On Sound Speech, Part 5

Read the series.

How else can we speak like God?

Lovingly

That we henceforth be no more children, … but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things. (Ep 4.14-15)

We’re inclined to speak in ways that benefit ourselves. We want to win the argument. We want to defend our choices. We want to tell a good story—better than the other guy’s—and be the center of attention.

Discussion

When the Paychecks Stop: Spiritual Care for the Unemployed

Body

“When we stand with those who have lost jobs—validating their pain, meeting practical needs, and consistently pointing to their unshakable identity in Christ—we embody the gospel in desperately needed ways.” - TGC

Discussion

Always Walk into, Not Away from, People’s Grief

Body

“People I knew and loved walked in the other direction. A friend finally dared to approach me with a hug and talk with me. Once the ice was broken, a few others joined. But until that moment, it was like the parting of the Red Sea. They just didn’t know what to say.” - Randy Alcorn

Discussion

Welcome One Another

Body

“The Lord calls believers to love, forgive, and accept one another—precisely because He has loved, forgiven, and accepted us in Christ.” - Ligonier

Discussion

A Christian response to immigration

Body

“Immigration, particularly unauthorized immigration, presents complex challenges. Our laws need compassion, clarity and enforcement…. Laws help maintain order and safety in a society. However, much of the rhetoric dominating conversations and social media is unproductive and divisive.” - Baptist Press

Discussion

Being Hated and Hating Others

Hatred of any human being is never an option for a believer in Jesus Christ.

It is easy to sinfully justify hatred, especially when the world, the community around us, encourages it. Hatred, a lust that already exists in the human heart in seminal form, doesn’t need a lot of stoking to bring it to a raging flame.

Discussion

What Does ‘Love Your Enemies’ Not Mean?

Body

“How do we square Jesus’s command to ‘love our enemies’ with David saying ‘I hate … my enemies’? Four realities from Psalm 139 help us see that Jesus and David aren’t in conflict” - TGC

Discussion

Benefits of Being a Good Neighbor

Body

“during the Plague of Cyprian in the third century…. Christians stayed behind in the cities to provide medical care, community support, and God-centered conversation for sufferers. Pagans ran away from their neighbors. Christians moved near.” - TGC

Discussion

In Praise of Plodders

Body

“Such daily showing up, Dyck argues, may not look like much at first glance, but it is quietly revolutionary. It is the key for healthy marriage and family life, for building friendships, and for growing spiritually.” - Mere Orthodoxy

Discussion