1. Equipped to Care: Learning to Care for Others

2. Why care for others? What is care/compassion?

3. Attributes of God “The distinguishing characteristics of God that set Him apart and through which He reveals Himself to mankind.” Moody Handbook of Theology Love- Effects… Love- Effects…  Grace- unmerited favor of God  Goodness- benevolent concern  Patience- long-suffering; slow to anger  Mercy/Compassion- providing care and comfort to hurting/needy people

4. Lamentations 3:21-24 This I recall to my mind Therefore I have hope. The Lord's lovingkindnesses (chesed) indeed never cease, For His compassions (racham) never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, Therefore I have hope in Him.

5. Isaiah 54:10 "For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness (chesed) will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken," Says the Lord who has compassion (racham) on you.

6. I.Compassion Experienced Mark 2:17 “…Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but the sinners.”

7. I.Compassion Experienced Mark 2:17 “…Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but the sinners.” Ephesians 2:4 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which he loved us”

8. I.Compassion Experienced 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

9. I.Compassion Experienced II.Compassion Expressed

10. Six “Snapshots” of Jesus Extending Compassion  Matthew 9:35-38  Matthew 14:13-16  Matthew 18:21-35  Luke 7:13  Luke 10:33  Luke 15:20

11. Shepherding Tips from the Good Shepherd  John 21:15-17  Peter denied Christ 3 x’s  Christ asks Peter 3 questions  All refer to Christ’s flock- people  Jesus restores Peter- new JD  From fisherman to shepherd

12. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary compassion\n [fr. L com- + pati to bear, suffer- patient] “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it”

13. Paradigm Shift Whose responsibility is it to care for our congregation? Our community? Our world?

14. Two types of change: 1.External Fix- band aid; temporal 2.Internal Change- genuine change of heart

15. Care Ministry IS Discipleship 1.Seeing a person work through their issue is not the end goal 2.God wants to bring healing in their lives for the purpose of His glory as they pour into the lives of others

16. God wants to use us to see change take place in the hearts of others. We are the hands and feet of Jesus! Before God can use us, we must allow Him to change our hearts.

17. Psalms for Hurting People Psalm 6, 10, 18, 22, 23, 25, 28, 31, 34, 38, 42, 57, 69, 77, 86, 88, 103, 116, 121, 139, 143, 145

18. Applications…   Pray for one another (James 5:16) Ask, “How can I pray for you?” Listen, and then pray for them.   Love one another (John 15:17)   Bear one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2)   Forgive each other (Eph. 4:32)   Care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25)   Challenge- one act of care/compassion toward someone this week