PODCAST
Compassion For Others to Be Ready
August 2nd, 2025
Philippians 1:15-26.
One day in church during a conversation about outreach, a parishioner made the statement that they did not want messy people. They wanted “put together Christians” for their church. This is not how Paul dealt with the Philippians. Paul’s first concern was that they knew the gospel, then he worked on character development.
We don’t start reading a book at the end. In the same way, we can’t expect people to start their Christian walks at the end.
Jesus is frequently scolded in the Gospels for hanging out with the wrong types of people. He recognized that the people who needed Him most were the ones who did not have it all together. Christians must be willing to be like Jesus and meet people where they are. Then they must be willing to journey with them on their walk with God.
The Great Commission calls us to preach the gospel and make disciples. A disciple is not a person we say a quick prayer over and walk away. A disciple is a person we introduce to Jesus and then compassionately walk alongside in their faith journey. The church is to bring healing to the sick, not remain isolated from the world.
Author: Stephanie Malcolm
