Walk Your Talk

1 John 1:5-10 KJV

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

If we truly follow Christ, we will do His will and walk in His ways. A person can say they are a Christian, but if they are not walking as Christ walked, then they are lying.

We must walk our talk. We must show our faith by how we live our lives. We may try to deceive ourselves by talking about our righteousness, but we are only righteous when we confess our sin and are cleansed by Christ's shed blood and covered with His righteousness.

Sacrifice is Gain

Sense the Beauty

Throw Back Thursday

I haven't done a Throw Back Thursday in a few weeks, but I occasionally go back and read old posts and this one spoke to me. I have been struggling with taking the time to pray. Yes, of course I will pray throughout the day and for others, but I hadn't taken time to spend in just prayer-speaking with and listening to God. I felt like I was being lazy if I took a 1/2 hour in the morning just to pray, but I have to remember that it isn't "just" praying. I need that communication to keep my relationship with God strong.

I thought you might be encouraged as well.

Taking the Time to Pray

Time

Wayside Sacrament

A Good Foundation

Matthew 7:24-27 KJV

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

If you have ever seen anything be built, you will see the importance of a good foundation. Water and movement easily shift the ground under any building or roadway and unless you have a strong foundation of something immovable, your creation will shift and move with the ground.

God's Word is the solid foundation for life. It is the immovable ground we need to live our life upon. If we don't, we will be as shiftless as the ground when faced with the storms of life.

Baptized in Cloud and Sea

9-3-17 Sermon

Whole Heart

Matthew 7:21-23 KJV

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

These scriptures grip my heart.

You see, for years, I was one of those people to whom God would have spoken verse 23.

I was raised in the church, knew much about God and Jesus, but I followed Him on my own terms. I had created my own version of Christianity. I did some of what He called me to do, but not all.

God wants our whole heart. He sees obedience to Him as evidence of our faithfulness. When we pick and choose how to follow Him, we are saying He doesn't have our whole hearts. Following Him completely is a sign, a fruit, of true discipleship.

I'm not saying I perfectly follow Him now, but it is my desire to do so. Jesus grabbed my ehart when I was in college and showed me how wrong I was. Since then, it has been my desire to know Him and His will and to follow it.

Liberties are a Gift of God