"Apps" for Judgment, Correction & Jesus

In the spiritual life, "there's an app" for everything to aid us in beginning to observe the transformation of Jesus in our lives.  During the sermon last week called "Judgment, Correction & Jesus" covering Matthew 7:1-12 we learned three life application steps in our section called "There's an app for that."  We saw that our desire is to move from giving a spirit of condemnation to living in a spirit of grace.  For those that missed, you can listen to the sermon back on our website.  Here are the apps:

App #1 - Admit you are powerless to change others and yourself.  How much time do we waste worrying about changing those closest to us?  We think, and often say, "If they would just do -blank-," or "if only they would listen to me!"  Little do we recognize the toll and worry we carry ourselves as we try to force our way on others and get them to change.  No matter how good and "Godly" your wisdom is you are often "throwing your pearls away" (Matthew 7:6).

App #2 - Always ask "how would I want to be treated?" and do it!  The entire passage of scripture in Matthew 7:1-12 is framed by one of the last sentences Jesus says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  You can't change others and if you're really honest with yourself, you can't stand when others try to change you!  So realizing I am powerless to change others, and asking how I would want to be treated, is a great start to move from a spirit of condemnation to a spirit of grace.

App #3 - Take off the "condemnation plank," kneel on it and pray.  If we realize our inability to change others and approach our relationships through asking "how would I want to be treated?", we can take that plank of condemnation off (Matthew 7:3-4), kneel on it and pray (Matthew 7:7-11).  Praying for others and for my attitude towards them is one of the best actions you can do to demonstrate your dependence on God's transformation and the worthlessness of my ability to change others or myself.    

God Bless all of you as we allow Jesus to transform us into a people that live in His grace rather than our condemnation.