How To Grow A Loving Church Part 2

Services

SImi COmmunity Church

Jul. 20, 2025

 Tony Silvestri
 Romans 12: 14-16
 N/A

Series: Transformed   7-20-25

How to Grow a Loving Church (Pt.2)

(Romans 12:14-16)

 

                                  

Living Transformed Lives in Community:

 (Family Responsibilities)

 

1.  Be a Team Player, we Belong to each other.

2.  Be a Giver, your Gifts are to Benefit Others. 

3.  Be Real with Each Other. (Don’t wear a mask!)

4.  Be Devoted to Others’ Needs.

5.  Be Enthusiastic about your Service to God.

6.  Be Hopeful in your Outlook.

 

7. Be ___________________ with Problems. 

 

Romans 12:12 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,

 

  • “Patient” (hupoménō) - from hupó, (under), and ménō (to remain), to remain under, to persevere, endure. (…when you’re having a difficult time.)

 

 

Romans 5:3-5 3 we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance (comes from hupoménō); 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, 

 

 

 

THE SOURCES OF SUFFERING:

 

a. ______________________

 

   DANGER & OPPORTUNITY 

                                 

 

b. ______________________

 

 

c. ______________________

 

 

d. ______________________

 

James 1:12–13 (ESV) 12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

 

  • “Tempt” “Temptation” or “Test” “Trial” 

(same word in Greek, so how do you know which it is?)

① an attempt to learn the nature or character of something, test, trial. (GOD)

② an attempt to make one do something wrong, temptation, enticement to sin. (SATAN)

 

 


e. ______________________

 

1 Peter 5:10 10 And the God of all grace… after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 

 


“PAIN is often tool God uses to PURGE us of our PRIDE.”

 

8. Be ______________________ & Intercede for Other.

 

Romans 12:12 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

 

  • The alternative to Pressure is Prayer!

 

“Wherever you run to in a crisis, is where your Christ is.”


 

9. Be ______________________ with the family of God. 

 

Romans 12:13 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

 

 

Acts 2:44–45 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

 


10. Be Wise with your ______________________.

 

Romans 12:14 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

 

  • “Bless” (eulogéō) [eu - good, well]  [logéō - to speak] - “to speak well of”.

 

 

 

“You come to respect a person more by what they say about others, 

 

rather than what others say about them.” Susan Tietsort

 

 

 

 

I Can’t Control the things You Say about me, but 

I Can Control the things I Say about You!

 

 

 

  • “CURSE” - to invoke harm.

 

      NOTICE: Those who are persecuting you are in the church!

 

  • “Persecute” - to cause to suffer, whether physically or emotionally.

 

 

 

FRIENDLY FIRE:

 

“Christians are the only ones who shoot their own wounded, forming their firing squads in a circle.”

 

 

QUALIFICATIONS FOR MINISTRY:

 

Chuck Swindoll, “Need to have a tender heart and tough skin.”

 

Stuart Briscoe, “The mind of a scholar, the heart of a child, 

and the skin of a rhinoceros.”

 

 

 

 

 

11. Be ______________________ with Each Other.

 

Romans 12:15 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 

 

 

 

 

Job 2:11–13 11 When Job’s three friends… heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. 12 When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him… 13 Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

 

 

 

  • The Holy Spirit is called “the Comforter“ (Gk. “Paraklete”) - One who comes alongside of. 

 

 

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 3 Praise be to God… the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

 

 

 

 

 

12. Be Aware of Toxic _______________ & Partiality

 

Romans 12:16 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

 

 

  • Two things that will destroy a loving church: PRIDE & PARTIALITY!

 

 

THE PROBLEM:

 

PRIDE is the one Sin you CANNOT SEE yourself!

But OTHERS can See it plain as day!