The Stairway of Christian Character Part IX | Compassion

“And Besides This Add to Your Faith” (Part 9)

Stairway of Christian Character
II Peter 1:5-7

• As our lives and minds are changed by God our hearts are filled with brotherly love.
• When God changes our hearts, He changes our relationships with one another and the world around us. 
• The Greek word for brotherly kindness is filadelfia - “philadelphia.”
• Brotherly kindness expresses a compassion which reacts to the pain or suffering of others; it is active.
• The heart of God will lead to the acts of God.

What is BROTHERLY KINDNESS?

• Those at the Gate - The Rich Man and Lazarus - Luke 16:19-26
• Jesus' story is a warning against two things:
• Apathy
• There is a difference between concern and compassion.
• Apathy is more than being indifferent. It is feeling that a token gift to a great need is acceptable if it is more than others give.
• Acceptance
• We must not allow compassion burnout to defeat our efforts.

Understanding Poverty

• Situational and Generational poverty are different.
• A working definition of poverty is "the extent to which an individual does without resources."
• The fundamental reasons for poverty are lack of education and the disconnection of family and/or community.
• The keys to enabling an individual to break the bonds of poverty lie in relationships more than money.