Stop the name-calling

You think we'd know that calling people names isn't the way to win friends and influence people. You would think we'd know that. But in practice, we don't act like we know it.

How often do we call our opponents, the very people we'd love to win over to our side, some kind of name that immediately turns them off?

I'm reading a book right now called, Think Like a Freak, and currently I'm in a chapter titled, How to persuade people who don't want to be persuaded. It's my favorite chapter of the book so far because the title's sort of at the core of who we are as Hub City Church. It should really be a guiding pursuit of anyone who calls themselves a follower of Jesus.

One of their profound pieces of advice is to keep the insults to yourself. The authors say, Have we mentioned that name-calling is a really bad idea if you wish to persuade someone who doesn't want to be persuaded?

Reading that I'm sure you're saying to yourself, "Well, duh."

But even though this seems like common sense we're constantly putting down, insulting, or name-calling those who think/believe/act/behave differently than us. We say things that further the divide of us vs. them.

So how's that working for you?

Maybe there's a better way to persuade others who don't want to be persuaded. Instead of name-calling we need a strategy that has as it's foundation respect and dignity. We need a strategy that prioritizes relationship. 

If you call yourself a Christian, that's the exact strategy your heavenly father used to persuade you. Maybe we should all follow his example.

Soundtrack

A good soundtrack can make or break a movie. Epic movies have an equally epic soundtrack.

What's interesting about a soundtrack, however, is that most of the time we don't even know it's there, but it's there, and it's impacting how we feel and perceive what's going on around us.

But soundtracks aren't just for movies. We all have a soundtrack playing in the background of our lives. Too many of us have the wrong soundtrack.

Join us at Hub City Church this Sunday as we kick off a new series called Soundtrack. 10 AM - Spartan 16 Movie Theater.

One thing that will exponentially improve your quality of life

What if I were to tell you that you could do one thing that has the potential to exponentially improve your quality of life and that it won't cost you a dime?

You might say I was crazy. And while there may be merit to that statement it wouldn't take away from the truth that I believe one habit, practiced regularly, can exponentially improve your quality of life.

What is that habit? 

It's the habit of gratitude.

Being thankful, saying "thank you," isn't just for kids. It really is a habit that could exponentially improve your quality of life.

Don't believe me?

Try it out for a week. And to help you get started I've included a short little article by Casey Graham. It was written to church leaders, but it has benefits for all of us. 

Read it and then practice gratitude.

If you're at all like me, it's easier to be ungrateful than it is to be thankful—it's just our natural bent to be that way.   Practicing gratitude is a bit of a challenge. Why? Because it requires effort. It's NOT what comes naturally.   In a recent team meeting, we talked about the proactive practice of gratitude. We were reflecting on this comment by Chris Tomlin: "When we practice gratitude and begin dwelling on the goodness of God, and how He's blessed us, that gratitude purges all the negativity in us." On that note, here are 9 thoughts on gratitude I hope you find encouraging:   1. The more you grow, the more you should thank. Why?   Because the "higher up" we go in life, the more self-centered we tend to become.   2. When you (or your church) have more money, you should be thanking more people.   3. You are not the sole source of your achievements.   4. Whatever (and whomever) we appreciate, appreciates.   Unfortunately, the people closest to us are often the ones  we appreciate the least (family, friends, church volunteers and staff, donors..etc).   5. People are attracted to people who practice gratitude.   6. If you want great things in your life and in your ministry (I'm not talking about loads of money here by-the-way), you've got to practice gratitude.   7. Focus on what you have, not what you don't have.   8. Taking yourself too seriously causes you to not be able to break away from your "world" and recognize the value in other people. This basically becomes a barrier to gratitude.   9. Cicero said "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others." And, Paul said in Philippians 4:6-8 to "be anxious about nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to let our requests be made known to God.

Prepare yourself

I've been thinking lately about why sometimes I feel like God is speaking to me and other times, even though I'm doing the same thing, I hear nothing.

I think it boils down to having a heart that's prepared to hear from God. 

It's funny. I was thinking about this and then I came across the following devotion from Rick Warren. I think he captures what I want to say better than I can say it:

Let’s say you’re a gardener. You’ve learned that you can take the exact same seed and plant it in three different locations and get three different results. In one spot, you’ll get giant tomatoes. In another, you’ll get small tomatoes. And in a third, you’ll get nothing. What’s the difference? It’s not the seed; it’s the soil. The soil must be prepared for the seed.

The same is true when you hear God’s Word. Your heart has to be prepared for the Word. If you get up late, have trouble finding a parking spot, and are irritated as you rush into church, you’re probably not going to hear God’s voice! You’re not in a receptive mood.

That’s why you can take two people to church, set them side-by-side, and one will walk out thinking God really spoke to him and the other won’t get anything out of the service. The heart of one person was prepared; the other’s heart wasn’t.

The Bible says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:19b-21 NIV).

For good reception, this passage teaches that you have to have four attitudes:

• You must be quiet. You can’t hear God if you’re talking.
• You have to be calm. You can’t rush God. If you’re frantic, you’re not going to hear him. The Bible says, “Be still and know that I am God.” My translation of that is: “Sit down, and shut up.”
• You have to be clean. Before you can meet with God, you need to take out your emotional and spiritual garbage. You need to get rid of the stuff that stinks in your life. You get rid of the garbage by confessing your sin to God and agreeing with him that what you did was wrong.
• You need to be humble. Be ready to do whatever God tells you from his Word. A prideful attitude won’t work.

I especially resonate what he says about being calm. I am too often rushed.

In light of what Rick says, I have a challenge to issue, especially if you call Hub City Church your church home. Before you come to our worship gathering on Sunday, prepare yourself. Before you show up at your Hub Group, prepare yourself.

Aim for the fly

In his new book, The Grave Robber, Mark Batterson shares the following story:

In theri brilliant book Nudge, authors Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Suntein cite some fascinating examples of the way small and seemingly insignificant details can have a major impact on behavior. The men's restrooms at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam are a good example. When the restroom designer etched the image of a black houselfly into each urinal, it reduced spillage by 80 percent. According to Aad Kieboom, the man who came up with the idea, "If a man sees a fly, he aims at it."

I love that. It makes me wonder: What small and seemingly insignificant actions or behaviors or attitudes could transform our lives in significant ways?

We often think that big things make the biggest difference. What if that's wrong? What if we could do a few small and seemingly insignificant things? 

Here are some ideas: Read the Bible each day. Talk with God throughout your day. Limit your time on social media. Add some silence to your day. Say no. Say yes.

What's a small thing that could make a big difference for you?

While we're figuring that out I think it might be time for those of us with boys at home to etch some flies into our toilets.

A glimpse into the world of boys

Anybody that has boys, or works with boys, has wondered at one time or all the time, “What is going on in their head and in their world?”

Rosalind Wiseman gives us a glimpse in her book Masterminds and Wingmen.

As a father of three boys who wants to be a better father of my boys, this book is both fascinating and helpful. It’s fascinating in the sense that it gives those of us outside of boy world a glimpse into boy world. It’s helpful in that if gives practical advice about how to handle the plethora of boy world issues that our boys face on a daily basis.

She covers topics like gaming, girls, sports, the pressures that come from the Act-Like-A-Man-Box and the hierarchy that exists in boy world. Some of the topics were very relevant to my family situation. Others were interesting but not all that helpful. I didn't agree with everything she said or recommended, but that doesn't take away the value of this book which is why I highly recommend it for all parents of boys and anyone who works with boys on a regular basis.

An added bonus is her free book called The Guide for teen boys. I downloaded it for my boys and one of them has already devoured all 300+ pages. 

I need to make a disclaimer: I am a follower of Jesus, a Christian. For my fellow Christian friends: Neither of these books are written from a Christian perspective. I don't think that's a problem, but it is something you need to know, especially if you encourage your son to read The Guide. I'm not afraid of my boys reading stuff from a non-Christian perspective. I don't think you should be either. But I do think it's important to talk about different world views.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for review.

Don't give up on growth

I read this devotion from Rick Warren today and it was too good to keep to myself.

“Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.” (Romans 6:13 NLT)

Have you ever wondered why doesn’t God answer your prayers immediately? There are a couple of reasons.

The first reason is that he wants to know if you’re really serious. There’s a difference between a desire and a whim. When you have preschoolers you learn this. They ask, “Daddy, can I have this?” You answer, “No,” and they forget it. If they keep saying it over and over, it’s not a whim; it’s a desire.

God doesn’t answer whims. If you don’t care about praying about it more than once, it’s a whim. So God wants to see if you really mean business.

The second reason is that God is not a vending machine where you put in a prayer and the answer immediately pops out. God doesn’t serve you; you serve him.

If God answered every one of your prayers instantly, you would be the most self-centered person on the planet. Remember the movie “Bruce Almighty”? Jim Carrey’s character was given the ability to get anything he prayed for instantly. Whatever he asked for, he got it. He basically ruled the world! He also turned into a pretty terrible person.

You know the mess you’re in right now? You didn’t get into it instantly. You didn’t just make one bad choice; you made a lot of bad choices. So God has to peel the onion, one layer at a time.

If you’re serious about letting God change your life, you’ve got to hang on and not give up until God blesses you. Most people miss God’s best because they give up too soon. They give up in the struggle.

Don’t do it. Commit to God changing you — in his time. Don’t let go until he chooses to bless you.

Recovery is a process. Healing is a process. Growth is a process. It’s not a one-time event.

The Bible says in Romans 6:13, “Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God” (NLT).

Maybe we should write a marriage book

I have read that everyone has a book in them. I'm not sure if I think that is true but I think I may have a book or two in me, but the question that keeps me paralyzed is, "What would I write about?"

I could write about planting a church. Actually, I have the outline of a book already written. Nathan was impressed that I have 12 chapters. But who wants to read a church planting book from someone like me? 

Liz and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary this past Sunday. Over and over again we heard three thing: Congrats, 18 years is a long time, and how do you do it?

I know a lot of people who are having a tough time in the marriages. Some of my good friends are separated or divorced. I saw today that an old friend of mine is separated. It breaks my heart. 

We don't have a perfect marriage. There's no such thing. But I love my marriage. I love being married. And I love Liz. 

All this got me thinking that maybe we have something from our experience to share. 

So maybe we should write a marriage book. It's just an idea. In the meantime, if you need advice, ask. I would love to chat with you.

Another reason to be a Clemson fan

The wait is over. College football starts tonight! For those of you (not to mention any names, Mike Adler...) who are still unsure who you should support let me share the follower WSJ article and graphic. Go Tigers!!!

Following three consecutive 10-win seasons, including back-to-back top 10 finishes on the field, coupled with four straight years ranked among the top 10 percent in the NCAA’s Academic Progress Report, Clemson football again is perched in the top right corner of the Wall Street Journal’s grid of “admirable” and “powerhouse” programs.

(The WSJ grid is available HERE - WSJ Chart

Clemson is the only FBS program nationally to finish each of the last three seasons in the top 25 of both polls on the field, and in the top 10 percent of APR scores in the classroom. Clemson and Stanford are the only two FBS programs with a top 10 final ranking in the USA Today Coaches poll and a top 10 percent ranking in FBS APR scores each of the last two years.

The Journal places teams across an x-axis based upon on-field success with a y-axis correlated to off-field reputation. According to the article:

We decided the thin line between admirable and embarrassing with a weighted calculation of every team's academic performance, NCAA violation and probationary record, attendance figures, off-season arrests, total funding it takes from the university or state and amount that student fees subsidize the athletic department.

This is the Wall Street Journal’s fourth annual grid, and Clemson has been in the top right quadrant each of the last two years.

Small parenting wins

There's no such thing as a perfect parent. If you're a parent then you know this because, well, you're you. 

Even though there's no such thing as a perfect parent there are times when we, as parents, feel like we had a win.

I had a small win yesterday.

Ever since our boys were born I've been praying that as they grow older they will still want to spend time with us. I want my kids, when they are grown up, to want to spend time and have a relationship with Liz and I. That's a really big win for Liz and I.

Yesterday Nathan came home with information about his 8th grade field trip to NYC. He shared his plan to pay for over half of it himself if we can pay for the other half. That's a pretty good plan. But then he told me that he really, really wanted me to go because I'm a great chaperon. He said it a number of times.

That's a win in my book. He, as a 13 year old, actually wants his dad to go on a trip to NYC with him and his friends and spend time with him. 

Now let me be clear: Life is not always like this. As anyone who's ever had an adolescent knows, life is a roller coaster of emotions and this afternoon there may be a shout fest in my home, but yesterday we had a win.

So what's a win for you? I think small wins are what keeps us moving forward as parents. 

Now I guess I'm headed downtown to start panhandling in order to get some money to pay the outrageous cost for the field trip. If you're interested, I may have a kidney for sale.

Character matters

If this is your first time reading along on this blog then let me tell you something that all 4 of the other readers already know. I'm a pastor. I have the privilege of pastoring an awesome church family in Spartanburg, SC called Hub City Church. 

While being a pastor is a privilege, it is also a huge responsibility. 

I'm sure you know this, but those of us who do this Christianity thing full time as a job (think pastor, worship leader, church staff, etc) are held to a higher standard by God. Let me show you what I'm talking about.

James says it this way: Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. - James 3:1

Paul says it this way in 1 Timothy 3: 

This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position.”² So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. ³ He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. ⁴ He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. ⁵ For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?⁶ An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. ⁷ Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap.⁸ In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. ⁹ They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. ¹⁰ Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons.¹¹ In the same way, their wives must be respected and must not slander others. They must exercise self-control and be faithful in everything they do.¹² A deacon must be faithful to his wife, and he must manage his children and household well.¹³ Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus.

In light of those two passages I think the following quote I read today is of immense relevance:

When the Bible lays out qualifications to ministry, it is character that rules every time. The Bible says little about skill and less still about results. It heralds character. Numerical growth and shared theology are wonderful, but insufficient. It is character that qualifies a man to ministry. God’s Word could hardly be clearer in this regard. - Tim Challies

Character matters. 

With that in mind I would ask that you pray for me. I want to get to the end of my life having lived with Christlike Character, and having lived a life worthy of the calling I've received.

But character doesn't just matter for people who do what I do. Character matters for you. It makes you someone worth knowing and following. Since that's the case I'm also praying that you will be a person of Christlike Character as well.

Slow to speak

How many times have you said something, only later to look back with regret over what came out of your mouth? If you're like most of us, you can't count that high. We are all guilty of saying things we regret.

Maybe that's why we should pay attention to what Jesus' brother, James, says in James 1:19-20 - My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

James tells us to do 3 things: Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

I heard someone say one time that you have two ears and one mouth so you should listen twice as much as she speak. I'm not sure that's an appropriate ratio.

Maybe we should follow the writer of the book of Ecclesiastes when he says, let your words be few.

Imagine what could happen to your level of conflict if you did what James tells you to do? It may not erase all of your conflict but I bet it would significantly decrease your conflict.

For

What if we were known more for what we're for than what we're against? What if that's the way God wanted it to be in the first place?

Join us at Hub City Church this Sunday at 10 AM as we kick off a new teaching series called For.

Everyone's invited. Come as you are.

Fight for your marriage

I read this today and wanted to share it with my friends who are in difficult relationships. May God give you the courage to fight for your marriage.

How to Rekindle Lost Love by Rick Warren “You have left the love you had in the beginning. So remember where you were before you fell. Change your hearts and do what you did at first.” (Revelation 2:4-5 NCV) At first glance you may not think the book of Revelation — with its images of beasts, lambs, and angels — has anything to do with romance and the kind of affection needed to sustain a growing marriage. But it does. In Revelation 2:4-5, Jesus uses an analogy from romantic love to describe the relationship of a church that had gone astray. Jesus said to the church of Laodicea: “You have left the love you had in the beginning. So remember where you were before you fell. Change your hearts and do what you did at first” (NCV). He tells us to do four things that are important when recapturing our marriage: remember, return, repent, and repeat. Remember. Think about what you did in your first days together that made you fall in love in the first place. Think about the happy days. Stop thinking about all the problems you have now, and remember how your love began. Return. Return your focus to God. Your focus is likely on everything but God. It’s likely on your problems, your pressures, your stresses, and your career. But if you want to return to your first love, you need to turn your attention back to God. Repent. Choose to change how you think and act. Love isn’t a feeling, but it creates feelings — sometimes enormous feelings. But love is a choice. It’s a commitment to put someone else’s best interest over your own. Anything other than that isn’t love. God couldn’t command it if it were a feeling. Yet God commands us over and over in his Word to choose to love others (including our spouses). When you make a choice to love your spouse as Jesus would when you haven’t been doing so, that’s called repentance. Do what you did at first. Do what you did when you first fell in love. Feelings always follow actions. It’s easier to act your way into a feeling than to feel your way into an action. If you wait to feel affectionate and romantic, the devil will make sure you never feel it. So you choose to act in a loving way, and the feelings will come back. The kind of affection that leads to a lasting relationship tends to seep out of marriages. It’s almost inevitable at some point. But how will you deal with it when it does? The practice of “remember, return, repent, and repeat” should be continual in any marriage.

The best parenting book ever

Attention all parents:

This is the best parenting book I have ever read. 

I promise I am not exagerating. It really is the best parenting book I've ever read. 

If I won the lottery I would buy this book for every parent I know. That's how much I want you to read it. But I haven't won the lottery yet, so that means you need to buy your own copy. It's well worth the $10. 

So don't waste any more time reading my blog post. Head on over to Amazon and order you a copy right now.

A great post: The Problem with 50 Shades of Grey

As most of you know, I'm not a woman. I don't really get the whole 50 Shades of Grey thing. And in full disclosure, I haven't and won't read the books. But I found a great post, written by a woman, to women that you need to read. Liz and I both agree that this post a must read for Christian woman (and I think Christian men should read it too). Enjoy.

Ten To-Dos For Young People

I think these should be memorized.

I'm so much cooler online

Part of my summer schedule involves working at our neighborhood pool while the boys swim off some energy. I sit under the covered porch and use the free wi-fi. It's not a bad place to work, actually. 

Yesterday, while trying to focus on some sermon prep, I overheard two women have a conversation about Facebook and specifically, why they were quitting Facebook.

Basically, they described three reasons for their Facebook abandonment: Everyone seems/looks perfect (perfect body, perfect family, perfect life) online; too much drama (emotions); too much controversy.

And you know what? They really are right about so much of what's posted online.

It reminded me of something I've been thinking about lately. I think those of us who are Christians need to come up with some kind of standard of social media use that contains some form of the following question:

Would someone be able to tell I'm a follower of Jesus, and in-turn want to become a follower of Jesus, by reading my posts online?

Ouch.

That's a convicting question.

I love social media. It helps me stay connected with people. I feel like I know what's going on in people's lives. I've been able to find out what's happening with folks that I haven't seen in years.

But as a follower of Jesus, I want my online life to bring glory to God just like I want my off-line life to bring glory to God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 says, So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Whatever you do includes what you post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Maybe, if we did this, God might just use something as silly as social media to let the world see, experience and come to know Jesus.

The Posture of Humility

There's a video floating around the Internet of a gentleman taking some Mormon missionary kids to task for what they believe. I thought about posting it to give this context, but I'm so disturbed by it that I don't want to give it more airtime than it's already getting. But here's a synopsis:

Basically some Mormon missionaries approach a man in a parking lot hoping to have a conversation where they tell him all about Mormonism and get him to convert. It's what they do. You've seen them riding around our community on their bikes. Well, much to their dismay, this guy is a Christian who knows the Bible, and simply put, he reams them out, leaving them feeling humiliated and looking stupid, while he himself feels awesome for rebuking their false teaching.

What sickened me about the video is the amount of pride, arrogance, hubris and disrespect this gentleman showed in speaking with, and really at, these pour Mormon college kids.

It got me pondering something that I've been thinking about for a while. I think we, and by we I mean Christians in America, have a pride problem. 

So often, by so many people who are the very people we are trying to reach, we are perceived as arrogant. And we all know that even though it shouldn't be this way, perception is reality. When people think of Christians they think we're arrogant.

What leads people to perceive us as arrogant is our tone when talking to people. It's our need to let everyone know that our way is the right way. It's our lack of respect towards people who think and act and believe differently from us. It's how we communicate the truth by shoving it down people's throats or forcing it on them uninvited.

Pride and arrogance are everywhere.

Here's a crazy thought: You can be right but you don't have to tell everyone. Jesus was right, but he didn't go around telling everyone that he was right and they were wrong. He never did that. But we (Christians in America) do. And that's pride. That's arrogance.

And I am convinced that if our posture of arrogance doesn't change to a posture of humility that there is absolutely no hope for the church in America. And the reason I know this is not just speculation, but fact is because both Peter and James tell us that God opposes the proud. 

But God gives grace to the humble.

Think about it: Who would you rather hang out with, someone who is proud or arrogant, or someone who is humble? All of us would choose the humble person. 

Since those are the kind of people we want to hang out with doesn't it make sense that we become that kind of person? 

Here's another thought: I believe that a posture of humility is a more powerful witness than a life of purity. Now don't hear what I'm not saying. I think we should live a life of purity. All of Scripture makes that clear. But what makes us approachable and likable isn't our purity. It's our humility. In other words, approachability and likability cannot be separated from a posture of humility.

Sometimes we use boldness and courage as excuses for pride and arrogance. But we all know that we can be bold and speak with courage and do it with humility. We can even stand for truth and speak the truth in a posture of humility. 

The scary thought is that I know I'm just as guilty of pride and arrogance as the rest of my brothers and sisters. But I don't want to be that way. I want to have a posture of humility.

There is so much more we could say on this topic, but I'll end with a question: What's your posture? God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. May we have the posture of humility.

10 Indications a Church is Making Disciples

I came across a good article today and wanted to pass it along. It's by Ron Edmondson. His writing is very practical. Here you go:

I’ve often heard people say you can’t measure discipleship. I don’t know if that’s true.

It is true that you can’t necessarily put a number or percentage on discipleship growth, but you can tell — over time — if it has happened or is happening.

Here are 10 indications a church is making disciples:

Those who have been in the church the longest complain the least. - Do everything without complaining or arguing. Philippians 2:14

The leaders of the church are most likely to give up “their” seats, park further from the building, or do whatever is necessary to help the Body. – The greatest among you must be a servant.Matthew 23:11

The church celebrates most when those far from faith come to faith. In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! Luke 15:7

Members care that others needs are met more than their own. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:4

The church is willing to make sacrifices to attract the lost – And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Acts 15:19

There is joy even during suffering – Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. James 1:2

The teaching is a balance of truth and grace. Jesus came full of grace and truth. John 1:17

The financial needs of the church are funded, with people willingly sacrificing. No one begs for money. Each person should do as he has decided in his heart–not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

There are no petty disputes and grudges among the people of the church. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

The church takes care of each other well. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. Acts 4:34

Let’s keep this going. These are a few that come to my mind. There are others. Prayer. Forgiveness. I’d love to post again — maybe “21 Indications a Church is Making Disciples”. Add one of your own in the comments. (And, give your Bible reference.) I may choose yours for my next post.