Even If i Walk Alone

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

mission

End Slavery

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According to International Justice Mission, there are 36 million slaves in the world today. That is equivalent to the combined populations of New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, London, and Tokyo. To people everywhere, but especially to followers of Christ, this is simply unacceptable. The Bible clearly states one of the things we can do to honor God is to end slavery (Isaiah 58:6).

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It is unconscionable to me the Church can find the resolve to rally against gay marriage and to debate Creationism vs. Evolution, but can care so little about slavery. We are quick to defend the causes which have no direct victims but fall silent to the plight of 36 million individuals relegated to a life of abuse, anguish, captivity, and an utter loss of dignity.
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Too Many Churches

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I recently learned from an article that the city in which I live has more churches per capita than any other city in America. While some might see this as great news, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. Why do we need so many churches? Doesn’t that mean the vast majority of them are horribly ineffective?

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Perhaps even more troubling is the amount of money these churches are spending on rent, real estate, and building projects. When did those things become more important than feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and providing shelter for the homeless (Matthew 25:31-46)? The Church has become quite efficient spending Kingdom money on things that bear little resemblance to Christ.
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Goals and Resolutions

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As I write this, it is mid-October. Most would think this a bit early to start thinking about goals for the next year, but I start the process every year around this time. If you’re kind, you may think me an over-achiever, but I’m guessing most will probably see me as somewhat neurotic and obsessive! Regardless, I’ll bet you’re wondering what any of this has to do with following Jesus.

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The truth is I had an epiphany as I began to think about my goals for the next year.  Every time I set goals, they are centered on what I want to accomplish. Yes, I do set spiritual goals, but traditionally those have been just one slice of the goals I set. It suddenly occurred to me the only goals that matter are the ones concerning Christ and not me.
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Your Plan for Spiritual Growth

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What do you want for your relationship with God? If you are a disciple of Jesus, it means your every desire is to live a life that looks like Him. You want each day to be a little closer to the Father than the day before. You want to leave the world behind and bask in God’s presence. Obedience will be your default response.

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I believe true followers of Christ would agree having a relationship like that with our Creator would lead to a more than satisfying and worthwhile life. The problem is if we don’t plan for that kind of relationship, it will never happen. So what’s your plan?
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The Privilege of Serving Christ

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“If we belong to Jesus Christ, we should never compromise our spiritual decisions on the basis of ‘What is this going to cost me?’ We ought only to ask, ‘What is my spiritual duty and my spiritual privilege before God?’” This quote from A.W. Tozer cuts to the core of our resistance to follow Christ no matter the cost. Jesus didn’t ask if the price was worth it when He went to the cross.

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He simply did what was required to live a life that looked like that of His Father. He didn’t turn away from the most excruciating pain and humiliation a man could ever know. He knew what His duty was before God, and it was His privilege to serve God in a way that at once pleased His Father and saved all of those selfish, wretched souls He loved so much.
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