Even If i Walk Alone

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

Competition In the Kingdom

by

Racing Swimmers

Too often the church can be a very competitive place. As we have allowed materialism to penetrate our faith, pressures have grown to keep up with what others are doing and to draw attention to our product or places of worship. Entire industries exist to service the Christian population with the requisite favorite authors, speakers and musicians. We squabble over who’s more talented, who’s better spoken and who is most effective. It reminds me of when the twelve disciples were arguing about which one of them was greatest in the eyes of Jesus (Mark 9:33-37). Jesus made it clear that they were asking the wrong question and that the only way to become great was to sacrifice all thoughts of becoming so.

[Read more…] about Competition In the Kingdom

Instructions on Prayer

by

Man Praying

In the passage of 1 Timothy 2:1-4, we find instruction regarding the ways in which we should all be praying. Many times we get into the habit of our prayers being self-oriented and we neglect many of the people and circumstances for which we should be praying. A vibrant and consistent prayer life is a key to understanding the character and principles of God, so it’s worth pausing to consider all the ways we have been instructed to pray.

[Read more…] about Instructions on Prayer

What Are You Learning in Church?

by

A Church Service

There are several reasons that we as followers of Christ attend church. The Bible tells us that we should get together with fellow believers so we can encourage each other (Hebrews 10:24-25). Associating with others who follow Christ also helps keep us accountable in both our actions and words. Worshipping as a group of like minded people brings a dynamic that is different from when we worship alone. All of these reasons are good, scriptural and necessarily refreshing as we seek to walk the path Christ has set before us. However, I don’t think it’s enough to simply fellowship with other believers and enjoy a time of worship. I believe we need to be learning more about God during the time we spend together. Yet today there seems to be an emphasis on shallow teaching and a focus on those gathered rather than those on the outside who desperately need the gospel of Jesus.

[Read more…] about What Are You Learning in Church?

God’s Compass

by

commitment,faith,god's direction,proverbs 3,in all your ways acknowledge him,he will direct your paths,he will make your paths straight,gods will

Amidst all the craziness in life, it’s comforting to realize that we don’t have to know where we’re going as long as we know who we’re following. We don’t need to understand how we’ll reach our destination; we simply have to know why. We see only a small piece of the complete picture that God holds in His hands. On our own we are helplessly lost, but when we surrender our lives to Him, we are found and placed on the proper path for as long as we will follow. You are simply wasting your time trying to figure life out on your own.

[Read more…] about God’s Compass

Spectators and Participants

by

Opinion column in a newspaper

Within Christianity there are two camps; those who are spectators and those who are participants. The true followers of Jesus are those who participate in His mission on earth. Spectator Christians are those who have prayed the “sinner’s prayer” and are content to go to church on Sunday and perhaps volunteer every now and then for one of the various ministries of their congregation. To which group do you belong? I believe those whom Christ will welcome into His kingdom are those who have chosen to do the things He commanded us to do: to feed the hungry and care for the orphans, the widows, and the sick. Following the commands of Jesus means that we will have to get our hands dirty and, yes, participate in the work itself.

[Read more…] about Spectators and Participants