Race, Healing, & Jesus – Another Option

Pastor Jason Burns

June 21, 2020

James 2:1 NLT  // My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?

Acts 6:1 NLT  // But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent.

  • The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.

James 2:9 NLT  // But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

  • Us vs. Them Mentality
  • Honor
  • What do we have in common? 99.5%.
  • How did we get divided? Grouping.
  • In-Group Bias – The tendency to give preferential treatment to people who are like me.

In Group Bias:

  1. I am more comfortable with those like me.
  2. I am more inclined to spend time socially with those like me.
  3. I am more patient with those like me.
  4. I give the benefit of the doubt quicker to those like me.
  5. I express more grace when mistakes are made by those like me.
  6. It is easier to communicate with those like me.
  7. I assume that I will get along easier with those like me.
  8. I am more willing to go out of my way to help those like me.

How Can We Grow?

  1. Acknowledge your blind spots.
  2. See others as brothers and sisters.
  3. Give In-Group love to your Out-Group.
  4. Acknowledge your brother or sister’s color.
  5. Learn from every conversation.
  6. Give your heart to those not like you.