Discipleship

Why We Sin

November 14, 2016 by Tim Sherfy

Devoted followers of Christ hate when they sin. It’s maddening. We don’t understand why we continue to do things we know are not honoring to God (Romans 7:15). If you’re like me, you may have often pondered why we sin in the first place. It seems logical our love and devotion to God would keep us close to Him and far away from sin. It would be that simple if we did not have an enemy who was constantly seeking to trip us up and eventually destroy us (1 Peter 5:8).

why we sin,sin,Romans 7:15,do what I don't want to do,the very things I hate I end up doing,1 Peter 5:8,satan prowls around,prowling lion,Genesis 2:2-3Sabbath,rest,sevetnth day,Exodus 20:8-11,ten commandments,remember the Sabbath,focus,discipleship,mission,commitment,angels,demons,Satan,the devil,God's kingdom,kingdom of God,what is sin

image © Marina P. via Fotolia

While we can’t blame Satan for our failures, we can blame him for planting the seeds of those failures. Ultimately though, the reason why we sin is because we choose to take our eyes off Jesus.

[Read more…] about Why We Sin

Your Identity and Mission

November 10, 2016 by Tim Sherfy

For devoted followers of Christ, two things never change regardless of any circumstance. They are your identity and mission. Your identity is who God says you are and is dependent on no one or anything else. Your mission was set by Jesus before He returned to be with His Father; we are to tell everyone about His love and character, and to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to reality on earth (Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 6:10).

your identity and mission,identity in Christ,life mission,identity,mission,God's will,God's character,Kingdom of God,God's Kingdom,Matthew 28:18-20,great commission,Matthew 6:10,Lord's prayer,on earth as it is in Heaven,John 1:12,Ephesians 2:10,John 15:15,Romans 8:17,Greg Boyd,your identity in Christ,who does God say you are

image © Marek via Fotolia

Human tendency is to focus on what is going on around us, what is affecting our comfort and our plans, and allow those things to define who we are and what we do with our lives. And thus we fall into another of Satan’s insidious traps.

Heaven is Closer Than You Think

November 7, 2016 by Tim Sherfy

In “It’s Not What You Think”, Jefferson Bethke writes, “Life isn’t about going to Heaven when you die, it’s about making Heaven true on earth in every facet and level of our relationship with God, others, and self. The Christian life is asking, how can I make what’s true of Jesus and His gospel true in [every] aspect of my life?”

Heaven is closer than you think,Jefferson Bethke,Jesus >Religion,it's not what you think,Heaven,heaven on earth,Kingdom of God,Christianity,mission,life mission,building the Kingdom,American dream

image © merydolla via Fotolia

It’s a question that perfectly sums up what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. As you go throughout your day, how can you reflect the gospel of Jesus in everything you do and say? Most of us never take the time to ask the question or consider how the answer to it might dramatically change our lives.

Spiritual Warfare

November 3, 2016 by Tim Sherfy

The early Church recognized the reality of the spiritual warfare raging around them. They understood everything in life was affected by battles being waged in their midst. While unseen, these battles often manifested themselves into the realities of the day to day lives of early believers.

spiritual warfare,Ephesians 6:12,we battle not against flesh and blood,mission,disciple,discipleship,Kingdom of God,God's Kingdom,discipleship,commitment,purpose,God's will

They were so keenly aware of what was going on they focused on fighting spiritual battles as long as they lived, looking forward to the day they would lay down their swords and join Jesus in Heaven. Here’s a news flash: nothing has changed. The same spiritual warfare encountered by the early Church still surrounds us today.

[Read more…] about Spiritual Warfare

Obedience to God

October 27, 2016 by Tim Sherfy

At its core, this blog is about discipleship. It’s about living your life wholly devoted to Christ so you can live out the life He created you to live. What this looks like in practice will vary from person to person, but the one thing all disciples have in common is obedience to God. By definition, obedience to God implies you have to do something in order to be His disciple. This isn’t a works based salvation; it’s works because of salvation.

Obedience to God,obedience,A.W. Tozer, tozer,discipleship,Disciple of Christ,Disciple of Jesus,grace vs. works,grace only,grace based salvation,works based salvation,Ephesians 2:8 and 9,for by grace are you saved,Ephesians 2:10,works created for you to do,Revelation 3:16,lukewarm Christian,Bible lukewarm,vomit you out of my mouth,spew you out of my mouth,James 1:21-25,double minded man,looks in a mirror and forgets what he looks like

As A.W. Tozer once said, “Salvation without obedience is a self-contradicting impossibility!” Many people have bought into the teaching of salvation through grace alone to the exclusion of any responsibility for works of obedience. That’s a cheap and easy salvation never put forth by Jesus.

[Read more…] about Obedience to God