Discipleship

Midnight is Coming

April 9, 2018 by Tim Sherfy

Matthew 25:1-13 tells the parable of the ten virgins. The story details how ten virgins were waiting for the bridegroom. Five of them were prepared to stick it out until the groom showed up, bringing extra oil to keep their lamps lit throughout the dark night. The other five didn’t come prepared. They brought their lamps, but no oil. When the groom didn’t show as early as they expected, they all fell asleep.

midnight is coming,Bible study,commitment,discipleship,commitment,prayer,faith,Matthew 24:36,no man knows the hour,Matthew 25:1-13,parable of the ten virgins,Exodus 34:29-30,moses face shone,shining face,2 Corinthians 4:6,Jesus shines in our life

image © BillionPhotos.com via Fotolia

When the groom arrived at midnight unexpectedly, the ones who were prepared lit their lamps so the groom could see them. These were invited into the wedding banquet, but the unprepared were left outside, alone and in the dark. The moral of the story is to be prepared in case the Lord delays and doesn’t show up until midnight. My friends, midnight is coming.

[Read more…] about Midnight is Coming

The Ultimate Fast

March 29, 2018 by Tim Sherfy

In her wonderful Lenten devotional, “40 Days of Decrease”, author Alicia Britt Chole writes, “We are duly thankful, challenged, and inspired by Jesus’ forty-day fast from food in the Judean wilderness. Perhaps we should likewise be grateful, awed, and humbled by His thirty-year fast from praise, power, and potential in Nazareth.” We don’t often consider everything Jesus gave up during the thirty years before we read much of Him in the Bible. We know a little about His first two years of life, and then get another brief glimpse when he was around twelve years of age.

ultimate fast,Jesus life,fast,fasting,lent,lenten,giving up for lent,God's power,fasting from power,Alicia Britt Chole,40 Days of Decrease,commitment,discipleship,discipline,humility,priorities

image © ogichobanov via Fotolia

After that, it’s pretty much silent until He steps onto the scene eighteen years later. Through it all, this man was at the same time the almighty Creator of the Universe. He chose to set aside all His power, all His potential, all His right to be praised and lived in the poor and dusty town of Nazareth. This was the ultimate fast. He gave up everything, and He did it for you and me.

[Read more…] about The Ultimate Fast

Holiness Demands Action

March 26, 2018 by Tim Sherfy

Dag Hammarskjold, the Formal Secretary-General of the United Nations, once said, “In our era, the road to holiness necessarily passes through the world of action.” I believe holiness will always pass through the world of action. Holiness is proven both by what we do and what we choose not to do. But always, holiness demands action. Only God is Holy, but in our quest to be like Him, we must pursue holiness.

holiness demands action,secretary-genral,united nations,faith without works,holiness,pursuing holiness,Dag Hammarskjold,I Peter 1:15-16,be holy as I am holy,Philippians 2:12,work out your own salvation,discipleship,works,faith vs works,grace vs works,God's will

image © BillionPhotos.com via Fotolia

While it is not something we will obtain in this life, seeking after it provides great training for the next. Peter reminds us God said to be holy because He Himself is holy (I Peter 1:15-16). Since we know we are not holy, it seems obvious we must do something to become holy. In other words, holiness demands action.

All Crown, No Cross

March 15, 2018 by Tim Sherfy

Regular readers know I love the teachings of A.W. Tozer. I love the way he pulled no punches and possessed deep insight into the character of God. It’s uncanny how often his writing seems so relevant for today, but in truth was mostly written fifty or more years ago. Here’s something from him which I read recently: “There is something better than being comfortable, and the followers of Christ ought to find it out-the poor, soft, overstuffed Christians of our time ought to find it out!

all crown no cross,discipleship,discipline,commitment,persecution,trials,tribulation,take up your cross,humility,1 Corinthians 9:24-25,only winners receive a crown,John 16:33,in this world you will have trouble,1 Peter 2:22,no deceit in Him,Tozer,A.W. Tozer

There is something better than being comfortable! We… have forgotten altogether that there is such a thing as discipline and suffering.” Along the same lines, he also wrote,” We do not want the cross. We are more interested in the crown.” To put it in simple terms, one could say Christians are “all crown, no cross”.

[Read more…] about All Crown, No Cross

Easy Never Changed the World

February 19, 2018 by Tim Sherfy

In a recent sermon, Pastor Craig Groeschel made the comment, “Easy never changed the world.” The life of a disciple has not ever been, nor will it ever be, easy. Following Jesus is difficult. It’s unpopular and brings little glory. But eleven men, disciples of Jesus, changed the entire world. Their impact is still being felt 2,000 years later. Their life wasn’t easy.

easy never changed the world,Craig Groeschel,lifechurch.tv,lifechurch,life church,discipleship,commitment,purpose,mission

They were mocked and seen as insurgents and fools. They were constantly pursued, jailed, beaten, and in almost every case, they were killed. It wasn’t easy to follow Jesus in the first century, and it isn’t easy to follow Him now. But easy never changed the world.