What stage are you at in your Christian walk? 

Be careful not to take on too much while being a babe in Christ.  

On the opposite side are you doing too much? 

Lastly are you doing too little? 

What is the reason for what you do? 

To please others, to feel important or to please God?

12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. 

Hebrews 5:12-14

8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’” 

Matthew 15:8-9

Remember we are all living for the first time and we are imperfect people. If someone offends you the bible gives us guidelines on how to deal with those matters. 

Forgiving is so important! To have good relationships we have to forgive and be reconciled.

15 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. 

Matthew 18:15-17

It is important for Christians to gather and fellowship together.  Opportunities such as church, bible studies outings. We need each other. We don't only grow by one on one time with God but we grow from spending time with other like-minded believers. 

24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching 

Hebrews 10: 24-25

Yes they are Christians and we expect a certain level of behaviour. However, again people are at various stages and so are we. We don't have control of people but of ourselves. Instead of focusing on others so much we need to start with our self. Ensure that YOU are doing what God wants you to do. 

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 

Matthew 7:3-5

Be careful of how your culture and religion impacts how you navigate your relationship with God and with others. For example, I am Caribbean and our worship music has load of beats, drums, etc. Whereas a European church may have a quieter approach to worship music. Does that mean that one is better than the other? No. It just means we are different. We are made in God's image, and we get to see sooo many differences in races, cultures and people. It is important to be able to discern if something is scriptural, traditional, cultural or religious. Across the world there are so many different Christian denominations, but it is important to remember that we are a part of the Kingdom of God. Let's not allow our differences to separate us but bring us together to share in the diversity of our Creator. 

28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

Galatians 3:28-29

1.  Sand

17 blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. 

Genesis 22:17

I live in Barbados and for so many years hearing this scripture I thought only about the sand on the beach. God brought the thought to me, there is sand in desserts as well. It widened how deep it was when He said sand to Abraham. My culture impacted and limited my interpretation of Word. 

2. Nose Ring & Types of Jewelry

12 and I put a ring on your nose, earrings on your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.  Ezekiel 16:12

In this scripture God himself is describing how He adorned Isreal.

16  The Lord says, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, strutting along with swaying hips, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. Isaiah 3:16

Nose rings??!! NOT IN THE CARRIBBEAN!! LOL. Even persons who are not Christians look down on nose rings especially those 50 years and older. This is also the same thing for anklets where they are associated with being promiscuous. This is a cultural stance that is still held to this day in the Caribbean and it shapes our Christian culture in the Caribbean. 

3. Figs

13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 

The figs that are mentioned in the Bible are not that same fruit that Caribbean people think of when they hear figs. 

IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO EXPLAIN THINGS!