Introduction

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests,
but also to the interests of others.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,
being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted him and
bestowed on him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ~ Philippians 2:1-11

INTRO

The book of James 3:5,9-10 reads: “so also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things are not to be so.”

How we interact with others is of great importance as we live out the callings that God has given to each and every one of us. I like to call it “The Art of Civility” within our human experience. Civility is defined as “formal politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech.” In many ways, The Art of Civility seems to be a forgotten art in today’s culture. The sheer amount of unfiltered opinions going out on social media platforms, opinion articles, news stations, late night television, radio and our own homes, has led to a culture in desperate need of reclaiming The Art of Civility.

Through these studies, we will be using an acronym to guide us into greater amounts of civility in our own lives and this acronym is H.U.R.T. As people we feel hurt when we feel we have not been…

Heard Understood Respected Trusted

Scripture has this to say when it comes to how we are to speak to one another. Ephesians 4:15: “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ.”

Civility is not withholding your thoughts, opinions, passions or desires from one another, but it is being able to share those things with a heart of love for the other person. The promise we are given is that as we do this we will all grow up in every way into Jesus who is the head of our body. Paul is speaking here of the Church, the body of Christ on earth, and scripture says that, as Christians, we are to be the leaders of civility in this world.

The Art of Civility is not just in how we put our thoughts and opinions out into the world, but also in how we allow others to do the same thing. We do not like to feel HURT and neither does anyone else. Through the next four studies, you will be encouraged, challenged and empowered to reclaim the Art of Civility in your own life and then bring that blessing out into the world.

Hebrews 13:20-21: “May the God of peace, who brought back the great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, from the dead by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with every good thing to do his will, by developing in us what pleases Him through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory forever and always. Amen.”