Discipleship

Man of Sorrows

August 10, 2026 by Tim Sherfy

True disciples of Jesus seek to live a life that looks just like Jesus. Indeed, God’s Word commands us to walk just as Jesus walked, to live just as He did. (1 John 2:6; Ephesians 5:1-2) And yet somewhere along the line we got the idea that Jesus calls us to be happy. Jesus was called the Man of Sorrows. (Isaiah 53:3) Does that sound like He was living a life of happiness, health, and wealth?

Any preacher promising that Jesus wants you to live your best life now is ignorant of what the Word of God teaches. Jesus came to suffer and also promised us we would suffer in this life. (Isaiah 53:4-5; John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:12) Following Jesus is about obedience, not autonomy; sacrifice, not accumulation. Our Lord promised to give us life to the fullest, but we won’t find that fullness until we reign with Him in His eternal Kingdom. (John 10:10; Revelation 22:1-5)

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Conformity

August 6, 2026 by Tim Sherfy

The Bible has much to say about our conformity. Make no mistake, in this life you will either allow Satan to conform you to this world or allow God to conform you into the likeness of His Son. Those are the only two options. You will end up as one or the other. Of course, only one way leads to eternal life, so the choice should be easy, right? (Matthew 7:13-14; John 14:6)

If only it were that simple. We know the way we should go, but the other is enticing because it’s so much easier. Being sinful by nature, we are prone to laziness and choosing the path of less friction and pain. (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 7:18-19) What looks to us to be an easier path is in truth the opposite.

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Circumstances Don’t Matter

August 3, 2026 by Tim Sherfy

Perhaps the one thing humans do better than anything else is to rationalize. We are always looking for reasons to justify our actions, especially when we know those actions are not right in the eyes of God. It’s amazing how good we can be at convincing ourselves to believe our own nonsense. And we know it’s nonsense. We know in our hearts what is right and what is wrong because the Holy Spirit always makes it clear.

But what about the circumstances surrounding our decision? Let’s be clear about what God’s Word says. Circumstances don’t matter; obedience does. (1 Samuel 15:22; John 14:15) The only decision is whether you will listen to a holy and perfect God or your imperfect and selfish heart.

Are You Doing All You Can?

July 23, 2026 by Tim Sherfy

Thinking about my walk with Christ, a chilling question came to mind: “Are you doing all you can?” What if that’s the question the Lord asks of me each day? What if, when we meet Him at last, He asks, “Did you do all you could for me? Did you make the most of every opportunity I gave you? Did you maximize the one life entrusted to you for my Father’s glory?”

To be certain, my response would be inadequate. I’m not doing all I can. I am too focused on my needs and desires and waste hours on things that don’t build the Kingdom and do little to further my walk with Christ. This isn’t the way He calls us to live. (Colossians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 10:31)

Emulating His Death

July 9, 2026 by Tim Sherfy

We spend much of our lives trying to emulate the life of Christ, but perhaps we should be more concerned with emulating his death. God’s Word commands us to walk just as Jesus walked so long as we are on this earth. (1 John 2:6; Ephesians 5:1-2) That is how we should spend every day of our lives. But our life is but a mist, a blip on the timeline of history, and over before we know it.

What will we leave behind for the generations to come? J. C. Ryle wrote, “Christ’s vicarious death (not his life or miracles or teaching but his death) was to bring forth fruit to the praise of God and to provide redemption for a lost world.” Thus, He accomplished more in His death than He ever did in His days on earth.

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