8 Key Privileges & Responsibilities of Church Members Caring — Displaying the Fruit of the Spirit Pay careful to yourself. 4 Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. Care for your family first. 1 Timothy 5:4,8 (NLT) 4 But if she has children or grandchildren, their first responsibility is to show godliness at home and repay their parents by taking care of them. This is something that pleases God. 8 But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers. Care gently, humbly & generously for your family. Helping our “bleeders, needers & leaders”. Galatians 6:1 (NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 1. Gently the bleeders. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 2. Humbly the burdens of needers. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. 6 Those who are taught the word of God should provide for their teachers, sharing all good things with them. 3. Generously meet the of leaders. What now? Recognize that caring for “bleeders, needers & leaders” is care work that all believers should take part in. Look for opportunities every week to do something good for others. Pray for your church family. Continuing The Conversation 1. Have you ever personally experienced a need that was met by your church family? What was that like? 2. What types of burdens might a church family member be carrying that are within your power to lift? 3. Why do you think some churches might resist the biblical instructions to help meet the material needs of their Pastors (teachers)? (Galatians 6:6)