The Fifty Fruits of Pride Revisited

50 fruits of pride

1. I tend to be self sufficient in the way I live my life. I don’t live with a
constant awareness that my every breath is dependent upon the will of God. I tend to think I have enough strength, ability and wisdom to live and manage my life. My practice of the spiritual disciplines in inconsistent and superficial. I don’t like to ask others for help.

2. I am often anxious about my life and the future. I tend not to trust God and
rarely experience his abiding and transcendent peace in my soul. I have a hard time sleeping at night because of fearful thoughts and burdens I carry.

3. I am overly self-conscious. I tend to replay in my mind how I did, what I
said, how I am coming across to others, etc. I am very concerned about what people think of me. I think about these things constantly.

4. I fear man more than God. I am afraid of others and make decisions about what I will say or do based upon this fear. I am afraid to take a stand for
things that are right. I am concerned with how people will react to me or
perceive my actions or words. I don’t often think about God’s opinion in a
matter and rarely think there could be consequences for disobeying him. I
primarily seek the approval of man and not of God.

5. I often feel insecure. I don’t want to try new things or step out into
uncomfortable situations because I’m afraid I’ll fail or look foolish. I am
easily embarrassed.

6. I regularly compare myself to others. I am performance oriented. I feel that
I have greater worth if I do well.

7. I am self-critical. I tend to be a perfectionist. I can’t stand for little things to be wrong because they reflect poorly on me. I have a hard time putting my mistakes behind me.

8. I desire to receive credit and recognition for what I do . I like people to see what I do and let me know that they noticed. I feel hurt or offended when they don’t. I am overly concerned about my reputation and hate being
misunderstood.

9. I want people to be impressed with me. I like to make my accomplishments
known.

10. I tend to be deceptive about myself. I find myself lying to preserve my
reputation. I find myself hiding the truth about myself, especially about sins,
weaknesses, etc. I don’t want people to know who I really am.

11. I am selfishly ambitious. I really want to get ahead. I like having a position or title. I far prefer leading to following.

12. I am overly competitive. I always want to win or come out on top and it
bothers me when I don’t.

13. I like to be the center of attention and will say or do things to draw attention to myself.

14. I like to talk, especially about myself or persons or things I am involved with. I want people to know what I am doing or thinking. I would rather speak than listen. I have a hard time being succinct.

15. I am self-serving. When asked to do something, I find myself asking, “How will doing this help me, or will I be inconvenienced?”

16. I am not very excited about seeing or making others successful. I tend to
feel envious, jealous or critical towards those who are doing well or being
honored.

17. I feel special or superior because of what I have or do. For example:
*my house
*my neighborhood
*my physical giftings
*my spiritual giftings
*my intellect or education
*being a Christian
*my position or job
*my car
*my salary
*my looks

18. I think highly of myself. In relation to others I typically see myself as more
mature and more gifted. In most situations, I have more to offer than others even though I may not say so. I don’t consider myself average or ordinary.

19. I tend to give myself credit for who I am and what I accomplish. I only
occasionally think about or recognize that all that I am or have comes from
God.

20. I tend to be self-righteous. I can think that I really have something to offer
God. I would never say so, but I think God did well to save me. I seldom think
about or recognize my complete depravity and helplessness apart from God. I regularly focus on the sins of others. I don’t credit God for any degree of holiness in my life.

21. I feel deserving. I think I deserve what I have. In fact, I think I ought to
have more considering how well I have lived or in light of all I have done.

22. I often feel ungrateful. I tend to grumble about what I have or my lot in life.

23. I find myself wallowing in self-pity. I am consumed with how I am treated by
God and others. I tend to feel mistreated or misunderstood. I seldom
recognize or sympathize with what’s going on with others around me because I feel that I have it worse than they do.

24. I can be jealous or envious of others abilities, possessions, positions, or accomplishments. I want to be what others are or want to have what others
have. I am envious of what others have thinking that I should have it or
deserve it. I find it hard to rejoice with others when they are blessed by God.

25. I am pretty insensitive to others. I feel that some people just aren’t worth
caring about. I have a hard time showing compassion.

26. I have a know-it-all attitude. I am impressed by my own knowledge. I feel
like there isn’t much I can learn from other people, especially those less
mature than me.

27. I have a hard time listening to ordinary people. I listen better to those I
respect or people I want to leave with a good impression. I don’t honestly
listen when someone else is speaking because I am usually planning what I am going to say next.

28. I like to reveal my own mind. I have an answer for practically every situation. I feel compelled to balance everyone else out.

29. I interrupt people regularly. I don’t let people finish what they are saying.

30. I feel compelled to stop people when they start to share something with me I already know.

31. I find it hard to admit it when I don’t know something. When someone asks
me something I don’t know, I will make up an answer rather than admit I don’t
know.

32. I don’t get much out of teaching. I tend to evaluate a speaker rather than
my own life. I grumble in my heart about hearing something a second time.

33. I listen to teaching with other people in mind. I constantly think of those folks who need to hear the teaching and wish they were here.

34. I’m not very open to input. I don’t pursue correction for my life. I tend to
be unteachable and slow to repent when corrected. I don’t really see
correction as a positive thing. I am offended when people probe the
motivations of my heart or seek to adjust me.

35. I have a hard time admitting that I am wrong. I find myself covering up or
excusing my sins. It is hard for me to confess my sins to others or to ask for
forgiveness.

36. I view correction as an intrusion into my privacy rather than an instrument of
God for my welfare. I can’t identify anyone who would feel welcome to correct me.

37. I resent people who attempt to correct me. I don’t respond with gratefulness and sincere appreciation for their input. Instead I am tempted to accuse them and dwell on their faults. I get bitter and withdraw.

38. When corrected, I become contentious and argumentative. I don’t take people’s observations seriously. I minimize and make excuses or give
explanations.

39. I am easily angered and offended. I don’t like being crossed or disagreed
with. I find myself thinking, “I can’t believe they did that to me.” I often
feel wronged.

40. I have ‘personality conflicts’ with others. I have a hard time getting along
with certain kinds of people. People regularly tell me that they struggle with
me.

41. I am self-willed and stubborn. I have a hard time cooperating with others. I really prefer my own way and often insist on getting it.

42. I am independent and uncommitted. I don’t really see why I need other
people. I can easily separate myself from others. I don’t get much out of the
small group meetings.

43. I am unaccountable. I don’t ask others to hold me responsible to follow
through on my commitments. I don’t really need accountability for my words
and actions. I think I can take care of myself.

44. I am unsubmissive. I don’t like being under the authority of another person. I don’t see submission as a good and necessary provision from God for my life. I have a hard time supporting and serving those over me. I don’t ‘look up’ to people and I like to be in charge. Other people may need leaders but I don’t. It is important that my voice is heard.

45. I lack respect for other people. I don’t think very highly of most people. I
have a hard time encouraging and honoring others unless they really do
something great.

46. I am a slanderer. I find myself either giving or receiving evil reports about others. Often times the things I say or hear are true about other people. I am not concerned about the effect of slander on me because of my maturity level. I think I can handle it. I only share will others the things I really think they need to know. I don’t tell all.

47. I am divisive. I tend to resist or resent authority. I don’t like other people to give me orders or directions.

48. I like to demean or put others down. I often think people need to be adjusted and put in their place. This includes leaders. Other people need to be more humble and have a ’sober’ assessment of themselves.

49. I tend to be critical of others. I find myself feeling or talking negatively
about people. I subtlety feel better about myself when I see how bad someone else is. I find it far easier to evaluate than to encourage someone else.

50. I really appreciate somebody taking the time to put this paper together. It
will really be a big help to my friends and family. However, I don’t really need
this because I think I’m pretty humble already.

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The Place To Be

“Philadelphia was a sports mecca Sunday. With the Eagles-Giants at 1 and the Phillies-Yankees World Series game across the parking lot at 8:20, Broad Street was awash with geared up, foul-mouthed, alcohol-fueled fans–a virtual Mookapalooza.”

How awesome is this write-up from a DC paper?

Communion Hymn (vs. 1)

Behold the Lamb who bears our sins away
Slain for us and we remember
The promise made that all who come in faith
Find forgiveness at the cross
So we share in this bread of life
And we drink of His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of peace
Around the table of the King.

Communion Hymn (vs. 2)

The body of our Savior Jesus Christ
Torn for you to eat and remember
His wounds that heal His death that brings us life
Cursed of God to make us one
So we share in this bread of life
And we drink of His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of love
Around the table of the King.

Communion Hymn (vs. 3)

The blood that cleanses every stain of sin
Shed for you drink and remember
He drained death’s cup that all may enter in
To receive the life of God
So we share in this bread of life
And we drink o His sacrifice
As a sign of our bonds of grace
Around the table of the King.

Communion Hymn (vs. 4)

And so with thankfulness and faith we rise
To respond and to remember
Our call to follow in the steps of Christ
As His body here on earth
As we share in His suffering
We will proclaim Christ will come again
And we’ll join in the feast of heaven
Around the table of the King

By: Keith and Kristyn Getty and Stuart Townend

We Never Move On

From “Living the Cross Centered Life”:

Maybe this thought is nagging you:
If we as Christians have already come to believe in the gospel–if we’ve already received the give of salvation He purchased for us with His precious blood–why focus any longer on the cross? Isn’t it time to give our full attention to more “mature” matters of living out our faith?

Nope.

“We never move on from the cross, only into a more profound understanding of the cross.”

The Central Theme

“Because of God’s amazingly gracious heart toward those who thoroughly deserve His wrath, He both planned fir and provided this mediator to resolve the divine dilemma–a mediator who, through His blood, would accomplish a unique assignment utterly unlike any other work of mediation. In the mystery of His mercy, God–the innocent offended party–offers up to death His own Son, to satisfy His righteous wrath and save the guilty party from it.”

Wow, What a Quote!

Woodrow Wilson, while president of Princeton College, once said that education gives students nothing if it does not give them a proper vision of God.

Now comment on that.

Fear of Conversion

Read this article from Fox News and let me know what your thoughts are on this article.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,566101,00.html

“The Florida pastor who helped a 17-year old girl who fled from her home, fearing her Muslim parents would kill her for converting to Christianity, told MyFoxOrlando.com that he is hopeful the runaway will be able to stay in Florida even though a judge ruled she must return to Ohio.

“We expected Ohio would get jurisdiction… that’s just the legal way it is,” Paster Blake Lorenz told MyFoxOrlando.com. “But we are excited there is still a possibility she could stay in Florida, if the legal documents are not presented with her immigration. So you never know…maybe they don’t have them.”

Before the girl gets sent back, florida Judge Daniel Dawson said he needs immigration papers proving her status in the U.S. and proof from the state of Florida that she can continue her virtual schooling and receive credit in Ohio.

Lorenz claims he and his wife have been operating under the belief that Bary’s parents may not be able to produce the required documents.

LIVESHOTS: Judge Rules Against Teen Christian Convert.

Bary’s family came from Sri Lanka, and Lorenz said Rifqa did not think they would look for her for fear their immigration status would be revealed. They eventually did report her as missing, and Lorenz has since felt pressure from law enforcement and some segments of the public.

“My impression is they are not here legally anymore,” Lorenz told MyFoxOrlando.com. “Originally, they were, this is all second hand. Rifqa told us they were not legal anymore… Meaning they didn’t update their papers and they were afraid they’d be deported.”

Another hearing is set for Oct. 23 for Bary’s family to meet the required conditions for her return. If the conditions are met sooner Bary may stay with a foster family in Ohio until her dependency is decided in court.

Rifqa fled to Florida after her parents, Mohamed and Aysha Bary, learned that she was baptized earlier this year without their knowledge. The parents reported her missing to Columbus, Ohio, police on July 19. Weeks later, using cell phone and computer records, police tracked the girl to Lorenz, pastor of the Orlando-based Global Revolution Church.

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Runaway Christian Convert to Stay in Florida for Now, Judge Rules
In an emotional six-minute interview with WFTV in Florida, Bary, who met Lorenz through an online Facebook group, said she expects to be killed if she is forced to return to Ohio.

“If I had stayed in Ohio, I wouldn’t be alive,” she said. “In 150 generations in family, no one has known Jesus. I am the first — imagine the honor in killing me.”

But a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation found no credible threats to Bary.

Contacted by FOXNews.com, Rifqa’a father Mohamed Bary said he has no intentions of harming his daughter.

“I love my daughter and I want her to come back to the family,” he said, declining further comment.

The Barys reportedly emigrated from Sri Lanka in 2000 to seek medical treatment for Rifqa, who lost the sight in her right eye following an accident at home.”

A true conversion? I pray that it is.