Have a Heart: Growing in Christian Compassion
A practical Christian study of “Have a Heart: Growing in Christian Compassion,” with clear application for faith, relationships, and everyday life.
Have A Heart
Play the original Excel Still More episode here without leaving the article.
Begin with the truth
Not just a heart for God and not just a heart for saved people, but a heart that loves God to whatever extent we can express it and loves our neighbors with that same will to show it. Like I said, maybe you didn't hear a lot of this wherever you were growing up, but listen, this isn't about passing judgment on your parents or the preacher where you grew up or any of that.
This is about saying, God has put money in my pocket, God has put opportunities in front of me, and God has surrounded me with beautiful souls, some of whom I know and others that I meet every day.
What this reveals about God
And maybe this speaks to some of the shortcomings in the church over the years, but I have always put a much heavier emphasis on the letters that follow the Gospels than the Gospels themselves. I mean, I teach about the parables of Jesus and the miracles and the Sermon on the Mount, but a tremendous amount of emphasis is put upon the organization of the church, the work of the local church, the worship of the local church, all that pattern stuff in the epistles.
But if we aren't careful, you and me, we can put so much emphasis on getting things right in who we are as a church and what we do that we forget who we are to be from the heart as individual reflections of Jesus in this world.
Let faith take root
And then there was the man who had two sons, and one of his sons left him and squandered all of his possessions in the world, but when he came back to the Father, there was a great feast thrown in his honor. The other brother, of course, representing the Pharisees, was mad about it, because he loved himself more than he loved his brother and his father.
Jesus is like, if you lost one percent of your sheep, you'd be excited when you got it back.
Respond in daily life
And this week, if God puts someone in your life who needs help with their body or their soul, give thanks to him and have a heart.life to sign up for the email, order the three-month journal, or just catch up on old episodes. And also, if you are looking for financial advice or future planning, give John Cunningham a call today, 205 913 1720.
And remember this whatever you choose to do today, in the name of the Lord Jesus, excel still more.
Take the idea with you.
- 01Where do I see the problem or opportunity described in “Have a Heart: Growing in Christian Compassion” in my own life?
- 02What Scripture or spiritual principle in this study most needs my attention?
- 03What one specific change can I make this week to put this teaching into practice?
Prefer listening?
The original episode player is available near the top of this article, so you can listen without leaving the page.