Boldness in Scripture is not rudeness

Pray Bold Prayers to Stay on Mission

A couple of weeks ago, we talked about what it means to pray bold prayers so we can stay on mission. Our calling as the church is not to become a monument that people gather around, but a movement that carries forward the message and mission of Jesus. That mission is anchored in a moment — the resurrection of Jesus — and it’s our responsibility to keep the momentum going, to live and share the good news that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.

In Acts we see how prayer fueled this movement. When the early church faced threats, they didn’t ask God for safety or revenge. They didn’t ask if they should keep going. They prayed for boldness. And as they prayed, the Spirit filled them with courage and power to keep speaking about Jesus and serving in His name.

That’s the invitation to us today: Pray bold prayers to stay on mission.

During the sermon I ran out of time to highlight the way in which we should be bold. I find it appropiate to define boldness more clearly. It is important that we don't get all pumped up and haphazardly run around making people feel badly and run over. So here is that section from my sermon outline that I did not talk about that Sunday.

Boldness in Scripture is not rudeness

Boldness ≠ Rudeness

When we hear “boldness,” we often picture loud voices, aggressive arguments, or “owning” people with our words. But biblical boldness is something very different.

Boldness is Spirit-filled courage. Rudeness is flesh-driven aggression.

When Peter and John spoke boldly in Acts 4, they weren’t trying to humiliate the Sanhedrin. They were testifying to Jesus with clarity, humility, and love. Their boldness wasn’t about making a point — it was about pointing people to Jesus.

Here’s the difference:

• Boldness speaks truth with grace (Ephesians 4:15).

• Boldness points people to Jesus, not our opinion.

• Boldness risks being misunderstood, but it never intentionally wounds.

Jesus is our model here. His words were firm, but they were never careless. His posture was strong, but it was never rooted in arrogance. He confronted sin, but always with compassion, humility, and truth.

If our “boldness” makes people feel hated instead of invited, we’re likely operating out of fear, pride, or insecurity — not the Spirit of God. As John wrote, “Perfect love drives out fear.”

Guidelines for Gospel Boldness

Scripture gives us guardrails for what boldness should look like:

• Speech that Heals, Not Harms

  
  

  • “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24)

  • “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt…” (Colossians 4:6)

  
  

• Attitudes that Look Like Jesus

  
  

  • “In humility, value others above yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3–5)

  • “Quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry.” (James 1:19–20)

  
  

• Actions that Reflect Humility

  
  

  • “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23)

  
  

• Tone that Points to Christ

  
  

  • “Always be prepared to give an answer… but do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)

  • “A gentle answer turns away wrath.” (Proverbs 15:1)

  
  

Boldness doesn’t give us permission to be harsh. The goal is not to win arguments, but to win people.

So What Do We Do?

The first church modeled this for us: in response to suffering and uncertainty, they prayed for boldness. Not for safety, not for an easier path — but for the courage to keep proclaiming Jesus.

That’s our call too. In a world full of noise and reaction, we need Spirit-filled boldness that is marked by humility, gentleness, and love.

Daily Prayer Challenge:

“Sovereign Lord, make me bold today. Fill me with Your Spirit, open my mouth to speak the hope of Jesus, and open my hands to serve with courage and love.”