1. Scripture Reading Matthew 7:15-20
Watch our for false Prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn[bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

2. Taking Offense
How Others Hurt You

3. Defination Taking Offense:
To Feel and Show resentment to another Person’s Actions or Words.
To feel Displeasure or anger.
To have Resentment or Wounded feelings.

4. Taking Offense Building a barrier around ourselves

5. Taking Offense cont. Making a Permanent dwelling

6. Psalm 109
Verse 3: They compassed me about with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
Verse 5: Yet he had not caused the enmity, instead he had treated all those people kindly, but his love was recompensed with hate and his goodness was rewarded with evil.
Verse 22: They had hurt him severely, and His heart was wounded.
Verse 25: David felt he had become a reproach on men who looked upon him and shook their heads.

7. The Why
-Having what another likes may drive them to fight or discredit you.
-Holding to truth may alienate those who don’t want it, or need to be the one presenting it.
-Knowing something bad on a person makes them despise you.
-Being harmed by another, whether real or perceived harm, tends to make them hate you.

8. The Why cont.
-The feeling that you are a threat, or perceived threat, to a person’s job, honor or success may prompt them to detest you.
-An inferior person’s trying to feel bigger or cleaner can cause them to disparage you.
-Seeking an outlet for frustration may move the frustrated person to pick on you.
-The feeling that on is dependent on you may cause them to loathe you.

9. Matthew 7: 15-20
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

10. What is a “Tell”
A Tell is a quirk or glitch that we have, or do involuntary, when we do something, or see something that we don’t want others to know, or realize that we have seen. It is an act of covering up, of concealment, and Our Bodies tend to Tell on us, by the use of Body Language.

11. James 1:23-26
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

12. Self- Control -Self –examination, a ongoing practice.
--Train and Control our Tongue.
Do Not retaliate.
-Resist the temptation to go into “Recoil”.
-React with compassion and awareness.

13. Galatians 6:1 -4
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you may also be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.

14. Titus 2: 1-8
You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing to say about us.

15. How is Our Communication
-We should Communicate with Love.
-We should Not use Hostel, or abrasive speech patterns.
-We should be apt to teach, so we need to learn to communicate better.
-We should practice our speech, to overcome our fear of it.
-We should be careful about the Tone of our Language.
-We should realize that Not Speaking, stifles both conversation and Christianity.

16. Our Stance
The only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good people to do nothing!

17. Psalm 12: 7-8
You, Lord, will keep the needy safe and will protect us forever from the wicked, who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race.

18. Matthew 7: 1-8
We should address the problems of our own life before attempting to address the problems of another.
Verse 6: Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
Verse 7-8: Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

19. Matthew 23:1-7
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples; “the teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and their tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called “Rabbi” by others.

20. Matthew 23: 11-12
The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

21. Scripture Correlation Matthew 5:38-48 & Luke 6:27-37
-Not to be vengeful. Matthew 5:38
-Love our Enemies. Luke 6:27, Matthew 5:43-45
-Pray for those that curse and mistreat us. Luke 6:28
-Not to resist, or retaliate or be confrontational. Matthew 5: 39-42, Luke 6:29-32
-Love our enemies and do good to them. Luke 6:35
Our ultimate reward is to be; “children of the most High”.

22. Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

23. Luke 11: 33-36
No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.

24. Mark 4:21-25
He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on a stand? Forever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.” “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued, “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you – and even more. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

25. We are Not to be Stifled
In these four Scriptures we see clearly that Christians are :
-The Light of the World.
-The Light in Our House.
-Our Eye is the Lamp of our Faith.
-to consider carefully what we hear with compassion.
-Commanded to Not allow or Light to be covered or diminished.

26. Recap of Lesson