Worship & Word: Sundays at Empowerment Temple- with Rev. Dr. Robert Turner

Main message: Christians are called to live with humility — an inward posture of low self-regard and dependence on God — expressed outwardly by loving, selfless service rather than prideful or performative kindness.

Key points:

• Humility (Greek tapeinophrosune) is an inward posture — “thinking of yourself less” — distinct from kindness, which is outward action.
• Kindness without humility becomes patronizing/condescending; humility without kindness becomes passive and self-absorbed. Both are incomplete.
• Humility means not thinking more highly of yourself than you ought, yet still confidently trusting God (God equips the called; broken people can be used).
• True humility produces sacrificial service (Good Samaritan example) and rejects selfish ambition or vain glory (Philippians 2:3).
• Humility requires spiritual dependence on God (Micah 6:8; examples: Peter & John at the Beautiful Gate; the preacher’s testimony of walking despite knee pain and trusting God).

Scriptures mentioned: Colossians 3:12, Philippians 2:3, Micah 6:8, Acts 3 (Beautiful Gate / “silver and gold have I none”), James 1:2, Philippians 1:6, Romans 8:18, Psalm 23