Even If i Walk Alone

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

Matthew

Your Life Purpose

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What is your life purpose? This isn’t a self-help or live your dreams type of article. As a follower of Jesus, your life purpose should be self-evident, but for too many it is not. The tendency is for our days to pass without much conscious or intentional thought about living for Jesus. We fall into our schedules and routines far too casually and comfortably. Jesus is – at best – left watching from the sidelines.

your life purpose,commitment,selfishness,living for Jesus,love your neighbor,love the Lord your God,sheep and the goats,depart from me,Matthew 7:22-23,Hebrews 13:2,Matthew 25:31-46,Luke 10:25-28

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This isn’t how it should be and it must stop. We can’t spend our lives living for ourselves and expect to spend eternity living with Christ. Our lives must be different from those around us. And this must start now.
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Are You Ready to Die?

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I was recently having a conversation with a friend of mine who is a fellow believer. They expressed being anxious about dying because all they know is here, and they don’t know how things will be on the other side of life. Further, they stated they enjoyed their life and friends and would miss them. I shared some things I hope were comforting, but I walked away a bit devastated and wondering how many other followers of Christ feel as my friend does.

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My suspicion is a great number of believers are indeed content with their life and face some trepidation about what the afterlife may hold. I decided to address both those who share the anxiety of my friend, and also those who – like myself – find it very difficult to relate to that line of thinking.
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Single-Minded

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I was recently reading Calvin Miller’s excellent “The Disciplined Life” for a second time and came across a statement that exploded off the page. The author wrote, “To hold anything in our hearts that is contrary to the single-minded call is to split our attention between Jesus and whatever else is calling for first place in our allegiance.”
This is the heart of discipleship.

single-mindedness,focus,mission,Kingdom of God,discipleship,God's will,Calvin Miller,Disciplined Life,discipline,Mark 3:24,Luke 9:61-62,Luke 14:26-27,Matthew 8:20,Genesis 19:17,Genesis 19:26,Luke 9:62,Matthew 7:21-23,Matthew 25:31-46,sheep and the goats,many will say to me Lord

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There is no place in the life of a follower of Christ for anything other than Jesus. A divided kingdom will certainly fall (Mark 3:24), and a divided heart will never find lasting peace or victory. We either solely belong to Jesus or we do not belong to Him at all.
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Humility and Discipleship

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The life of Jesus was marked by humility, yet we who claim to be His followers rarely live with the same goal. We spend most of our days in vain pursuits, determined to climb the ladder, find happiness, avoid suffering, and generally promoting ourselves at every opportunity. While Jesus spent his life relinquishing His own glory, we spend our lives pursuing it.

humility and discipleship,humility,discipleship,mission,love,God's will,racism,Matthew 26:39

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To be a follower of Jesus, we must spend our lives dedicated to living as He did. Yet somehow we’ve twisted that into some bizarre blend of the American dream. The unspoken truth is the so-called American dream is in direct opposition to the dreams of God for your life.
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Your Best Year Ever, Part I

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As this year draws to a close, I am excited to see what might unfold in the next. The danger is we approach next year without a plan. If we don’t determine how we will endeavor to draw closer to Christ and to better reflect His love, odds are we will accomplish neither. There are plenty of articles out there dealing with setting New Year’s resolutions. I don’t want to talk about resolutions you may or may not keep past February. I want to discuss reorienting your life around Jesus not just today but for the rest of your life.

your best year ever,Jesus first,Matthew 13:45-46,new year's resolution,resolutions,commitment,discipleship,disciple of Jesus

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Have you taken time to put any thought into this? If you want to be a disciple of Jesus, you must continually learn more about Him and live your life in a way that looks just like Him. This year can be the year you quit pretending and finally make the leap of committing fully to Jesus.
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