Even If i Walk Alone

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

Romans

Deny Yourself

by

Jesus said if anyone wants to follow Him, they must first deny themselves (Luke 9:23). What does it mean to deny yourself? It means you must deny your ego. You have been bought for a price, and your life no longer belongs to you (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). You are a slave of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:22). How could you, a slave, think more highly of yourself than anyone else (Philippians 2:3-5)?

Young man contemplating what it means to deny yourself as he seeks the discipline to surrender his priorities and live with a commitment to discipleship without fear

You don’t have the right to make your own decisions, as every choice must now align with God’s will and His Word. As slaves of Christ, we are the lowest of the low, deserving of nothing, and any good that comes our way is only by the incredible grace of our Lord and King (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are nothing, but that’s okay, because He is everything!

[Read more…] about Deny Yourself

Be Bold

by

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.

[Read more…] about Be Bold

Without Exception

by

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.

[Read more…] about Without Exception

What Will Change?

by

The Bible is the greatest book ever written. Its truths are timeless, always relevant in any age or circumstance (Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35). It has been my goal to model the writings here to honor God’s Word. I want to expound the truths of scripture in ways that will be as relevant today as they will be a hundred years from now. Because God’s truth is timeless, I seek to never tether that truth to a specific moment in time.

Man pondering what will change and how to respond in humility without fear and with a focus on discipleship to God's Kingdom in light of this cultural moment of the assassination and martyrdom of Charlie Kirk.

This proves difficult when momentous cultural events or tragedies occur. My heart desires to help bring the clarity and peace of God’s Word to bear to help people cope with difficult moments and keep our focus on God’s bigger and perfect plan. With that in mind, the question we all must ask ourselves in a potential seminal moment is, “What will change?”

[Read more…] about What Will Change?

Our Deepest Hunger

by

Our deepest hunger and longing is for God. Those without God seek to fill the ache with anything but Him. You cannot survey the current cultural landscape without feeling immense sadness. So many lost souls seeking relief, in search of meaning, and desperate to determine what’s the point of it all. The world is offering countless bizarre treatments for every malady, but only Jesus is the answer.

Woman in prayer recognizing our deepest hunger is for the hope and salvation of Jesus so she prays to surrender her commitment to Christ.

He always has been and always will be. No matter what your question, Jesus is the answer (John 14:6). It may not be the answer you want, but it is the answer you need. To seek lasting comfort in anyone or anything else is nothing more than an exercise in futility.

[Read more…] about Our Deepest Hunger