Daily Life

Not Gonna Bow

July 25, 2019 by Tim Sherfy

Years ago, Russ Taff wrote a song called, “Not Gonna Bow”, based on the well-known Bible story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The theme of the song was how we as Christ-followers should refuse to bow to any idols, regardless of the consequences. There is nothing more important than to keep Jesus first in your life. It is the essence of surrendering our hearts to Christ. If He isn’t first, then we aren’t surrendered.

not gonna bow,commitment,discipleship,faith,focus,mission,Russ Taff,medals,Luke 9:23,greatest commandment,Matthew 22:37-38,take up your cross daily

Every day we are tempted to bow down to someone or something other than Jesus. When we put anything other than Christ first in our hearts, it is an idol and needs to be thrown out of our lives. Idolatry is subtle and creeps in constantly if we are not diligent to guard against it.

[Read more…] about Not Gonna Bow

Stealing Time

July 22, 2019 by Tim Sherfy

Time is rarely stolen from us. Except perhaps in the cases of kidnapping, wrongful imprisonment, or being detained without cause, time is never stolen from anyone. Instead, I propose our time is, for the most part, either given away or sold. We all have the same number of seconds available to us each day. We choose how much of our time will be given away, and how much will be sold.

stealing time,commitment,discipleship,priorities,faithfulness,stewardship,discipline,mission,time,time management,investing time,spending time,killing time

Every day we are charged to steward the time allotted to us in a way that honors God and furthers His mission and His Kingdom. If we are not vigilant, we will squander the time entrusted to us or sell it in exchange for our comfort, entertainment, and security.

[Read more…] about Stealing Time

The Myth of the Sinner’s Prayer

July 18, 2019 by Tim Sherfy

I grew up in churches where an invitation was given at the end of every service. As part of the invitation, people were invited to receive Christ and were led through “the sinner’s prayer”. This prayer was holy and awesome. It was the key to the Kingdom of God, after all. While as kids you might have messed around throughout the service, you didn’t dare misbehave at this point.

myth of the sinners prayer,sinner's prayer,obedience,salvation,once saved always saved,freewill,free will,commitment,Philippians 2:12,work out your salvation,John 10:28-29,no one can snatch them from my Father's hand,I John 2:3-6,obeying his commands

Variations of the same prayer have been around for a couple of hundred years and it persists to this day, although it’s use and invitations, in general, are far less common in churches today, especially those of the mega variety. There’s nothing wrong with saying this prayer. It’s one way to confess your need for Jesus. The problem is it’s not Biblical and it’s not enough.

Laser-Focused

July 15, 2019 by Tim Sherfy

Our lives and attention are fractured by the myriad distractions in our world. Every new technology seems designed to further demand our attention through relentless buzzes, beeps, and flashes. Society moves at an ever-quickening pace inflicting an ever-growing list of demands upon our lives. Between our jobs, families, friends, and careers, it can be hard to maintain focus on anything at all.

laser-focused,laser-focus,focused,focus,mission,priorities,purpose,Matthew 11:30,yoke is easy,burden is light,John 16:33,in this world you will have trouble

We become overwhelmed and exhausted and end up medicating with drinks, pills, substances, and mind-numbing entertainment. We seek peace in whatever it takes to distract us from all the distractions! There is a better way. There is an answer to the relentless assault on our senses. We need to re-train our minds to be laser-focused. We need to stop the insanity and pursue the only One worth pursuing.

[Read more…] about Laser-Focused

Where is Your Treasure?

July 11, 2019 by Tim Sherfy

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke12:34). As I have written previously, a good test of where you are placing your treasure is to look at your bank and credit card statements. Where you are spending your money is where you are placing your treasure. While this is true, it recently occurred to me there is a much deeper meaning to Jesus’s words.

where is your treasure,priorities,commitment,discipleship,spening money,spending time,purpose, mission,I John 2:6,walk as Jesus walked,Isaiah 40:8,withering grass,Luke12:34,where yor treausere is,Luke 9:24,lose what you cannot keep

It’s not just the specifics of where we are spending our money which reveals where we are placing our treasure, it’s much bigger than that. We will spend our money on things of this world or for God’s Kingdom. Our treasure is being amassed in earthen containers (banks, possessions, and brokerages) or in Heavenly realms. We are either building up things we cannot keep or investing in what we cannot lose (Luke 9:24).