be like jesus

To be "for the future" is maybe not quite what you think... Pastors Scott and Cheryl dive deeper into Sunday's teaching from our new series to discuss what it truly means for us as individuals and a church body. Listen in!

Sunday Teachings drop every Monday and new episodes of The Extra Point drop every Wednesday! To hear the Sunday teachings that are discussed for the Extra Point, visit the previously aired episode of The Southridge Church Podcast.

We have the opportunity to be impactful everywhere we go.

The Bible puts a big emphasis on being a positive example to others, as we are all called to be a light in the world to draw as many people as possible to Christ. As Christ-followers, we must live a life that reflects who He is, meaning His character & His love. 

We must live in a way that reflects who God is, and the teachings of His word, demonstrate integrity & love to others, and lead with righteousness in our actions & reactions with others. It should be our goal to imitate Christ in everything we do.

You might want a partner who has strong faith & dependence on God but lack that in yourself. You may want more people to be kind & compassionate to you, but are you TRULY giving that to others? Maybe you want certain people to spend more time with you, but if you aren’t making an effort to be with them first, you aren’t giving what you’re asking for.

The best thing we can do is continue to cultivate a deeper relationship with Christ, to better understand what He’s calling us to do & better know His character that we are working to reflect every day.

Here are 5 tips of How to Be a Better Reflection of Christ & Positive Influence On Others:

1. Live According to God’s Word 
   1. Make sure your life & everything you do is aligned with God’s will for you.
   2. James 1:22, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”
2. Serve Others with Humility 
   1. Doing as Christ did, serve others with selflessness & humility while finding ways to use the talents & gifts God has blessed you with to help & uplift others.
   2. Matthew 23:11-12, “The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
3. Develop & Exhibit the Fruits of the Spirit 
   1. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with: Love, Joy, Peace Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness & Self-Control.
   2. Galatians 5:22-23
4. Be Authentic & Genuine in Everything You Do 
   1. Ephesians 4:23-25, “Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God-truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies, Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.”
5. Lead Others to Christ 
   1. 2 Corinthians 5:20, “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!’”
   2. Matthew 28:19-20, “’Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. An be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”

Watch the Video Version of RPG: https://www.youtube.com/@realpositivegirl/podcasts
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Email Me: realpositivegirlpodcast@gmail.com

I want to share some questions with you today on what to consider when evaluating your current friendships and moving into new ones. But first, please know that I am NOT saying we cannot be friends with people that aren’t at the same spiritual level or maturity that we are or even people that don’t know God yet. It’s more a matter of who you allow to INFLUENCE you in life. And often, the people we spend the most time with happen to influence who we are & how we live our lives quite a lot.

But even Jesus spent time with some unsavory people who later called Him master. But the biggest thing we need to remember with Jesus is He was STILL able to have an unwavering commitment to righteousness & NEVER compromised His own values or committed a sin. Jesus had a steady focus on what He was here to do & not get caught-up, but we as fallen people cannot match that level or righteousness. We surrender our lives to God every single day to more and more mirror the image of Christ, but we still suffer from downfalls. So we have to be more careful than Jesus needed to be.

Luke 5:31-32, “Jesus answered them, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor-sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.’”

Here are 5 Questions I would ask myself when reviewing my current & future friendships to determine how viable they are:

1. Are Your Friends a Reflection on Who You Are Working to Be? 
   1. Are your friends similarly working daily to adopt the attitude of Christ?
   2. Proverbs 13:20, “ Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.”
2. Do Your Friends Challenge & Support You? 
   1. Are you able to be yourself around them?
   2. Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
3. Do Your Friends Live to Please the World or God? 
   1. Who are they trying to impress?
   2. Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
4. Are Your Friend Respectful of Your Values & Beliefs? 
   1. Even if there is a difference of opinion (Christian or not), is respect still present there?
   2. Colossians 3:16-17, “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father."
5. Are Your Friends People God Wants You to Have in Your Life? 
   1. Have you prayed about it? 
   2. 2 Corinthians 6:17, “Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.”
   3. 2 Cor 6:17 (GW), "The Lord says, “Get away from unbelievers. Separate yourselves from them. Have nothing to do with anything unclean. Then I will welcome you.”

Watch the Video Version of RPG: https://www.youtube.com/@realpositivegirl/podcasts
Buy the Planner on AMAZON!: https://amzn.to/3WwthT2
Visit me on Instagram or TikTok: @sabrinajoyperozzo
Email Me: realpositivegirlpodcast@gmail.com

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Episode 17 | This is not a podcast to complain about complainers, we promise. This is a podcast that everyone needs to hear in the times we are living in today. Learning to stop complaining and start praying, be thankful and create a new perspective. Complaining creates negativity which spirals into the world around you. Listen to Amber and Reese as they explain their perspective and how to transform yourself into a more joyful, vibrant, LIGHT... like Jesus!

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