1. Managing Relationships How to shine your light so God gets the glory Matthew 7:1-12

2. Some advice for the behaviour police Judges are not immune from justice Matt 7:1-2 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Judges too are accountable My prejudices can cloud my judgment Deut 19:16-19 The standards I use will be applied to me Implied: Use a standard I’d be comfortable with in my own trial

3. Some advice for the behaviour police Fix your own life before attempting to correct some one else’s A surgeon with a sight problem can do more damage than good Matt 7:3-5 “…. 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. People won’t accept correction from known offenders Behaviour police can’t have double standards Implied: Be the type of judge I’d be happy to have for my trial

4. Some advice for evangelists Don’t cause God’s name to be dishonoured Matt 7:6 “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. Preaching is not beneficial when people become antagonistic Acts 19:9 No respect for God’s sacred message People may turn and attack Implied: Be the evangelist I would respect if I was antagonistic

5. Some advice for the serious disciple Hang in there with God Matt 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. There is a training aspect to relying on God God meets the needs of all who ask God supervises the quest of all who ask God opens the way for all who knock God is most able to equip his children for their journey Implied: Can I trust God to do for me what he would like to have done for him!

6. How to shine your light so God gets the glory – in relationships Some advice for:- the behaviour police Judges are not immune from justice Fix your own life before attempting to correct someone else’s evangelists Don’t cause God’s name to be dishonoured serious disciples Hang in there with God God is most able to equip his children for their journey An underlying principle for relationships Matt7:12a So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.