Ann K

Again when you are showing favouritism you are sinning and you are breaking the Commandment of Jesus. Respect all~ Follow the teachings of Jesus. Love your neighbour as yourself. Show love and compassion~ Not 'great deeds' where you hurt others along the way. This Study is making me realize a lot about myself. Thank you for inviting me to participate in it.

Jesus' ministry was about love to all. The Royal Law shows 'love' as the greatest commandment. If you show favouritism towards a rich person or scorn towards a poor person, you sin and are breaking the law or Royal Commandment. Love your neighbour as yourself. Treat all persons as you would wish to be treated.

You are judging one person against another by showing more respect to usually the one with more. By favouring one you put down on the other. You treat the one less favoured with harder words, scorn,less respect, igorning them, etc. Nothing they do is right. So often this is also founds in families. Often the less favoured is the one who will 'shine' in the end. How often we think we are so much above others. Please God grant me humility to treat all persons as I would wish to be treated . Amen.

You are judging one over the other by showing more respect to usually the one with more. By favouring one you are putting 'down' on the other. You trea the one you less consider, harder in many ways ~ less respect, expect more of them or from them, scorn them. Nothing they do can be right. This problem in a family situation is one that I struggle with constantly, not favouritism, but the lack of respect or abuse a child (an adult) has towards the father of the family. I ask god's help to help me cope with the situation . I need guidance . It hurts.

I try not to discriminate--- but human nature as it is I guess I tend to mainly discriminate against those whotry to manipulate the system. Having worked with handicapped children, i have found how those less fortunate have so much more love and compassion to offer because of their innonence and trust. In our church community we don't have the rich rich or the poor poor. The members are mainly an average class person who work together to spread the work of the Lord and try t o 'survive' as a congregation and pastoral charge financially.

It is very easy to 'look down' or 'put down' on someone who has less than us. Learning to share and accept those who need care warms the soul. and makes one feel so much better. I thasnk God for all the goodness I have received in my lifetime, and hopefully , I do not shun those who have less. The more active I become in society helping others --- will account for more than quiet time or worship. Action speaks louder than words. Be a doer and not a listener. It is easy to criticize or speak unkindly. However, once said it can;t be taken back.

Listening is only the beginning --- Hearing is necessary and then practicing what we hear, in order for us to clean up our act and "try" to live the life God has set out for us . The nature of self deception is putting on the dress of being a Christian outwardly but not practicing it inwardly. Listening without doing!!! Showy practices or faces but no actions!!!

The perfect law is the commandment that Jesus taught. Love your neighbour as yourself. Love is the highest value we can have--- not a love of worldly goods, but the love placed in your heart. We are to love one another as God has loved us. It frees us from the royal law or law of man. Pure love has been placed in our hearts, but it is up to us to relaese it and to use it to fulfill God's desire for us and our fellow man.

I am struggling with this question. I have had no 'earth shaking' experience to say that I have been saved. I believe that we must have a spiritual life to believe in the teaching of the Bible. I believe that when I was born I was free of sin. I believe in the Bible and the Trinity. I know I cannot go through my walk of live without the leading and assistance of these entities. My 'spiritual birth' grows as I more readily understand and try to apply the teaching of Jesus. Don't know if I am on the right track or not, but I am trying.

If we need help or wisdom if we believe we have only to ask. God will answer us but not always in the way that we hope for. The condition is that we must believe in what we are asking and not doubt what God will give. God may not answer in the way we wish, but his wayis the right way. Trials may help us to expand on our faith and belief knowing that if I come with a clean committment, zi will be able to hear what God is telling me.

Trials force us question our own faith -- our relaibility as a Christian. It gives us a chance to make more reliable choices -- to test ourselves-- and to know that God is close to us when we are enduring hardships. Trials give us the ability to relent of our wrongdoings and try to lose the lure of Satan. it is not always easy, BUT truth can overcome deceit.

People don't want to accept the responsibility for some of the things they have done. God does not tempt us with evil. He has given us the choice of free will. No, but we are all sinful. Through the choice of free will we make the decision as to whether or not to sin. God is hurt by our sinning. Evil existed in the Garden of Evden. Our 'path' was made by eating the forbidden fruit. We chose evil over right but God is still with us. He has not forsaken us. Thank you, Lord, for be with me.

Trials have probably been the 'highpoints' of my life for my nearness to God. By struggling with my problem or event the Lord has always been the nearest to me. He hyas carried me through and told me that he was there to catch me. Satan has not destroyed me in these trying times. He is more leading for me in every day occurences. Perhaps it is evident he is at work with me in just getting this Bible Study done , Knowing that I have to do get it done I have been procrastinating and finding other things to do. Knowing that I have to settle and search myself to find answers is a daunting project for me. Having faced trials in my life I know that I have grown through them. I am lacking very little, but need badly to work on my faith daily.