, and Garcia couldn't get back to Bozeman. His travels took him through Colorado and down into New Mexico. Finally, a year later, he headed back to Bozeman. "Don't bother," his buddies told him. But Garcia believed in keeping his word, so he returned and paid the debt.
Followers of Christ should also be known as people of integrity. If we say we'll help with a Sunday school class, or assist in the nursery, or spend time with a family member, or complete a job as agreed, do we keep our word even if something better comes along? Are we true to our word?
God's promises are never broken (Psalm 119:160), and what He does, He does in truth (Psalm 33:4). As His followers, our words are to be as true as His Word. —DCE
I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care:
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare. —Walter
One who values God's Word will keep his own word.
“Communicating Integrity”
One side of Harry Elders' business card had a photo of his smiling face. On the other side was his motto: "Integrity Can Be Communicated."
For half a century, Harry worked as a narrator and actor in radio and TV. One of his favorite ongoing projects was Unshackled, a Chicago-based radio show dramatizing conversions to Christ. But whether he was narrating a film about foreign missions or a promotional video for a bank, his integrity permeated everything he did. There was no conflict between his walk and his talk. When you hired Harry, you got all of him--virtue, kindness, and principle.
After Harry died, a local newspaper had a column of tribute titled: "A voice of integrity is silenced, but its messages will live on."
People like Harry remind us of what David wrote in Psalm 26. It begins and ends with integrity: "I have walked in my integrity" (v.1), and "I will walk in my integrity" (v.11). In between these statements he wrote, "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart" (v.2). David's desire was to be pure before the Lord so that he could worship and tell of all His wondrous works (vv.6-7).
Integrity can be communicated--when we are true to the Lord everywhere, all the time. --DCM
Lord, help me
put away deceit
And live a life that's true--
And may there be integrity
In all I say and do. --Sper
There is no legacy as rich as integrity.
ST.
Two brothers were convicted of stealing sheep in the old days in England. In accordance with the brutal punishment of those times, they were branded in the forehead with the letters ST--Sheep Thief. One brother, unable to bear the stigma, fled to a foreign country where he tried to hide himself. He wandered from land to land and at last died full of bitterness, and was buried in a forgotten grave. The other brother repented of his misdeed and did not try to run away from home. He said, "I can't get away from the fact that I once stole sheep, but I will remain here until I win back the respect of my neighbors and my own self-respect.
The years passed, and he gradually established a reputation for respectability and integrity, honesty and worth. At last a stranger in town saw an old man hobbling along with the letters ST branded on his forehead and asked a native what they signified. After thinking for a while, the villager said, "It all happened a long time ago, and I have forgotten the particulars. But I think the letters are an abbreviation for Saint."
There it is--the wonderful grace of God in the penitent, believing heart can change and transform the character and turn the very scars of sin into a badge of honor and beauty.