1. How to Be
a Safe Person
Judging Motives
Matthew 7:1

2. Six Safety Killers Gossip Defensiveness Blame Judging motives
Taking offense
Control

3. Ephesians 4:29 NIV
Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up.

4. Matthew 7:1-5, CEV
Don't condemn others, and God won't condemn you. God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them.   
You can see the speck in your friend's eye, but you don't notice the log in your own eye. How can you say, "My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye," when you don't see the log in your own eye? You're nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend's eye.

5. We are not to judge people’s hearts (motives):
“People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Sam. 16:7 NIV
Yet there are times when we are to judge actions (hold each other accountable):
“It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, ‘You must remove the evil person from among you.’”
1 Cor. 5:12-13 NLT

6. Alice & the Trespassers

7. The Man and the Lifeboat
Message:
JUDGING MOTIVES-
Ugly Stories vs. Grace Stories
Matthew 7:1
Eddy and Laura Hall

8. At Your Table
Together, think of a story, perhaps based on your actual experience, where some people might assume negative motives for a person’s actions.

9. SAFETY-KILLER
SAFETY-BUILDER
JUDGING MOTIVES I tell ugly stories (make negative assumptions) about other people’s motives.
GRACE When others do hurtful things, I assume the best about their motives. I ask the humanizing question: “Why might a decent, well-meaning person do this?” I tell at least two grace stories that could account for the person’s words or actions.