Ephesians

Marvelous Light

October 17, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

In a world of darkness, it is comforting to know Jesus calls us out of that darkness and into the marvelous light of His presence (1 Peter 2:9). The darkness of this world is heavy and oppressive. In contrast, Jesus tells us His burden is light and comes with an overwhelming sense of peace and joy (Matthew 11:28-30). This life has a way of wearing you down and making you tired all the time.

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It’s easy to wonder where we can find the joy Jesus promises. We know Jesus never lies (1 Peter 2:22; Titus 1:1-2; Numbers 23:19), so if we are missing out on something He promises, the reason is we’ve taken our focus off Him and are staring at our circumstances and problems. The fact we all do this doesn’t make it any less painful or wrong.

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Wasting Our Time

October 14, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

I have little time for small talk and even less patience for trivial conversations. It’s not that I’m a jerk, I just have a keen awareness of how little time we have left on earth. My focus is on making the most of the time God entrusts to me (Ephesians 5:15-16). I like sports. I have political opinions. But we have to talk about things that matter, things of consequence.

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Our conversation reflects what fills our hearts (Matthew 12:34), and if what fills our hearts are things having no eternal value, we are in serious trouble. We’re wasting our time on things that are passing away instead of investing it in God’s eternal Kingdom (1 John 2:17).

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Rise Above the Hatred

October 10, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

The media and our daily experience inform us hatred is on the rise and becoming the prevalent emotion in society today. Never in my lifetime has there been such division across every line: political, cultural, racial, sexual, you name it. The informed and uninformed alike dig into the trenches of their viewpoints and refuse to accept or even listen to alternative viewpoints and ideas.

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Instead of polite discourse, every conversation today seems to devolve into shouting and interruption. Whoever shouts the loudest and longest is the victor. As Christ-followers, we are called to rise above the hatred and not respond in kind (Romans 12:17-21). If we act like and look like the world, the world will never see Jesus in our lives (John 13:34-35).

Anxious for Nothing

September 26, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

Have you ever seen so much anxiety as we have today? We have an entire generation (Gen Z, those born between 1997-2012) that is known as “the anxious generation”. It would be difficult for anyone living in our modern world to not feel some anxiety from time to time.

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We have more hatred and political division than at any other time in our lifetimes, constant wars and rumors of wars, and an ever-growing distrust in institutions once thought to be unassailable. It’s a mess. Yet the timeless Word of God tells us to be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6-7). How can we reconcile this Biblical instruction with the realities we face every day?

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Stamp Eternity on My Eyes

September 23, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

The great preacher, Jonathan Edwards, is credited with the quote, “Lord, stamp eternity on my eyeballs.” Whether he said those exact words, his commitment to living with an eternal perspective is evident in his preaching and many of his famous resolutions. This describes how we should live every day of our lives. There is nothing on earth worthy of our attention.

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Nothing here lasts, and we’ll take nothing from this place when we leave (1 Timothy 6:7). Our every thought, word, and deed should be with our eyes toward Heaven. Think of how your life might change if you decide to pray with Edwards, “Lord stamp eternity on my eyes.” I believe such a prayer is consistent with the teaching of the New Testament and worthy of our consideration.