QUOTABLE QUOTES: 

“Kindness is a language which the dumb can speak and the deaf can understand.” C. N. Bovee “Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together.” J. W. von Goethe “Kindness is loving people more than they deserve.” Joseph Joubert “Kindness does not operate well under the spotlight; it is fleeting and fast, shared with a smile, a word, a touch. Kindness is not rehearsed or premeditated; it happens because one has kindness to give, not because kindness is needed.” Eldon Weisheit “Kindness also produces tact – that is, the ability to smooth over awkward situations to say or do the thing that will ease a tense situation or avert an unpleasant scene. If courtesy is the everyday coin of kindness, then tact is the gold.” Eileen Guder

WORD STUDY: 

Chrestotes – in secular Greek this word is used to characterize persons who are honest, respectable, and worthy. It can also mean kindness, friendliness, or mildness. The Hebrew word for kindness in the Old Testament is “hesed,” which is translated “steadfast love,” “unfailing kindness,” “loving-kindness,” or simply “love,” or “kindness.” In most Old Testament passages, “hesed” refers to God’s kindly disposition or action toward us. Paul is the only New Testament writer to use “chrestotes;” in his writings it denoted God’s gracious attitude and action toward sinners. See Titus 3:4-7 as an example. Paul also uses the same word to refer to how the great experience of God’s kindness works itself out in our kindness to others. See Colossians 3:12 and 2 Corinthians 6:6. 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: 

1. Read Psalm 103. According to verses 2-5, what kind and loving things has God done for us? 

2. How is God’s loving-kindness revealed in the way He treats those who have sinned? Cf. Psalm 103:8-12. 

3. Reflect on the ways God’s loving-kindness has been shown to you according to Psalm 103. In what specific ways could you imitate His kindness in your relationships with others? 

4. Are you ever tempted to treat some people better than others? Who? Why? In what sense does Jesus’ statement in Mark 9:37 obliterate such distinctions? 

5. How has the kindness of God been clearly expressed according to Ephesians 2:7 and Titus 3:4-7? 

6. Why does the Lord’s kindness extend even to those outside the faith? See Romans 2:4. 

7. The Lord tells us to put on kindness as His new creations in Colossians 3:12. How can the fruit of kindness influence others for Christ? See 2 Corinthians 6:3-10, especially verse 6. 

8. For a classic example of kindness see the story of King David and Mephibosheth (son of Jonathan) in 2 Samuel  For background on David and Jonathan’s relationship see 1 Samuel 18:1-4, 19:1-5, and 20:1-23. What motivated David to find Mephibosheth and show him kindness? 2 Samuel 9:3 may help you answer. 

9. Ask the Lord to allow the fruit of kindness to grow freely within you.

QUOTABLE QUOTES: 

“I’m the nicest guy that I know.” R. Wuebben “Nice guys always finish last.” Worldly wisdom “A good sermon is one that goes over your head and hits one of your neighbors.” “A good neighbor is a fellow who smiles at you over the back fence, but doesn’t climb over it.” Arthur Baer “Good is the worst enemy of the best.” English proverb “Good has two meanings: it means that which is good absolutely and that which is good for somebody.” Aristotle “Goodness is a special kind of truth and beauty. It is truth and beauty in human behavior.” Harry Overstreet “Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” Henry David Thoreau “Goodness is the one and only asset that competition cannot undersell or destroy.” Marshall Field “God’s interest in making Christians is not aesthetic, but utilitarian. He has not fashioned us objects of spiritual art. No, He has made us good for something. Our goodness is never an end in itself, but always a means for accomplishing God’s purposes through our lives.” Thomas Coates

WORD STUDY: 

Agathos – This word means excellent, fine, good. Applies to persons, it means the excellence of the person in his/her position. Applied to things, it signifies the good quality of the thing. The Old Testament applies the term “good” to God as a perfect being (1 Chronicles 16:34). God requires man to do what is good (Micah 6:8). In the New Testament, God is reiterated as good (Matthew 19:17). As Christians, we are created for good works (Ephesians 2:10). According to 1 Thessalonians 5:15, goodness is achieved in concrete personal relationships. “Agathosune” is the form of the word in Galatians 5:22; it indicated the quality a man has who is good – moral excellence as well as goodness. See Romans 15:l4, Ephesians 5:9, and 2 Thessalonians 1:11. 

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: 

1. Think of a person you would describe as GOOD. What characterizes that person (internal qualities and external actions)? 

2. Who is good according to Psalm 34:8? 

3. Sin has destroyed our goodness. How has God solved the problem for us? See 1 Peter 3:21- 22. 

4. In what other way does God convey His goodness to us? See 1 Peter 2:3. 

5. What promise does Romans 8:28 offer us? What does Paul really mean here? 

6. What encouragement does Paul offer us in Galatians 6:9-10? Why might we become weary? See 1 Thessalonians 3:7 for further application. 

7. Does Paul’s statement in Romans 15:14 characterize you? How do Ephesians 5:8-9 and 2 Thessalonians 1:11 encourage you in this regard? 

8. Ask the Lord to fill you with the fruit of goodness.

QUOTABLE QUOTES: 

“Faithfulness is a dull, sleepy quality at best.” G. Farquhar “Faithfulness is that which can be relied upon, trusted or believed; truth to one’s word, promises, or vows; thoroughness in the performance of duty; loyalty or fidelity.” “I pledge you my faithfulness.” “Exchange rings as a pledge and token of your wedded love and faithfulness.” The Marriage Rite – Lutheran Agenda “It is as absurd to say that a man can’t love one woman all the time as it is to say that a violinist needs several violins to play the same piece of music.” De Balzac “There are two kinds of faithfulness in love: one arises from continually discovering in the loved person new subjects for love; the other arises from our making a merit of being faithful.” La Rochefoucauld

WORD STUDY: 

pistis – This Greek word means confidence or trust in persons or things. The Old Testament term for faithfulness is ‘aman which is used to refer to both the faithfulness of God (Deuteronomy 7:9) and of human beings (e.g., Numbers 12:7 – Moses). In the New Testament pistis is usually translated faith or trust. In Romans 3:3 it is used of the faithfulness of God. Faithfulness in human relationships is referred to in Matthew 23:23 and Titus 2:10, and of course, in Galatians 5:22. QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: 

1. Why is faithfulness an important quality in friendship? Consider a time when you shared a difficult experience with someone. How did it strengthen your friendship? 

2. Does it cost you anything to be faithful to those you love? In what situations is it most important to “be there” for friends and family? 

3. How is our relationship with the Lord characterized by faithfulness? See Hosea 2:19-20. What virtues and qualities does the word “betroth” suggest? In what areas of your life do you struggle to be faithful to God? 

4. In what ways is the Lord faithful to you? See 1 Corinthians 1:9; 10:31; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; 1 John 1:9. 

5. How does “faithfulness” describe the Lord Jesus Christ? See Hebrews 3:1-6 and Revelation 19:11. 

6. How is “faithfulness” a trademark of the Christian life? See Titus 2:7-10. What promise does the Lord Jesus give to the faithful in Revelation 2:10b? 

7. Honoring our commitments, while not always easy, is a sign of faithfulness. Malachi 2:10- 16 describes how Israel had broken her commitments. How have you been careless in keeping your commitments? What can you do to better honor those commitments? 

8. How can faithfulness bless us as we exercise it? See Proverbs 3:3-4. How are love and faithfulness related? 

9. Ask the Lord to cause the fruit of faithfulness to grow in all your relationships.

QUOTABLE QUOTES:

“Passions [to be distinguished from having passion, devotion or zeal for something, ed.] are like mountain streams; they allow no impediments; they cannot go backward; they must always go forward.” C.N. Bovee

“Passions are the mob which commits a riot on your reason.”  William Penn

“Passions make good servants, but bad masters.”  Sir Roger L’Estrange

“Self-control is the greatest of victories.”  Plato

“Self-control is not really a virtue; it is only the effect of wisdom and rascality.” George Bernard Shaw

“The Holy Spirit takes the control of our ‘self’ away from Satan and restores it to God and to us. When our ‘self’ is controlled by the new life in Christ, God can count on us to be back in self-control again.” Eldon Weisheit

“Other hands – cold and clammy ones – fumble for the controls of the inner self and seek to disengage the hand of the Holy Spirit. Around Christian people are many for whom the swine are symbols of life. By and by, even some Christians could imagine that it is a marvelous thing to be a bit swinish.” Richard R. Caemmerer

“Self-control is never so needed as when we are right. When we are right we ought to ask God not to give us the victory, but to grant self-control – control over our arrogance, our pride, our very assurance of being right.”  Eileen Guder

WORD STUDY:

egkrateia – This Greek word refers to the dominion that one has over self or something in order to control it. The term is not used at all in the Gospels. It is surprising how small a role this word plays in the Bible. This may be due to the fact that the pagan Greek culture of Biblical times placed heavy emphasis on this concept, using it to refer to self-mastery. In contrast to this view, the believer sees his life as determined and directed by God’s Word, not by himself. Thus, the understatement of this concept in the Bible.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION:

1. What forces chip away at self-control in the life of the Christian?
2. How is the person without self-control described in Proverbs 25:28? In what ways is the person without self control vulnerable?  
3. On a societal scale, of what is the lack of self-control a sign? See 2 Timothy 3:1-5. How should Christians respond to this sign?  (Ephesians 5:11) 
4. Christians often lack self-control. Why? See Romans 7:15-25. How do the culture and the media influence our views on self-control and the need for it? What messages does the world send?
5. Why is sexual self-control important according to 1 Corinthians 7:8-9? What “fall-out” is there from a lack of sexual self-control?
6. How is self-control integral to the Christian life according to 1 Corinthians 9:24-27? What resources has the Lord provided us in order to attain and maintain self-control?
7. What is the source of self-control according to 2 Timothy 1:6-7 and Galatians 5:22-23a? How does this encourage you?
8. Reflect on specific areas in your life where you need greater self-control. Ask the Lord to build the fruit of self-control (Spirit-control) in these areas.