Well I prepared this many years ago, but think that it is still very relevant today. What do you think?

1. No: PP13/971
CHARACTER

2. Philippians 4:8 & 9
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Phil 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever
things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure,
whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things
[are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if
[there be] any praise, think on these things.
Phil 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned,
and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and
the God of peace shall be with you.

3. They said…
 Dr
Bob Jones said…
 “Reputation is what men think you are;
Character is what God KNOWS you are.”
 Dr Donald Howard said…
 Character is that quality of life that stretches
for maturity in all areas”

4. Where it doesn’t exist you have
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Quitters
Crisis of leadership
People who don’t turn up for work
Inferior goods and services
Lateness and sloppiness
Excuses, not action
Wrong compromises
People not where they should be

5. Talent / Gifting V Character
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Talent / gifting is
always a solo it often
flees character
Talent / gifting
commands admiration
Character commands
respect
Talent / gifting is a
product of brainpower
 Character
is a
product of heartpower
 Talent/ gifting is
often admired
 Character should
be followed and
trusted

6. HOW DO YOU GET CHARACTER
Well.. it actually it takes church / follows of the
way to do it:
 Hear God
 Love God with all you heart – central
 Love God with all your personality
 Love God with all your body = habits and
actions

7. To move to character maturity
We need to:
Have the good right things of Philippians in our
THOUGHTS – all action starts there
Have it in our CONVERSATION – you can tell what
is important to people by what they talk about
Character says ‘these are my duties, there are
obligations and I will fulfil them

8. When
Our minds are renewed when you
 Think about good things
 Put on the mind of Christ
 Are simple in your knowledge of evil
Then with a renewed mind
 Habits change
 Actions become that of people with
Character

9. What is it?
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It is the quality of your life
It is ultimately sewn into every fibre of the mind and
soul / personality
It is in your tastes
It is in your desires
It is in your affinity
It is in the mind
It is in your HABITS
It is in your actions and more importantly your
REACTIONS
It is the innate quality which ultimately is sewn into
every fibre of the above list during physical, mental
and spiritual maturation.

10. Character
is experience in every temptation, active in every
thought, effectual in every attitude, present in
every decision, behind every action.
:
We talk about:
 Good Character – God’s Value system
 Bad Character – decidedly contrary to God’s
value system
 Weak Character – easily swayed; blown about
by every wind of change
 No Character – usually weak, indecisive, having
no challenge or values

11. Character is
 The
sub-conscious of doing right. When you
do right so long you do it sub-consciously,
when the reflexes take over the doing of right
and you by reflex do something that is right,
then you have Character.

12. Martin Luther said…
 The
prosperity of a country depends not on
the abundance of its revenue, nor on the
strength of its fortifications, nor on the beauty
of its public buildings but it consists of the
number of its cultivated citizens, its people of
character, here are to be found its true
interests, its chief strengths and its real
power!

13. We need
 Character
 Integrity
 Purity
 The
foundation for everything good is
Character

14. CHARACTER
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Wears the best and last the longest
Is moved BY affection and NOT FOR affection
Keeps the palm down in giving and not the palm up in receiving
Steers its own destiny
Has truth as its goddess
Pain as it friend
Work as it kin
Duty as it spouse
Obstacles as its opportunities
Gratitude towards ancestors – ‘I receive from those before’
Obligations towards posterity – ‘I will give to those who follow’
It prolongs your life after you have gone
It uses tombstones as lecterns
It uses the same material to build palaces that others use for rubbish
No task is too trivial
No trifle is ignored

15. Others V Character
While others say ‘I will’
 Character says ‘I am’
 While others say ‘I can’
 Character says ‘I did’
 While others may seek honour
 Character is its own honour and reward
Emerson said:
“people of character are the conscience of the society
to which they belong.”
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16. Without Character
 Without
character there is little sense of
responsibility and no capability to manage
liberty!

17. Adrian L Hawkes
Ref 454 / 519. 1985/88/89/
1 to 9
th
10. = 29 June 2006
Edited 24.12.13