Matthew

What is Your Passion?

December 12, 2011 by Tim Sherfy

In Matthew 25:31-46, an oft-quoted Scripture here, we find a list of things commanded by Christ for us to do. It can be overwhelming to look at this list and try and determine how you can consistently do it all: feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, provide for the poor, care for the sick and visit those in prison. While I believe we must be open to doing any of these things at all times, I think it will be far more likely and ultimately more effective if you focus on those things in the list for which you are passionate.

Making An Impact

December 5, 2011 by Tim Sherfy

I believe that every true follower of Christ desires to make an impact on their world. It’s in our spiritual DNA; if we love Jesus, we will do what He tells us to do. That means making disciples of other believers, feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and looking after the orphans and widows. As long as we are living out the mission of Christ, it will be our unending passion to impact our world for His glory. The question that we all need to ask ourselves is, “In what way are we making an impact for the Kingdom?”

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Intentional Living

November 21, 2011 by Tim Sherfy

When you gave your life to Christ, it was an intentional choice. Since that moment, how often have you made the same kind of conscious decision to live your life devoted to Him? Most of us drift through life content to do what everyone else does – find a steady job, live in a respectable neighborhood and perhaps start a family. Along the way our goals appear to be how much stuff we can acquire and how large we can grow our 401(k) balances. We live a life that looks no different from those who do not claim to follow Christ, most of whom don’t even believe He was who He said He was.

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Hard to Believe?

November 17, 2011 by Tim Sherfy

As a musician, I’ve definitely had some songwriting heroes over the years. One of those people is the amazing Steve Taylor, a man with an incredible talent for creating unique and incredible lyrics. One of his more haunting songs was titled, “Harder to Believe than Not To”. The tune was running through my head the other day (I am blessed/cursed with a non-stop 24/7 radio playing continually in my subconscious!), when I suddenly realized I totally disagreed with the words. The troubling line was from the chorus where Taylor sings, “Don’t you know by now why the chosen are few? It’s harder to believe than not to.” I understand where he is coming from; certainly to the world at large, it seems to believe in Jesus is a difficult thing. I live in America, the wealthiest nation the world has ever seen, and Jesus said it is nearly impossible for a rich man to enter Heaven (Matthew 19:23-26). I get that the cross is a stumbling block for many who refuse to put away their own selfish desires and ambitions to instead live a life of service to God. To me, those examples demonstrate more of an unwillingness to yield control rather than a difficulty in believing.

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All for Jesus

November 14, 2011 by Tim Sherfy

What are you doing today? What plans are you making for your life? In our consumerist and materialistic society, it is easy to get caught up in a life that does little to reflect Jesus or promote the growth of His Kingdom. The problem is, as followers of Christ, we are called to live for a single purpose: to glorify God by furthering the mission of Jesus. We stand in the midst of a generation of believers who profess their faith in Christ yet live lives that show little evidence of that commitment. Jesus died to not only forgive our sins, but to transform us from the inside out. I don’t know about you, but I don’t run into a lot of transformed Christians. I meet many who go to church or donate their time and money to worthy causes, but those activities are a far cry from transformation. We have one purpose and one goal; everything else is futile and worthless.

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