obedience

Obey Him

September 20, 2021 by Tim Sherfy

I think it should be obvious you cannot be a disciple unless you have first accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. But can you be saved without being a disciple of Jesus? I don’t think that answer is as clear. Earlier in my faith walk, I probably would have said yes. These days, my answer is leaning towards no.

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We could probably trade scriptures all day long trying to prove one side or the other, but at the end of the day, I think the bulk of evidence lands on the fact that to be a believer in Jesus is to be His disciple. This has serious ramifications for the way we live our lives.

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Pursuing Discipleship

May 3, 2021 by Tim Sherfy

A helpful question to ask yourself when pursuing discipleship is, “Am I a better disciple with or without this in my life?” The “this” could be any activity which you pursue. Your “this” might be the name of an individual or group of individuals. It’s a question we should ask ourselves throughout the day until it becomes second nature.

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Until we spend our time doing things that make us better disciples, things that make us look more like Jesus, we will never become the person He intends for us to be. The problem is, while many of us might ask this question of ourselves, few of us will do the hard work of changing our behavior to be consistent with the answer to the question.

But God

September 14, 2020 by Tim Sherfy

While following Jesus is never easy in this world, it can seem to be when life is running smoothly. If you have a job, shelter, health, and all your needs covered, the blessings make it easy to thank God for His provision. But what about when the storms come? What happens when you lose your job, your health fails, you fall behind on your rent, and you’re uncertain how you’re going to buy groceries next week? Where is God then?

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Praising Him for your situation gets tougher when it feels like the bottom is falling out of your world. It’s in these times God’s love and provision become even more obvious. As He walks with You and provides for your needs, you realize it is all Him. Where your efforts fail, He steps in. Hope seems lost, but in ways you least expect, God provides.

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Living in Obedience

August 20, 2020 by Tim Sherfy

Because of my Scottish heritage, I think I’m biased towards Scottish thinkers and writers. One of my favorites is Andrew Murray, a minister in the 1800s. Murray was a devoted disciple who left many soul-searching and convicting books as his legacy. As I was reading some of his writing this week, I saw this: “The Father in heaven asks, requires, and expects all of His children to give Him whole-hearted and entire obedience all day long, every single day.”

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It seems like a daunting task, but then I suppose if it was easy, we would find many more joining us. If it was easy, the path would be wide instead of narrow (Matthew 7:13-14). No, following Jesus is not the easy path in life, but it is the only one worth following. And if we will brave this path, we must understand it requires our obedience to Jesus every step along the way.

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Faith Demands Obedience

May 11, 2020 by Tim Sherfy

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Faith is only real when there is obedience”. James, the brother of Jesus tells us faith without works is useless (James 2:15-17). What good is it if we see someone in need and wish them well as we walk by (James 2:15-16)? Saving the best for last, Jesus teaches us that God loves those who obey Him; those who obey Christ will live with Him forever (John 14:23).

Obedience is not optional for followers of Jesus. It is proof of our devotion to Him. Quoting James again. “Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith from my works. (James 2:18).” Our faith isn’t faith at all unless we obey Christ. Obedience is not an add-on. It is the essence of what it means to follow Jesus.