God's will

Act on What You Know

February 16, 2015 by Tim Sherfy

grace vs. works,grace and works,take action,francis chan,James 1:22,Luke 9:49-50,God's kingdom,hearers only

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I love to learn. There is rarely a moment of the day when I don’t have a book in my hand or at least within arm’s reach. We have access to so much information in our world that you could literally spend your entire lifetime gaining valuable knowledge. While that’s great – and even enjoyable to those like me – it never amounts to anything if we don’t apply what we learn and do something useful with all of that information. This is perhaps no more prevalent than in our churches today. We have so many opportunities to learn more about Jesus, but unless we move out of the building and put into action what we have learned, it won’t account for anything when we meet God.

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Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

January 29, 2015 by Tim Sherfy

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We’ve discussed similar topics on this site before, but it seems that every couple of months I start hearing this question repeated over and over again. Perhaps the evil that occurs so frequently in our world prompts the question. Perhaps it comes from years of being given no or unsatisfactory answers to the question. Regardless of the reason, I am repeatedly frustrated and amazed that so many otherwise learned and respected Theologians and Pastors continue to struggle and give out such bad teaching when it comes to the question of why bad things happen to good people.

All That Is Required

January 12, 2015 by Tim Sherfy

hugh halter,flesh,incarnation,love,love God,love people,Luke 19:10

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“God never wanted converts, church attenders, prisoners, or parishioners.” That’s a quote from Hugh Halter’s book, “Flesh: Bringing the Incarnation Down to Earth”. It’s probably something we all know deep inside, but it’s not the way we act. I was brought up in an environment where an extraordinary focus was placed on ‘winning others to Christ’. I was taught that my primary job in the universe was to create converts, and my secondary job was to make sure I was in church whenever the doors were open. You could certainly argue there are far worse ideals that could be instituted into a young mind. The problem is this kind of teaching doesn’t do much to create people who look like Jesus.

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True Prayer

December 11, 2014 by Tim Sherfy

william barclay,John 14:12-15,whatever you ask in my name,in jesus name,peace,joy,rest,gods will

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William Barclay said that “True prayer is asking God what He wants.” Too often our prayers are driven by our own perceived needs and selfish desires instead of focusing on what God wants to do in us and through our situation. We are focused on the here and now, but God’s eyes are also on the next and the not yet. He is capable of foreseeing every possible twist and turn our lives might take, and is always making a way for us to use the gifts He has entrusted to us in a way that furthers His Kingdom and glorifies His character. While Jesus longs for our happiness, He knows the quickest route there is to steer us toward holiness.

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Every Breath

November 18, 2013 by Tim Sherfy

francis chan,purpose driven life,rick warren,living intentionally,carpe diem,seize the day

I just returned from a conference where I heard Francis Chan speak. He emphasized taking a deep breath and then realizing it could be the last one you ever get. Our lives are so finite. Most of us don’t think a lot about death. The younger you are, the less you will think about it and the further away it will seem. While this statistically makes sense, we have all heard of those who were cut down in the prime of their life. An unexpected diagnosis or accident brings what once seemed so far away into the present reality of our here and now.

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