James

God’s Call to Holiness

July 24, 2025 by Tim Sherfy

God’s call to holiness is not optional for any believer. Holiness is the standard God set for us in the beginning and continues to expect from us (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15–16). When we love the Father, we will desire to do what pleases Him because we all want to be counted like Paul when we die (2 Timothy 4:7).

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We all want to run the race well and hear Jesus speak the words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant; enter into my rest” (Matthew 25:21). We dare not approach Heaven with stained garments uncleansed by the sacrificial blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:10). Sanctification always follows true repentance, so if we aren’t concerned with holiness, it is hard to conceive of our repentance as genuine.

Quiet Humility

June 19, 2025 by Tim Sherfy

It’s the slow, steady rhythms that will lead us to look more like Christ. So many want to do “big things for God,” yet they’ve never mastered the small disciplines the Lord desires most. We learn about so-called “celebrity Christians” crashing and burning with alarming regularity. In a previous post, I posited the question pondering if there should even be such a thing as “celebrity Christians.”

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I am convinced the answer is an unequivocal and emphatic “NO!” It seems everyone wants a platform or to be an influencer these days. I understand why those with a secular worldview would desire such things, but it baffles me why Christians would seek these things as well. Whatever happened to living lives of quiet humility (1 Thessalonians 4:9–12)?

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Every Careless Word

June 12, 2025 by Tim Sherfy

Jesus said each of us will have to account for every careless word we speak (Matthew 12:36-37). No small, careless, or flippant word is small, careless or flippant to God. He hears and judges everything that comes out of our mouths. The Lord is holy, consistent, and always intentional (1 Peter 1:15–16).

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He demands the same from us (Matthew 5:48). Jesus didn’t waste words, but used every syllable to point people to the truth about who He was and to the majesty of His Father (John 12:49–50). The beautiful and cutting words of Jesus are life to all who will believe (John 6:63), but the foolish and wicked things we say and do result in our destruction (John 5:28–29).

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What Will You Do With Jesus

May 26, 2025 by Tim Sherfy

Having a loved one pass away is a sobering experience. No matter if the relationship was one of loving intimacy or marked by pain and resentment, the loss is real. More than the loss, it is always a stark reminder of how limited our time is (James 4:14; Psalm 90:12). The countdown is on. We are finite creatures with a guaranteed expiration date (Hebrews 9:27).

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The question one must wrestle with in times like these is, what will you do with Jesus in the short time you have remaining? It’s one thing to lament the time wasted in our past, but it is unacceptable to waste the rest of our lives. Jesus didn’t suffer so that we could live a lazy life of ease and indifference (Romans 12:11).

The Price of Betrayal

May 22, 2025 by Tim Sherfy

Judas Iscariot’s price for betraying Jesus was thirty pieces of silver, or about six months’ wages (Matthew 26:14–15). How high do you set the price of betrayal? Most of us recoil at the question because there isn’t enough money in the world for us to betray Christ. We’ve read the book and know how that decision ends (Matthew 27:3–5).

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Knowing history, we learn from it and can avoid making the same mistake Judas did. Or can we? Sure, we’d never accept money to walk away from Jesus. Still, we’re setting the price of betrayal every day and almost always multiple times each day. It’s a gut punch to think about, but the truth often feels that way.