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6 Traits of Toxic People Pt. 2 | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes/Change Church/6 Traits of Toxic People Pt. 2

Sermon notes

6 Traits of Toxic People Pt. 2

Dr Dharius Daniels·Change Church

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Part of Red Flags

Summary

In this message on spiritual discernment, Dr. Dharius Daniels uses the Old Testament relationship between King Saul and David to expose traits of toxic behavior. He highlights how relational influences directly impact peace, calling, and destiny, emphasizing that no relationship is neutral. By identifying manipulation, insecure competitiveness, and exploitative opportunism, believers are empowered to guard their souls and make wise relational adjustments.

Key Scriptures

Tap a passage to read it in the Bible app ↗

1 Samuel 18:5↗1 Samuel 18:6-9↗1 Samuel 18:10-11↗Proverbs 13:20↗1 Corinthians 15:33

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These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.

Continue this series

Red Flags

Sermon

Trap Doors

Dr Dharius Daniels · Change Church

Apr 28, 2024

Sermon

This is a Lot

Dr Dharius Daniels · Change Church

Apr 21, 2024

Part 2 · Current

6 Traits of Toxic People Pt. 2

Dr Dharius Daniels · Change Church

Apr 14, 2024

Sermon

6 Traits of Toxic People

Dr Dharius Daniels · Change Church

Apr 7, 2024

↗

1 Samuel 16:10↗

Themes

Relational DiscernmentToxic BehaviorsEmotional HealthCharacter and IntegrityProtection and PurposeBoundaries

Pastor's Points

1.Manipulation: The use of flattery, generosity, or spirituality to exploit someone's deficits or weaknesses to disarm and control them.
2.Insecure Competitiveness: A hybrid trait where a person's drive to compete and outperform others is fueled by unaddressed insecurities, creating emotional erraticism.
3.Exploitative Opportunism: Using or sacrificing others to gain personal position or advantage, regardless of their goodness toward you.

Key Points

1.Your company affects your calling; relationships either propel you forward in your assignment or pull you backward.
2.There are no neutral relationships in life—every person is either an asset or a liability, making you better or worse.
3.Biblical discernment is the God-given ability to assess the true nature of an individual or opportunity beyond surface appearances.
4.Manipulative people leverage flattery, unexpected generosity, or apparent spirituality to control those with unaddressed emotional or relational deficits.
5.Insecure competitiveness causes individuals to compete with allies rather than winning together on the same team.
6.When a person constantly refuses God's direction, they forfeit divine protection and become subject to spiritual and emotional erraticism.
7.Exploitative opportunists operate strictly out of their own character; no amount of kindness on your part can change their nature.
8.Stewarding your divine assignment requires stewarding your soul, which means ending relational patterns that continuously wound you.

Sermon Moments

“Your company affects your calling. People can affect your peace and individuals can interfere with your assignment.”

“There is no such thing as a neutral relationship. They are either making you better or they are making you worse.”

“Manipulation is the use of flattery, generosity, or spirituality to exploit someone's ignorance, weakness, or deficits so they can disarm and control them.”

“They say 'I've been praying for you' (P-R-A-Y-I-N-G) because they're setting you up to prey on you (P-R-E-Y).”

“When you have a deficit and somebody gives you what's normal, it feels like they're doing you a favor.”

“Insecure competitiveness is when a person's competitive drive is fueled by unaddressed insecurities... competing with the wrong people when we're supposed to be winning together.”

“Whenever you refuse direction, you forfeit protection.”

“You can't have a whole soul if you keep letting people put holes in your soul.”

This Week

Evaluate your closest relationships to determine whether they are helping you grow or pulling you backward spiritually.
Pray for spiritual discernment ('eagle eyes') to look beyond outward flattery, gifts, or superficial spirituality.
Identify personal emotional deficits or unhealed wounds so manipulators cannot exploit them.
Recognize signs of insecure competitiveness in your circle and avoid engaging in unhealthy rivalry with allies.
Observe how people act across different seasons and under pressure before giving them deep access to your life.
Refuse to leverage or manipulate others for personal promotion or opportunity.
Establish healthy boundaries and limits in toxic dynamics where complete elimination is not immediately possible.

Remember This

Your company directly impacts your calling, so you must use God-given discernment to identify toxic traits like manipulation, insecure competitiveness, and opportunism in order to protect your soul and fulfill your purpose.

A Challenge for You

Stop the relational bleeding in your life this season by moving differently, asking God to open the eyes of your heart so you can guard your soul and walk in wholeness.

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