Even If i Walk Alone

Instructing and encouraging you to live your life as a disciple of Jesus

Kingdom of God

What Does Love Require?

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In Andy Stanley’s excellent new book, “Irresistible”, he puts forth a question which sums up how we are expected to live as followers of Christ. The question is, “What does love require of me?” This simple question brilliantly sums up what Jesus declared to be the greatest commandment of the law and the prophets (“Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind”), and His command for the new covenant (“Love your neighbor as yourself”) (see Matthew 22:36-40).

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You can apply this question in every situation as you go throughout your day. It will change your interactions with people. It will alter your mood and transform your life. Oh, and it will drive you crazy!

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Great Expectations

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William Carey once said, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.” This begs the question of my life and yours, “What is it we are expecting from and attempting for, God?” We know God has created us with a purpose in mind (Ephesians 2:10). Because of this, we should not live our lives without expecting to accomplish great things. Anything accomplished for the glory of God is indeed a great thing.

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Knowing God created us to do specific work means we should be attempting great things for His glory. We should never be afraid to attempt what God has placed in our hearts. Living our lives in expectation of what God will do and attempting to do great things without fear will truly lead to a life well-lived in the service of His Kingdom.

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Building God’s Kingdom

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I think we sometimes get so busy trying to create heaven on earth we forget to build God’s Kingdom on earth. There is a difference between building a life full of comfort, security, and excess and building the Kingdom of God. When I look around my country and see the lives of Christians looking no different from those who have rejected Jesus, I can’t help but feel we’ve misunderstood the point.

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Building God’s Kingdom has nothing to do with Kingdom building in the traditional sense. We build the Kingdom of God by sacrificing the very things we would use to build our own kingdoms. When you look at your own life, does the evidence point to building the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of you?

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I Don’t Matter

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It amazes me to realize I have unsurpassable worth in the eyes of God. I get that. But when it comes to His kingdom, I don’t matter. This thing is all about God, and when the focus is anywhere else, the whole thing goes a bit sideways. I don’t matter, only Jesus. This doesn’t make me irrelevant. It simply brings perspective. God could do this whole thing without you or me, but He has chosen to include us in His plans.

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He doesn’t need us to be His hands and feet, He desires us to be His hands and feet. This is a tremendous honor and responsibility. It changes the way we see the world and the reason we get up each day.

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Stay Focused

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The latest book by Francis Chan, “Letters to the Church” is a fantastic and convicting work that compares the modern Western church to the early Church detailed in the New Testament. This will always be a touchy topic because one feels the need to walk the tightrope between offending and convicting. I think Francis does a masterful job of doing this, but much to my delight chooses to err on the side of not worrying what anyone other than God might think.

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Early on, Pastor Chan writes, “The older I get, the more aware I am the end is near. There is no time to care about what I want in the church. There’s no time to worry about what others are looking for in a church. I will be facing Him soon, so I have to stay focused on His desires.” This is a word by which we all should be living.

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