In Romans 12:9, Paul gives this pivotal statement: “Let love be without hypocrisy.” This is a call for our love to be genuine. Hypocrisy, by contrast, is saying nice things when we don’t mean it, or doing good deeds just to get something in return. This sin problem extends to all our relationships, even within the church. So how do we know if our love is hypocritical? 1 John 3:20 gives us a simple guide, “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” So we need not need despair: if we’re truly redeemed, God, through his Spirit and His Word, will cut through the confusion and show us our hypocrisy, so that we can genuinely love others as Christ loves us (John 13:34).

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/683d3eb8466c06ff70c715d4

The church is not a spectator sport. It is intentionally personal and requires every member to use their spiritual gifts to build each other up. The secret to this life together is our personal union with Christ. Close intimacy with Him is what leads to a thriving, loving, and relational church. This underground spring gives us inner strength and wisdom which flows forth and blesses others. So put your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, first, so that your hands will be productive as you minister to the body with love.

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/682ac9b3c4eab1dd78874d6a

What should your attitude be about the local church? It should be to humbly acknowledge that you’re just one part of the body of Christ, and that you’re dependent on the other parts to function well. Consider the fact that there are 200 different types of cells in the human body—and all need each other, working together, for the body to thrive. So it is with the church. Even the weakest member is necessary. So rather than approach local church life causally, we should bring passion, purpose, and urgency to exercise our gifts to benefit the whole church body, remembering that we’re many members, but one body in Christ (Rom. 12:3-5).

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/6824321f981d11c30de4c400

A superior culture in a local church starts with humility. When members have a lowliness of mind—rather than thinking more highly of themselves then they ought (Rom. 12:3)—church body life is transformed, which builds up the oldest to the youngest. It was this virtue that ended the Māori tribe’s Utu culture of revenge, spreading literacy and transforming social structures in New Zealand—all through a wave of humility that recognized that it’s the grace of God that makes us who we are.

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/681854abf78c68570332d30e

Throughout Scripture, God tells His people to sing, and as we raise our children, we’re to teach them to joyfully obey this command. Here are (8) tips to aid you in this effort. First, sing from the little ones all the way to the older ones. Second, don’t let your children mumble their way through the songs. Third, teach them to open their mouths to project their voices. Fourth, show them proper posture. Fifth, remind them to sing when they forget. Sixth, when your children are too young to know all a songs’ words, have them hum the tune. Seventh, sing the same songs at home, in the car. Eighth, make it fun. Ninth, sing on the way to church, so as you come with your children to the meeting, they’ll be ready to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Rom. 12:1).

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/67ce80846f987cfc0eba618f

David wrote more than 70 divinely-inspired psalms that directly spoke to the highs and lows he experienced as a man. This points to a vital truth—that God, in His kindness, has given us songs for every aspect of our life journey. Here are key singing lessons to draw from this truth. First, sing with your whole heart (Zeph. 3:14). Second, sing to be changed. Third, sing to do battle (Num. 21; Ps. 59; 104). Fourth, sing in every season of life. Fifth, sing to impact people around you (Ps. 95). Sixth, sing the Psalms. Seventh, sing songs of lamentation. And, eighth, sing manly songs as men. In all this, present your bodies as a living sacrifice as you sing praise to God (Rom. 12:1; Ps. 100:2).

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/67ce80846f987cfc0eba618f

Because singing praise to God is part of how we present our bodies as a live sacrifice to Him (Rom. 12:1; Ps. 100:2), we must know how to do it. Here are six key lessons. First, sing to teach one another. Second, sing to admonish one another. Third, sing to help you remember God’s word. Fourth, sing strong with gusto. Fifth, sing to proclaim truth. And, sixth, sing for the unity of the church. Don’t be passive with your children; teach them how to sing! Don’t let them mindlessly sing when they come to church, but help them understand what they’re doing. All of this is for one purpose—to point to Jesus Christ, our only hope in life and death.

Sermon:

https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/67c545f36f987cfc0eba616e

Singing praise to God is part of how we present our bodies as a live sacrifice to Him (Rom. 12:1; Ps. 100:2). Thus, churches and families should seek to create a vibrant culture of singing. This starts with knowing why we sing. First, we sing because we must, in obedience to God’s specific commands. Second, we sing because God made our bodies, including the voice, as musical instruments. Third, we sing because it helps us respond emotionally with our affections. And, fourth, we sing because it's a critical tool for making disciples.

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/67c545f36f987cfc0eba616e