Even If i Walk Alone

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

priorities

The Truth about Self-Gratification

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In a recent sermon, David Platt asked, “Will we live for self-gratification or God-glorification?” Those are our only two options. We will live for God or we will live for ourselves. Living for ourselves is a more palatable way of saying we will live to glorify Satan. That sounds harsh and shocking. We don’t want to think in those terms, which is why we mask it with words like selfishness and self-gratification.

self-gratification,commitment,discipleship,selfishness,Matthew 6:24,cannot serve two masters,Mark 9:40,either for us or against us

But know this, there are only two powers in the spiritual realm: God and Satan. Jesus spoke plainly when He said we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). We will love the one and hate the other. Every time we say no to Jesus, we say yes to the devil. This is the uncomfortable truth that applies to every decision we make, word we speak, or action we take.

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Other gods

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Psalm 16:4 contains a sober warning for us all. It says, “The sorrows of those who take another god for themselves will multiply”. The gods of this world fill our minds and our hearts, diverting attention away from Christ and onto our desires. We invest far too much of our time and resources in things that do not glorify Jesus. These other gods inhabit our entertainment choices, our priorities, and our thoughts.

other gods,commitment,focus,priorities,Exodus 20:2-6,no other God before me,Psalm 16:4.sorrows will multiply,John 14:15,if you love me obey my commands,John 10:10,life to the full

Jesus demands all of us, and we profess to have given it to Him. Reality dictates otherwise, and according to the Psalmist, we multiply our sorrows. If you wonder why you don’t seem to find the abundant life Jesus promised, perhaps it’s because too many idols are filling your life. It’s not something any of us want to admit, but is true in almost all our lives.

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Prayer Life

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If we are going to stand strong for Jesus, we must build and cultivate a life where prayer becomes as natural and constant as breathing. You cannot live victoriously while having a weak and erratic prayer life. A. W. Tozer put it this way: “We pray only as well as we live.” When we surrender our lives to Jesus, we will pray more, and our prayers will have more power as our requests align with the will of God.

prayer life,pray,discipleship,commitment,priorities,passion,love,God's will,discipline,Mark 1:35,Jesus got alone to pray

A life surrendered to Jesus will be filled with prayer. You can’t be all in with Jesus and not have prayer as the central theme of your life. Yet, for many of us, a prayer life that is vibrant and full of power remains elusive.

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Growing Deeper

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As we embark on a new year, we have the opportunity to devote it to Christ. With our culture eroding at an ever-increasing pace, it feels like it is more important than ever to surrender everything to Jesus and to grow deeper in our faith. The Western Church has long been isolated from the persecution so many of our brothers and sisters around the world encounter every day.

growing deeper,discipleship,commitment,focus,priorities,quiet time,Bible study,prayer,memorization,Matthew 24:9-13,many will fall away

Until now, at least from outward appearances, we’ve been allowed to survive and even thrive despite the prevailing winds of the culture. Without wanting to sound like an alarmist, I am convinced those days will end, and much sooner than any of us ever thought possible.

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What Really Matters

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Tasks and responsibilities constantly barrage us, but gratefully, only a very few things matter. Every day we seem to add additional tasks to our to-do lists. There is an unending stream of new things to which we can read, watch, or listen. As technology advances at a blistering pace, there is always something we’re being told we should learn. It’s exhausting and overwhelming.

what really matters,focus,mission,love,commitment,priorities,mission,greatest commandment,Matthew 28:18-20,great commission,John 14:15,if you love me obey my commands

I love the sage advice of A. W. Tozer here. He said, “Nothing that matters is new.” That’s comforting and clarifying. All those things we keep adding to our lives are rarely, if ever, of any true consequence. They are just things we add to keep us busy or to keep up with those around us. We don’t need any of that; we simply need to focus on what really matters.

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