• paying your bills on time
• spending time in the Word of God
• loving people and using things, not loving things and using people
• living out servant-leadership
• being transparent and honest
• admitting you’re wrong when you’re wrong
• preaching your own sermons, Led by the Spirit of God.

Faithfulness.

Faithfulness starts with your spouse, extends to your family and God’s family, and continues on with your stewardship and commitment to the Lord. Faithfulness involves loyalty to your staff and to your congregation. Faithful love covers a multitude of sins.

With another rash of high-profile ministry divorces recently, we must ask ourselves if integrity really marks ministry anymore. We must love those who fall. But should they remain in the spotlight as ministry examples? Let’s raise the bar instead of lowering it in holiness, purity, integrity and morality.

As you look at the mega-churches and the high paying pastors or bishops sure integrity comes in the spotlight. and the high rate of divorces coming out of the gatherings and the divorcees are still in the spotlight leave much to be desired about the teaching the congregation is receiving. Where is the morality that goes with the integrity of these ministers?

And what about the ostentatious lifestyles of some of the high-profile ministries? Yes, God’s blessing does include prosperity, but boasting about planes, cars, clothes and houses does little to equip the saints. In other parts of the world, ministries are working on the behalf of the Christians.  They are sacrificing everything for Christ. What a shame American Christianity can be at times! All they are thinking and preaching are prosperity and worldly assets. That is not the Gospel that Christ wants us to preach. It is a shame and Paul has condemned it in his letters to the church.

Homosexual marriages and lesbianism has walked into the church’ leadership and is ordained as pastors, bishops, overseers and it goes on and on. Men with their “first man” and women with their “first lady” in the pulpit claiming to be ministers and you think God is pleased with this form of worship. Oh, Laodicea God is not pleased with you and He is going to bring you into judgement unless you repent and turn back to the anointed word of Almighty God.

Honesty.

Honesty really means being consistent between your word and your actions, your inner and outer selves, and your walk and talk. Honesty knows that truth is God’s absolute truth and that it applies to everyone–ourselves included. Honesty avoids exaggeration and embraces simplicity.

Brethren, I want to encourage us this morning to take the Name of Jesus with you a child of sorrow and of woe. It will joy and comfort bring you so please take it wherever you go. As we step out into the day let the Lord have His way in your heart and keep giving Him some praise. God bless and keep us.