Matthew

Focus and Discipline

July 29, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

The continuing decline of morality and abandonment of God in our culture and churches highlights the need for focus and discipline in our lives. We need to reorient our minds to embrace a complete focus on God while disciplining our actions and endeavors to reflect our devotion to Christ. Otherwise, we are no different from those who don’t know Jesus.

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We are called to be different, to live lives that are set apart from the world (Romans 12:2). As we observe the downward spiral of humanity, we gnash our teeth and shake our heads and fists, but we never see ourselves as part of the problem.

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When It’s All Said and Done

July 18, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

When it’s all said and done, only what we do for Jesus will remain. We understand that, right? We believe that. It doesn’t take a genius to understand we take nothing of this world with us when we die (1 Timothy 6:7). All we accumulate on earth will be stripped from us the moment we breathe our last, and probably well before then. We know that and we affirm that, but we don’t live as if it’s true.

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Instead, we spend our entire lives pursuing things we know we can’t keep (Matthew 6:19-20). We consume all our time chasing after what will be taken from us instead of devoting our lives to the One we cannot lose (Philippians 3:8). How weak and deceived must we be to live like this?

I Hope I’m Wrong

July 15, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

I hope I’m wrong. Based on what I read in the Bible, it is my conviction that those who are saved will bear the fruit of their salvation (Matthew 7:16-20). They will love the Lord with all their heart and have a deep hunger for His Word (Psalm 119:97). They will have a deep desire to keep His commandments and show an ever-increasing success in accomplishing that (John 14:15).

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The way I read scripture informs me those who love the Lord will put aside the things of this world and obsess over the promised Kingdom to come (Colossians 3:1-2). But I hope I’m wrong about all of that because, if it’s true, many, perhaps even most, of my friends and family might not be saved after all. Most of those I see at church each week are heading for Hell. I desperately hope I’m wrong.

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Through the Lens of Christ

July 11, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

What if we lived our lives viewing everything and everyone through the lens of Christ? What if we saw others the way Jesus sees them, and only engaged in activities Jesus would engage in? How might our lives be different, and how might we impact the world for the sake of the gospel and the glory of our King? Every day, we do things to further our goals and desires.

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Humanity is nothing if not self-absorbed. From the time we wake each day, we are thinking about how we look, planning what we’ll do, and talking about ourselves to others. We live our life through the lens of what we want and we do it without even thinking about it. What if we got a bit more intentional about things and kept Christ front and center?

The Things of This World

July 8, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

The more you love the things of this world, the less you will delight in God. If the things of this world are more desirable to you than God’s Word, it’s time to reassess your commitment to Christ. When we come to Jesus, our old ways and desires pass away (2 Corinthians 5:17). We become a new creation with new desires and priorities. For most, this doesn’t happen overnight.

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We are creatures of habit, and we will not shed our sinful nature until Christ glorifies us with Him in Heaven. This means as long as we are on earth, we will continue to struggle against temptation (Romans 7:18-20). But those who have repented for their sins and bow before Christ as Lord will see a definite change in their affections. More and more, Christ-followers will find themselves drawn to the things of Heaven over the things of this world (Colossians 3:1-2).