WE DON’T DO THAT HERE PART 3

Let’s recap some of the things we don’t do here. We understand the power of words, the power of thoughts and the power of actions and because we do, these are just a few of the things we don’t do here at Influencers.  

  • We don’t speak negative words to each other here.  
  • We don’t leave the church offended we talk it out.
  • We don’t gossip about others here.  
  • We don’t stay ignorant of how to improve ourselves.  
  • We don’t do religion.
  • We don’t fake it till we make it.  
  • We don’t do gimme gimme my names jimmy.  
  • We don’t stay on the bench, we get in the game.
  • We don’t stay silent about Jesus.
  • We don’t stay the same way we grow on purpose.  

As part of our positive speech brings positive change month, I thought I would talk to you about one of the biggest challenges today and that is honesty and truthfulness. So how truthful and honest are you?      

The challenge to tell the truth has never been more of an issue in America than right now. This is due in part to the rise in the destruction of absolute truth and the new religious order of the day which is relativism. There is no right and wrong, only what’s right or wrong for me. Honesty, truthfulness and character qualities like this are now in decline, yet they are the pillars of successful societies, successful families, and successful personal lives.  

When we lie to ourselves it’s called denial.

When we lie to others about who we are It’s called shame. 

When we lie to others in our lives it’s called being fake. 

1 John 6:7 But if we walk in the light, God himself being the light, we also experience a shared life with one another, as the sacrificed blood of Jesus, God’s Son, purges all our sin.

The truth is that you can’t share your life with others if you lie. To the extent that you tell the truth you can have a real relationship.  

So today i thought i would give you 5 reasons why absolute honesty is critical to the health and wellbeing of your life.

1. Truthfulness and Honesty is God’s requirement.  

Deut 25:15: You must have accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 16For the LORD your God detests anyone who does these things, anyone who deals dishonestly.

Psalms 15: LORD, who may dwell in your house?  He who speaks honestly from his heart.

Psalms 51: Surely you desire truth in the innermost parts of use

Psalms 145: The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

1 Cor 13: Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Luke 8:15: And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

Luke 16: But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.

2. Honesty is the foundation of credibility in life

Proverbs 11: Honesty guides good people

Prov 11:5: The godly are directed by honesty

3. Jesus talk about truth a lot.

John 8;32: you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. 

4. Honesty is the key to trusting relationships.

Without honesty, you cannot have a long term relationship, because honesty is the secret to trust. 

Prov 24:26: An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

Trust is always built on truth. 

Proverbs 16: Kings take pleasure in honest lips;  they value a man who speaks the truth.

Proverbs 23: Buy the truth and do not sell it;  get wisdom, discipline and understanding.

Jeremiah 5: If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth,  I will forgive this city.

Jeremiah 5 LORD, you are searching for honesty.

5. Honesty is the secret to life transformation.

Prov 28: The honest will inherit good things.

Eph 5: Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

Psalms 25;21: May integrity and honesty protect you,

Psalms 32:  Yes, what joy for those whose lives are lived in complete honesty

THE 12 STEPS OF AA

  1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable. 
  2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 
  3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him. 
  4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. 
  5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. 
  6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. 
  7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings. 
  8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. 
  9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. 
  10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 
  11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out. 
  12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs. 

Every program of transformation has HONESTY at the core of it’s message. You need to look at yourself and realise i need to change.  

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’  13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’  14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

 

HONESTY GETS YOU INTO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. 

 

Coming up at Influencers

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