The last four posts have centered on habits that will help Christians more effectively serve their Lord, the church, and the lost. We learned first to be responsible by taking even the smallest job seriously. Second, we learned to be honorable, maintaining our integrity even in the face of abuse. Third, we learned to be a servant, aggressively pursuing opportunities to be a blessing to others. Fourth, we learned to be selfless, genuinely caring for the needs of others with no thanks or praise required. This final post considers that the process of continuing to be effective for the Lord is not easy, and that being a Christian beyond the building requires our stubborn dedication to God.

This is the fourth in a series of five posts designed to suggest habits that will help us take our Christianity beyond the building effectively.

The book of Philippians was written with the goal of encouraging a selfless attitude among Christians, an attitude which existed first in our Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:3-8 summarizes the attitude of Christ as it was displayed through His actions. He was equal to God, but let go of that status to live as a human being. Because of His human position, He submitted Himself to God’s will and obeyed God by offering Himself as the sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. The attitude and mind of Christ was completely selfless, totally centered on the good He could do for others without any concern for Himself. Christians will be even more effective servants for Christ if they leave behind the need for thanks and praise from men.

This is the third in a series of five posts designed to suggest habits that will help us take our Christianity beyond the building to reach the lost. 

In Luke 16, Jesus taught a parable about an unrighteous steward. His manner of stewardship was not good, in fact we are told that he was going to be fired for his poor performance (Luke 16:1-2). The steward had a short time to make preparations for his life prior to losing his position. Jesus likens that steward to us in that we have a short time to make preparations for eternity (Luke 16:9). We have a limited number of opportunities to be a blessing to others in our life on earth, and effective Christians will take advantage of those opportunities for the sake of their own soul and to save the souls of the lost.