Even If i Walk Alone

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

Matthew

Prepare for His Return

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What if Christ were to return tomorrow? How would it change the way you live today? Would you change anything you do on a typical day? Would Jesus coming back excite or terrify you? These are important questions we must all answer for ourselves because Christ could indeed return tomorrow. He could come back today.

No one knows when He will return, but I know I want to be ready for that day. It occurs to me the only way to be certain I am ready is to live every day as if Jesus is returning tomorrow. We know Jesus is coming back, so what we must answer is whether we will be ready. What changes must we make to prepare for His return?

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Who Are You Living for Today?

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The Apostle Paul instructs us to do everything in life to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Popular music and society tell you to live for yourself. Jesus was clear in teaching we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24), so we can’t adhere to both worldviews. Each of us will live for Jesus or we will live for ourselves, which means we will live for Satan and the things of this world.

young woman mulling the question of who are you living for today as she seeks to focus her priorities on her commitment to discipleship

There are stark differences between these choices, and there are dramatic differences in the end reality as well. You can either live for now and spend eternity in Hell, or live for eternity and spend it with Jesus. Who are you living for today — yourself or Christ?

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Be Bold

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In the face of unrelenting pressure to compromise, we must be bold and stand firm on the authority of Scripture. Growing up, peer pressure was a given. The desire to fit in, to be liked or even popular, is an enormous weight all people face as they go through their school years. I think we all thought once we moved into the “real world” that peer pressure would go away to a certain extent.

young man determined to be bold in his commitment to surrender to Jesus and live out his salvation with boldness and courage in true discipleship

But it never goes away; it just manifests in different forms. The culture is always trying to conform us to its idyllic mold. The problem is their idea of “acceptable behavior and speech” is grounded in millennia of wrong thinking and sinful attitudes. To conform to the world is to live at odds with the one true God.

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Without Exception

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In a recent sermon, my pastor stated, “If you have any exceptions in your obedience, you are not a Christian.” It’s a bold statement that might cause you to form an immediate objection. After all, who are we to say who is or isn’t a true Christian? Once you get past the initial shock of the bluntness of the statement, you will see that it is in line with God’s Word.

Man pondering what it means to obey Christ without exception, and to order his priorities to reflect his commitment and desire to live in discipleship to Christ.

The problem is we skim over the parts of the Bible that are too convicting or too hard to follow. My pastor’s words are not a new teaching or even controversial when held up to the light of scripture. What we are reacting to is the fact that obeying God’s Word without exception is not something most are willing to do.

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Guard Your Mind

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In an age of endless distractions, it’s never been more vital to guard your mind. What you allow into your mind affects how you feel, act, and live. I am convinced there are no neutral thoughts. At their core, every thought will either glorify God or ourselves. Over 2,000 years ago, Paul exhorted the Church to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

Woman scrolling through her phone emphasizing the need to guard your mind, exert discipline to to show your commitment to the holiness of God by minding our thoughts, keeping our focus on God and avoiding social media.

Infiltrating our minds is the primary way Satan wages war against us (Ephesians 6:11-12). The goal of the devil is to implant thoughts in our heads to make us doubt what God has said (Genesis 3:1), question who we are in Christ (Matthew 4:3-4), and erode our faith in Jesus (Luke 22:31-32). Every lie we’ve ever believed is another attack from the devil and his demons (John 8:44).

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