Ephesians

The Hard Road

August 7, 2023 by Tim Sherfy

J. C. Ryle once said, “The true Christian is called to be a soldier and must behave as such; he is not meant to live a life of religious ease, indolence, and security. He must never imagine for a moment that he can sleep and doze along the way to heaven, like one traveling in an easy carriage.” That’s the exact opposite of how many Christians live today. Bad theology and teaching have created a generation of believers who lack an understanding of what it means to follow Christ.

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Never in history have those most devoted to Jesus lived a life of ease. Why would we think anything has changed? As long as God allows Satan to roam the earth, the devil will make sure followers of Jesus will be harassed, hated, and persecuted (John 15:18-20; John 16:33). The narrow path is the hard road (Matthew 7:13-14).

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Jesus Is the Light

July 13, 2023 by Tim Sherfy

In a world of darkness, Jesus is the light (John 8:12). The reason so many are lost is they are groping in the dark, unaware of the light that will guide them to truth and life. Christ commissions every person who proclaims Him to be Lord to share the gospel with everyone we meet (Matthew 28:18-20).

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We are to take the light of the world and shine it in the darkest corners of our planet. How will the lost ever hear of Jesus if we won’t tell them about Him (Romans 10:13-15)? The spread of the gospel is not a job we can leave for someone else to do. We are that someone else. It is our responsibility to point those in the dark to the way of the light.

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Confess and Repent

July 3, 2023 by Tim Sherfy

Christians have been far too passive in our acceptance of the sins in our society. In too many instances, we have not only capitulated to evil but have even joined the chorus of the culture in singing the praises of man’s ideology. Instead of coming out from among them (2 Corinthians 6:15-18), we march arm in arm to show our unity. Darkness has no fellowship with light (2 Corinthians 6:14).

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It never has, and never will. So why are we so intent on pretending the two can coexist? God hates sin and will pour out His wrath on those who engage in it. If Jesus is our Lord, we will abstain from sin and keep ourselves pure before our holy God and King. We will repent and call others to do the same.

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God Knows

June 29, 2023 by Tim Sherfy

The fact God knows what we’re going through is comforting. It’s amazing to realize He knows each of us by name. But too often, we leave our thoughts of what God thinks about us there and go no deeper. In Psalm 139, David makes it crystal clear that God is intimately aware and present in every moment and aspect of our lives. His presence is an overwhelming fact, not just a trite bumper sticker.

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There is nothing we think, say, do, or desire that catches Him off-guard or unaware. He knew it before we ever spoke, thought, did, or desired it. While this is an enormous comfort, it should also fill us with a fear of how unholy and unworthy we are to be in His presence, much less receive His help and salvation.

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Sober-Minded and Alert

May 22, 2023 by Tim Sherfy

As we discussed in Prepare for Persecution, the first step in preparing for persecution, according to 1 Peter 5:8-9, is to be sober-minded and alert. This probably conjures up some ideas in your mind, but what are some practical things we can do to cultivate this in our lives? Remaining vigilant is a discipline that needs to be honed and strengthened over time.

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We don’t wake up one day and suddenly live with greater focus and attention. The first thing we need to do is understand the signs of this age and recognize the urgency of these times in which we find ourselves. Most of us have never had to worry about persecution and cannot grasp the reality or inevitability of it. Let me state it plainly. Persecution is coming; Jesus promises it will (John 16:33).