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Pride is the most destructive sin in relationships and ministry. John Bailey and Mark Renfroe discuss the many ways that pride can pop up in our personal lives and even in our work for God. How do we guard our hearts against this poisonous sin?
Key Points from the Podcast
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Pride is a spiritual killer that is counter to your relationship with God and others.
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When we are prideful, exalting ourselves, we are acting in line with the devil.
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C.S. Lewis said that humility isn’t thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.
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One of the best ways to fight against pride is service. It is hard to be a proud servant.
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In Jesus, we someone who was secure in his identity as God’s Beloved Son which allowed him to humbly serve others.
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When we remember who we were apart from Christ—a sinner deserving of God’s wrath—it will lead us to humility and help us fight any sense of entitlement.
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Sometimes we may use pride to cover up areas where we feel insufficient.
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Another great way to fight against pride is to be intentional in elevating others rather than yourself.
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Pride, like most sin, is often easier to see in others rather than in yourself. We all have a propensity toward pride. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you areas of pride in your heart.
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Humility does not mean denying the gifts and opportunities that God has given you but using them for the betterment of others rather than yourself.
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If you want to be truly happy and experience genuine joy, then put God and others before yourself.
Bible Verses Referenced in the Podcast
1 John 2:15–17; Isaiah 14:12–15; John 13:3–5; John 19:10–11; John 18; Genesis 3:1–6; Acts 17:16–34; 2 Corinthians 12:7; Matthew 7:1–2; Acts 22:3–11; Philippians 3:3–6; Philippians 2:3–11; Matthew 16:24; Galatians 5:24; Ephesians 4:22; Hebrews 4:9–11
Resources Mentioned in the Podcast
About John Bailey
Pastor John Bailey serves as the Chief Operating Officer at World Challenge. John came to know Christ in jail after some difficult struggles as a young man, and God has done a powerful work of transformation since! Spending 13 years in Next Gen ministry, he excelled in discipleship and helping young leaders discover giftings to serve God. John was called next to serve as a missionary and pastor in Western Europe. John and his family then returned to plant the Springs Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Today, the church is a thriving body of believers excelling in outreach and missions. John has now brought his giftings and vision to World Challenge, accelerating the spread of the gospel in America and around the World.
About Mark Renfroe
Mark married his college sweetheart, Amy, with whom he has four adult children—one girl and three boys. The Renfroes have been involved in field missions work for 30 years. They served in the Arab community of San Francisco for four years before becoming foreign missionaries in 1995. Mark was asked to serve as the Area Director for Assemblies of God World Missions in 2007. As part of his role, he led missionaries and interfaced with national church leaders in the 18 countries of the Arab World. In 2017, Mark created Reaching Africa’s Muslims, an initiative to mobilize, equip, and deploy indigenous African missionaries to reach Muslims on the continent. Mark has graduate degrees in Intercultural Studies and Executive Leadership. He currently serves as the Chief Missions Officer for World Challenge in Colorado Springs.
