mission

Marvelous Light

October 17, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

In a world of darkness, it is comforting to know Jesus calls us out of that darkness and into the marvelous light of His presence (1 Peter 2:9). The darkness of this world is heavy and oppressive. In contrast, Jesus tells us His burden is light and comes with an overwhelming sense of peace and joy (Matthew 11:28-30). This life has a way of wearing you down and making you tired all the time.

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It’s easy to wonder where we can find the joy Jesus promises. We know Jesus never lies (1 Peter 2:22; Titus 1:1-2; Numbers 23:19), so if we are missing out on something He promises, the reason is we’ve taken our focus off Him and are staring at our circumstances and problems. The fact we all do this doesn’t make it any less painful or wrong.

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Rise Above the Hatred

October 10, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

The media and our daily experience inform us hatred is on the rise and becoming the prevalent emotion in society today. Never in my lifetime has there been such division across every line: political, cultural, racial, sexual, you name it. The informed and uninformed alike dig into the trenches of their viewpoints and refuse to accept or even listen to alternative viewpoints and ideas.

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Instead of polite discourse, every conversation today seems to devolve into shouting and interruption. Whoever shouts the loudest and longest is the victor. As Christ-followers, we are called to rise above the hatred and not respond in kind (Romans 12:17-21). If we act like and look like the world, the world will never see Jesus in our lives (John 13:34-35).

Shine Like Stars

September 19, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

I am not so naïve to believe the times we live in are the darkest days in history. The evil running rampant in our world is not without precedence. Tales of the Roman Empire reveal it was-if you can believe it-even more immoral than today’s culture. The holocaust was even more sadistic than most of the evil occurring today, although recent acts of barbarism make that a close race. But without a doubt, these are the darkest days of our lifetime.

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A day does not go by without gross sinfulness making the headlines. Some of it is criminal. Most of it is becoming not just socially acceptable but societal norms. The world is turning God’s perfect design for marriage and sexuality into perversion. They are exchanging human dignity for murder when having a child is inconvenient. What is good is called evil, and what is evil is called good (Isaiah 5:20). A deep night has fallen across our world, and we must shine like stars to lead others through these dark times.

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Isn’t That Fascinating?

September 16, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

One of my most influential mentors had a unique way of looking at the inevitable challenges and obstacles life brings our way. While my reaction might be one of discouragement or despair, he would look at the situation and say, “Isn’t that fascinating?” He didn’t fret or get upset, but would sit marveling in fascination. While a little cliché to say, he always saw opportunity within the dilemma. I admit to never mastering this mindset, which in some ways resembles the Apostle Paul’s admonition to rejoice in all things (Philippians 4:4).

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Just as joy can be difficult to find amid tragedy, fascination is often the furthest thing from my mind when looking at the chaos of our world. But these times are fascinating in both their level of depravity and departure from the perfect life God intends for us to live. We all will do well to shift our perspective as we look toward the future.

How to Make Disciples

September 2, 2024 by Tim Sherfy

The last instruction given by Jesus before ascending to Heaven was for us to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). It’s a serious command because it necessitates putting others before ourselves. Jesus did not charge us with becoming successful, powerful, or living our best life now. He made it clear this life is not about us. It’s about furthering His mission. If we love Him, there is no choice but to obey Him (John 14:15).

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And if we’re going to obey Him, we must be about the business of discipling others. But most of us don’t know how to make disciples. We all want to, but lack the knowledge of what we should do. Worse, many believe making disciples is for the super-Christian, those people who seem to possess a knowledge of God we can never hope to achieve. God’s Word is for everyone, no matter how much or how little you think of your abilities.