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Trinity Community Church
Trinity Community Church
Red Letters - The Law Of Judgement
“Judge not…” We quote it, meme it, even weaponize it—but do we live it? In this week’s installment of Red Letters, Neil unpacks Jesus’ often-misunderstood directive and shows how it can revolutionize our relationships.
Neil starts by dismantling the myth that Christians must never make moral evaluations. Jesus Himself commands us to “judge with right judgment” (John 7:24). The real issue is hypocrisy—holding others to a microscope while gazing at ourselves through rose-tinted glasses. Using the unforgettable “speck and log” metaphor, Neil exposes how selective vision poisons marriages, friendships, and churches.
From there he explores three biblical judgments: the Great White Throne for unbelievers, the loving discipline believers experience now, and the future judgment of rewards. Knowing God is Judge frees us from playing the role badly ourselves.
Neil then walks through three common pitfalls of fault-finding: acting on partial information, assuming motives, and dredging up sins that Jesus already buried beneath His blood. He challenges us to replace a critical spirit with humble self-examination, gracious speech, and Spirit-directed timing—recognizing that not every heart is ready to receive “pearls.”
Along the way you’ll hear practical stories, clarifying Scriptures, and a call to action: identify one area where you’re quick to criticize and ask the Holy Spirit to transform it into compassion. Whether you’re a long-time believer or exploring faith, this message will help you cultivate relationships marked by authenticity and grace.
Watch the full teaching, dive into the discussion questions, and share the message with someone who could use freedom from both giving and receiving judgment. Subscribe for more content from Trinity Community Church as we continue walking through Jesus’ own words in Red Letters.
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I've been interacting with the verses that we're teaching this morning for several weeks. I don't know if you understand that you have the ability or the responsibility to teach the Word of God. The Word of God messes with you before you get to mess with the people. Someone came up to me just before worship this morning and said Pastor, you have a healing ministry. I said really. He said, yeah, I have insomnia when you preach. I sleep through the whole thing. I think that was meant to encourage people, to encourage me, but it didn't work. Turn in your Bibles to the book of Matthew, chapter 7. And if you'd stand with me, I'll read the word of God this morning.
Neil Silverberg:Matthew 7, the first six verses I'm reading from the New American Standard, american standard. These verses are probably the most familiar verses to people who aren't believers. They may not be saved, but they know this verse. We want to explore that this morning. Chapter 7 of Matthew's Gospel, verse 1, judge not that you be not judged, for with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye but do not notice the log that is in your own eye. How can you say to your brother let me take the speck out of your own eye when there is a log in your own eye? You, hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Do not give dogs what is holy and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them under their foot and turn and attack you. Let's pray, lord, god, I thank you for this study, which we're calling Red Letters, and how it's already impacting our lives. Lord, prepare our hearts to receive the truth contained in the seventh chapter as we enter this chapter this morning. This morning, we thank you specifically for those verses we just read and the challenge they present to us. We thank you for the truth they contain and the practical way you've designed that these words serve us. Help us today to take seriously the import of these words as we attempt to live together as the community of God. Lord, remove from us every vestige of a harsh critical spirit. Take it away from us. Grant us the wisdom to know that we shall be judged in the exact manner in which we judge others and, finally, lord, deliver us from treating with contempt the treasures of the kingdom which you have entrusted to us. We ask these things in Jesus' name and everyone said amen. You may be seated If you're here for the first time or you've not been following us.
Neil Silverberg:We are in a series right now of teaching called Red Letters. We're walking through the most famous portion of Jesus' teaching, probably he ever gave, which is the Sermon on the Mount, and this message is entitled the Law of Judgment. The Law of Judgment, the Law of Judgment. And it starts with a new chapter, chapter 7. I don't know if you're aware of it, but many scholars and Bible teachers see this chapter as consisting of independent statements having little or no relationship to one another. But if you review it further, we see that this chapter is held together by a common theme, and that theme is judgment.
Neil Silverberg:Everything Jesus says in chapter 7 deals with judgment and as such, it deals with the whole matter of relationships in the body of Christ. Jesus, in his teaching, was preparing his disciples for the time when they would be living in the community of God. That's really when they're going to need this teaching. He's teaching them these things because he knows how easy it is for fallen human beings to pass judgment on one another. So he opens a chapter by establishing a principle that we must know if we're going to live together in loving relationships in the body of Christ. What is that principle that must govern all our relationships? It is that we should make sure that in all our relationships we are not judging others. Jesus laid this down as a vital principle. He said judge not, that you be not judged For the measure. With the measure you pronounce you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. So it's critical that we have a right understanding of what is meant by this instruction Do not judge, or you too will be judged. Misunderstanding the meaning of this has caused grave damage to relationships in the body of Christ.
Neil Silverberg:Many of you might have had the following experience you have observed a person in the body acting in a way which is contrary to the gospel and you determine that you are going to have to confront that person in a loving way. You determine it's your Christian duty to do so. You pray much before you go to the person and you're going, make sure you're going with the right attitude and you've checked off all the boxes. You're convinced that you're doing this according to scripture. You go to that person and speak to them, hoping they will receive your words and repent. And how do they respond? They respond by saying you're judging me, stop it, you cannot judge me. How many have had that happen? It's true, and according to their view, no one has the right to pass judgment on any on another. According to them, no one should ever make any judgment of any kind. But we'll see this morning.
Neil Silverberg:The opening statement is not a prohibition against making judgments of any kind, but avoiding certain types of judgment. Jesus clearly teaches that's impossible to live with others without making certain kinds of judgment. We'll see this later in this chapter when Jesus says Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they're raven and wolf. How can you determine if someone's a false prophet unless you judge them in some manner? So Jesus isn't forbidding all kinds of judgment, but he's condemning, assessing people critically and judging them harshly. The truth is, these first two statements in verses one and two help us to make what are properly called value judgments. Thank you, you see, jesus doesn't expect us to go through life without having opinions about things right. The important thing is that we make sure we're willing to be measured by the same standards we apply to others. That's the key.
Neil Silverberg:Here are some scriptures that tell us how to make value judgments. John 7, 24, jesus says do not judge by appearance, but judge right judgment with right judgment. What may seem wrong to us must be taken before the Lord to help in reaching a conclusion. He says don't depend on yourself, take it to the judge, take it to the judge. In 1 Corinthians 2.15, he says the spiritual person, paul speaking, judges all things but is himself judged by no one. He says make sure you're judging, discerning, evaluating things as they really are, not as they appear to be. And then in 1 Timothy, 5, 24 and 25, he says the sins of some people this is Paul again are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden. And here we are told that some men's sins are out in the open, while other are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden. This is so important. Here we are told that men's sins are out in the open, while other men's sins are a hidden nature. They're more sneaky if you would. And we are warned to discern the true situation.
Neil Silverberg:The follower of Jesus is a critic in the sense of using his powers of discernment, but not a judge in the sense of being censorious or a harsh critic. The harsh critic is a fault finder who is constantly looking to blame others. We must remember that the standard by which we judge others is the exact way we will be judged by others. And he says why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother let me take the speck out of your eye when there is a log in your own eye? I want to tell you about a gift I've received from the Father. I didn't know I had it until recently, and apparently a lot of people receive the same gift. It's the ability to see clearly all your faults and be totally blind to my own. What a gift. I can tell by your reaction that you have that gift too, and apparently, again, it's a gift that Father has lavished on the body, because so many people have this gift and don't know it. But Jesus actually resorts to humor here to make his point. He says you're looking at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye while ignoring the plank in your own eye If you don't get it. We're concerned about getting the speck out of our brother's eye while ignoring the telephone pole which is in your own eye.
Neil Silverberg:But these verses prove that we're not really interested in judgment, because if we were, we would deal with it in ourselves first. There are many people in the community who've set themselves up as judges, sadly, but they don't want anyone to judge them. By the way, the statement do not judge or you will be judged does not necessarily mean that we will be judged by others. We will be judged by them. That's true, but it isn't necessarily limited to men, but includes God as well. Let's take a moment and look at three types of judgment we all are facing presently and will face in the future.
Neil Silverberg:Number one there is the judgment of unbelievers that is appearing, and the Bible speaks very often of this. It is a judgment that is final and eternal. This is a basic judgment which all men and women will face. It's called the great white throne judgment. Let me read it in the NIV, in Revelation 20. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence and there was no place for them, and I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne and the books were open. Another book was open, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in it, and each person was judged according to what he has done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Therefore it's called the great white throne judgment, because that's exactly it. Every soul will stand before God and give an account of his life. The good news is, if you're in Christ, you won't go to the great white throne judgment, thank God.
Neil Silverberg:But then there's the second kind of judgment. It's a judgment that believers face as they walk through this life, and one example of that is Paul's instructions, which you often read when we do communion, in 1 Corinthians 11, his instructions that he gives to the Corinthian church regarding taking the Lord's supper and he says therefore, whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself. By the way, this verse is often used to instruct us to examine our lives when we're taking the Lord's Supper. I totally believe that's appropriate, but that's really not the focus. They were taking the Lord's Supper improperly and his instruction is not to do that and how they can. They'll be judged if they do that. Some of those were already sick and some that actually perished because they took the Lord's Supper.
Neil Silverberg:So the Lord's Supper is a serious matter. We need to take it in that manner. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup, for anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That's why many among you are weak and sick. I just mentioned that a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world. So that's a serious matter, and judgment awaits those who don't take the Lord's Supper with reverence. Is it right to look at our lives and examine our lives? Sure, it's right to do that before you take the Lord's Supper, but we should be doing that all the time.
Neil Silverberg:Then there's a judgment that's called the discipline of the Lord. In this second type of judgment believers face, here's an example in Hebrews 12, 7 through 11. Endure hardship as discipline. God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you're not disciplined, and everyone undergoes discipline, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, if we've all had our human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them, how much more shall we submit to the Father of our spirits and live? Our fathers disciplined us for good while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness.
Neil Silverberg:No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Say amen. You know it's the famous words your parents said before you got spanked. This is going to hurt me more than you. I never bought into that, just didn't seem reasonable. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful Later on. However, it produces a harvest of unrighteousness, of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Neil Silverberg:And finally, there's a judgment that the body of Christ will receive. It's not the judgment of being saved or not saved because we're in Christ, but it's the judgment of rewards saved or not saved because we're in Christ, but it's the judgment of rewards. And Paul speaks of this judgment in 1 Corinthians, 3, 10 through 15. By the grace of God has given me, I laid a foundation this is in the NIV as an expert builder, which is also the word master builder, and someone else is building on it. By the way, that word master builder or expert builder this is a Greek word, architect, non, from which we get what word architect? So Paul says he's an expert architect building the house of God, but each one should be careful how he builds, for no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation, using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will show for what it is, because the day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. So apparently our works, our life's work, will be evaluated by the fire of God and if anything remains after the fire does its burning work, then we have a reward. But if not, we can end up saved by having all of our work burned up.
Neil Silverberg:A dear friend of mine who's gone on to be with the Lord, duverne Frumke, written some classic books. Duverne was a brilliant Bible teacher but back in the 1950s he was a very well-known evangelist and he built a ministry. He had a ministry with, I think, 12 buildings on the property and he was a very well-known evangelist at the time. And he came back from a trip and was driving up the driveway into his ministry complex when he saw I think it was 11 of the 12 buildings that stood were going up in flames and he stood there and watched his life work burning and he heard the Holy Spirit say Be thankful that I did this on this side of eternity, thankful that I did this on this side of eternity. And from that moment on his life changed and his ministry changed, you get what he was realizing. His life work was being burned up because it was wood, hay and straw, but thankfully God gave it to him, allowed him to see that on this side of eternity.
Neil Silverberg:Then the Lord gives us a reason in these verses why we can't judge, and it is we are incapable of properly judging. Since we cannot do so, we must not try at all. He says you hypocrite, which one of the brothers pointed out is the greek word hypocritas, from which we get our word play actor, that's roman plays. Greek actors would wear masks to just to hide their self as they acted out on stage, and that's the word that's used for hypocrite. He says first take the log out of your own eye and then you'll see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. So we are called to judge others properly, but we can only do so when we've made sure to remove the log in our own eye. This is serious business.
Neil Silverberg:So value judgments, as we've seen, are necessary. Never let someone say to you you can't judge me. Your reply should be my brother, my sister, I am required to make a value judgment on how you line up with the word of God. We must make value judgments and we should seek to judge with righteous judgment. I believe God will expose anything needful and truth will prevail.
Neil Silverberg:Here's three pitfalls to be aware of in making value judgments. Number one our knowledge is incomplete. Our knowledge is incomplete when we judge. We do not have all the facts. Only God has all the facts. Only he knows the condition of a man's heart. I was once judged by a friend of mine years ago who misunderstood something that had happened and was telling people around the nation regarding that. I had done something which I had absolutely not, and I started to defend myself, pick up the phone and talk and the Holy Spirit clearly said to me if you raise a hand to defend yourself, I won't be there to defend you. I said thank you, lord, and eventually that man came to the right conclusion that he had been misunderstood. Some facts and my relationship with him was restored. So that's important that we know all the facts. Number two make sure to obtain as many facts as possible if you're required to make a value judgment, if you're going to judge, you need to have right information.
Neil Silverberg:Always remember we judge others from our own heart Most of the time. We judge others by the way we would act if we were in that particular situation. It may seem strange, but often the people we have the most trouble with are those who are most like us. Have you noticed that? Have you noticed that, number three, we may be going behind the blood of the atonement? There's something we can rightly be called kingdom alignment. I want to call kingdom alignment. The actions we are judging or questioning in another may have been confessed forgiven and now in the process of alignment. Make sure we give our brothers and sisters, therefore, breathing room. Give them breathing room. Are you convicted? Yet? I'll stop. If you are.
Neil Silverberg:We can see clearly that we have a critical, fault-finding attitude. If we examine ourselves carefully, you know, if our conversations are filled with statements like this the government stinks, the church stinks, my neighbors are unfriendly, children are getting worse every day and the coffee isn't good this morning, we can sort of detect a critical, fault-finding attitude. Right, a critical, fault-finding attitude right. And here are some of the steps downward to this attitude. First, self-righteousness that's the attitude which says others are wrong and I am right. If you're like that, I pray this morning you have the courage to ask God to smash the attitude right now. It isn't easy to do. But if you acknowledge it and ask God for help, he will respond. Then next and by the way, the body of Christ needs to hear this If we're going to judge those living a gay lifestyle, those living a gay lifestyle we need to apply the same thing to those who are in a heterosexual lifestyle as well. We don't get a pass.
Neil Silverberg:Then the attitude is revealed in our speech, and so it starts with self-righteousness. A self-righteous attitude makes you despise others. In other words, a despising tendency develops. And then next, the attitude is revealed in our speech. Jesus said it clearly out of the heart, the mouth speaks. This is not philosophy, idle philosophy, but fact. The words come out and you can't stop them until you recognize the source and go to God for cleansing. Until you recognize the source and go to God for cleansing, you start dealing with this attitude at the first sign of trouble and spare yourselves a step downward.
Neil Silverberg:Look at this statement in the Amplified Romans 14. It says as for the man who is a weak believer, welcome him into your fellowship, not to criticize his opinions or pass judgment on his scruples or perplex him with discussion. I'd like to word that last phrase, but not to straighten him out. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Watch the way they're going to judge each other. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains. Let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. See, this is the attitude of grace we should have towards the other members of the body who don't see things the way I do. And we can be delivered from that attitude that says if everybody was serious and did what I did do, then God would be blessing them.
Neil Silverberg:That attitude stinketh. Who are you to pass judgment on? The servant of another? Roman 14. It is before his own master that he stands or falls, and he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike.
Neil Silverberg:By the way, paul's dealing here in Romans with a congregation of Jews and non-Jews Gentiles who were both working out their salvation, and some believe in keeping certain holidays, others believe you didn't have to, and Paul is weighing in on how to wade through those difficult waters. He says each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day observes it in honor of the Lord. And then we've jumped down to Romans 14.10. He says why do you pass judgment on your brother? So easy to fall into this pattern.
Neil Silverberg:Have that subtle attitude. Everybody would be doing what I'm doing if they really understood God or his word. The one who eats eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains in honor and gives thanks to God, why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you? Why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written as I live, the Lord's, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess to God. So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. And there's so many other things he deals here with the Sabbath and other reasons Romans 14 deals with. But there's other things the rapture, the millennium Lord's Supper we differ in with our brothers and sisters.
Neil Silverberg:It's easy to become judgmental of those who have differing views, isn't it? It really is. So what's the key, you hypocrite? First take the log out of your own eye and then you will see clearly. To take the speck out of your brother's eye. Now Jesus isn't saying we can't be used by God to help our brothers and sisters to see clearly, but we have to make sure we are first seeing clearly about ourselves. The only way that can happen is to remove the telephone pole from our own eyes.
Neil Silverberg:The final statement I want to focus in for the next hour is I woke you up now, didn't I? The final statement teaches us the importance of certain disciplines before we safeguard ourselves from being hurt whenever we share God's word. It helps us to learn how to handle the truth of God revealed to us. It instructs us to approach new truth with a new appreciation for the privilege and responsibilities involved. Do not give dogs what is holy and do not throw your pearls before pigs lest they trample them underfoot and turn and attack you. He's saying in sharing the riches of the kingdom, make sure you discern your hearers. Not everybody you're speaking to appreciates the great pearl of treasures you have. Some are dogs and pigs. Remember when Jesus spoke in parables in Matthew 13,? He spoke of the pearl of great price was one of the parables. In verse 45 of chapter 13 of Matthew he says again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. Who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Neil Silverberg:Do you understand how a pearl is formed within an oyster? I revisited this. It's fascinating. The oyster a grain of sand works its way into the oyster, causing an oyster. I revisited this. It's fascinating. The oyster. A grain of sand works its way into the oyster, causing an irritation, and the oyster starts to cover the grain of sand with layer after layer of mucus in order to alleviate the irritation. Finally, the pearl is formed by tribulation.
Neil Silverberg:Do you want the pearls of the kingdom? There's only one way they're formed. And the pearl is formed by tribulation. That's what happens whenever God forms within us an understanding of new truth. What is our first inclination when we get new truth? It is to run out and tell everyone and anyone who will listen to your newfound truth. And that's where the need, the truth of this verse, is so important. We must learn how, what, when and with whom to share our treasure. Our natural tendency, again, is to fling holy things to dogs and pigs. We must learn how to be responsible to steward the truth he shows us. Have you ever had the following situation? God shows you some incredible revelation of his word that's life-changing and you're just dying to share it with someone and you run out and tell a friend, expecting him to be as excited about it as you are, and he just grunts what's the problem? God was showing you that truth. It was for you alone. At that point we must learn that when the Lord shares something with us, it's best to first keep it to ourselves and weigh it and really come to understand it. We must learn the wisdom of when, how and with whom we are to share.
Neil Silverberg:Isaiah said something. I want to read it from the King James, chapter 50 of Isaiah. Verse 14 said it this way the Lord God, verse one through four I'm sorry, isaiah, 51 through four, I'm sorry, isaiah 50, one through four. The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word, that's what to speak in season, when to speak to him that is weary, to whom to speak? He waketh morning by morning. He waketh my ear to hear as the learned. Do you see, the one who teaches us the how, what and when, the right thing to the right person, at the right time in the right way. So important that we get that right and again, it's vital that we learn how to handle sharing spiritual truth, because some of those we're sharing with are dogs and pigs and don't value the treasures we have. Sometimes we need to stop speaking and walk away.
Neil Silverberg:Remember the Lord's instruction regarding sharing the gospel with unbelievers that he gave them before they went out on their first mission trip. With unbelievers. That he gave them before they went out on their first mission trip. He said whatever town or village you enter, share, search for some person, worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it. If it is not, let your peace return. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you, the truth will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on that day of judgment than for that town I'm sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore, be shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Look carefully at his instruction about those who will not listen. If anyone will not welcome you or listen, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
Neil Silverberg:The apostles who heard these words of commission did exactly that at times, for instance at Antioch, did exactly that at times, for instance at Antioch, when they were rejected. It says and when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and the Jewish synagogue had rejected them. And Luke says Paul and Barnabas, when they heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. Notice, it doesn't say as many as believed were appointed to eternal life, but as many as were appointed to eternal life believe. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district, but they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. This is something that should continue to be practiced in our day.
Neil Silverberg:Can I be honest with you? For many years of serving in pastoral ministry, I was in violation of this instruction. Instead of shaking the dust off the feet after years of working with people, I continued to speak to them, not realizing they were weighing what I was telling them in the same scale as what their bartender was telling them. It's a general policy that when people stop listening we should stop speaking. So let's close by calling to mind what this passage has had to say to us. There's so much jammed in here and we haven't done it justice, but I hope it's been meaningful and it says.
Neil Silverberg:I want to close by saying reminding you that we said we were forbidden to judge others, why at times we are called to discern where others are at. But there's only one way we can effectively do that, and that is by making sure we are judging ourselves by the same measure we judge others. We saw it's easy to be blind to our own spiritual condition while we continue to make judgments about others. And at the end we saw that we must be careful about who we are speaking to. Some do not value what we have and will trample them under their feet how important these words are for living successfully in the community of God, of God.
Neil Silverberg:I would close this message by making an appeal to you to ask the Lord to take out of your heart that judgmental, harsh, critical spirit. Ask yourself this question Are you judging yourself by the same standard you're judging others, or are you ignoring the telephone pole protruding from your eye while you set yourself up as the God-appointed judge of others, stand with me. I'm going to ask the prayer team to come down. I think the most fitting way to conclude this and these are sobering things, I realize, but is to take a moment and pray together. And then I want to invite you to this morning to come up and get prayer from one of the prayer team members. If you discover especially that you've been harsh or critical, judgmental attitude, then come and confess it to the Lord and ask someone to pray for you. We'll be glad to do it.
Neil Silverberg:Father, thank you for this teaching this morning. Thank you for the reality of these words. Lord, we thank you that you've called us to not be critical, judgmental, but you called us to discern. Help us to recognize the difference and, lord, we repent right now for a critical, fault-finding spirit. We ask you to forgive us, lord, for having that attitude for judging others. Let Trinity, let it be banished from Trinity Community Church completely. Lord, let us not be judgmental and harsh, but help us, lord, at the same time, to discern when we need to speak to our brother or sister and exhort them to make changes. Don't let us run from our responsibility to do that because of this teaching Help us to live a balanced life with both. In the name of the Lord Jesus, and everyone said Amen.
