Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Why Do You Go to Church?

by

Why do you go to church? I am assuming in this dark age that you still make every effort to gather with fellow believers each week. This is, after all, the Lord’s instruction given to us through the writer of Hebrews when he admonishes us to not forsake gathering together (Hebrews 10:24-25). God’s people are to meet regularly with one another to share praises, worship, and burdens.

why do you go to church,purpose,the church,worship,music

We are the family of God (John 1:12; Galatians 3:25-26; Romans 8:16-17) and indeed the very body of Christ in this world (1 Corinthians 12:12; Romans 12:4-5; Colossians 1:24). There is great strength and encouragement to be found when we gather among others of like mind and faith. Our brothers and sisters remind us we do not fight the good fight alone.

[Read more…] about Why Do You Go to Church?

Our Perspective

by

When Jesus is our Lord, our perspective on time, resources, career, marriage, and money changes. We want to represent Jesus well in every area of our lives. If we don’t have this desire, then Jesus is not our Lord. Contrary to some popular teaching these days, when you surrender your life to Jesus, everything changes. To make Jesus your Lord is to reject every pleasure and desire we have ever known.

our perspective,mission,commitment,discipleship,surrender,salvation,God's Kingdom,priorities,Kingdom of God

Everything becomes about Jesus. All things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17), not just some things. Life as we have known it ceases to exist. This is why Jesus explains few will enter through the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14). Most people will insist on carrying so much stuff from their life before Jesus that they cannot squeeze through the narrow path leading to eternal life.

[Read more…] about Our Perspective

Saturate

by

As the world grows ever darker, the light of Christ must shine ever brighter from within us. The news and culture will weigh on us heavily and make it seem as if they might smother us. These days, I find myself driven deeper into God’s Word and having an irresistible desire to spend more and more time with Him. We need to constantly saturate our lives with God and His Word.

saturate,commitment,discipleship,discipline,priorities

We need to flush out the things that are not of God until all we have left is Him. When we fill our minds, ears, eyes, and mouth with His praise, the suffocating pressures of this world will become light afflictions we can bear in the strength of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:17).

[Read more…] about Saturate

Our Thoughts

by

Most of us are pretty good at presenting a Christian face to the world. Underneath the façade, though, our thoughts often reveal a different side to our character. Indeed, getting our thought life under control is far more difficult than mastering our outward habits. John Macarthur once wrote, “The sins of our thought life are soul-coloring sins, character-damaging sins.”

Test

What we think about shapes who we become. We can never be joyful followers of Christ if deceit, lust, and conceit cloud our thoughts. The direction of our lives will be determined by what we think about most. A mind saturated by Jesus will yield a life devoted to Him. As appealing as that sounds, the opposite is also true. When our thoughts are on things other than God, the result will be a life that is frustrated, defeated, and ultimately wasted.

[Read more…] about Our Thoughts

Running the Race

by

Paul’s letter to the Church at Corinth contains the familiar passage where he compares living life for Christ with running a race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). It’s a great analogy not only because the road we travel is long but also because of the discipline it requires to stay on the path. Any form of athletics is by its nature a competitive process.

running the race,fight the good fight,discipline,commitment,mission,focus,perseverance

Everyone who competes wants to finish first, but only one can. In some events, like a marathon, participants are content to only finish, regardless of winning or losing. Both hold lessons for us. No one runs a race without a goal, and no one achieves their goal without putting in a lot of hard work before the race ever begins.

[Read more…] about Running the Race