surrender

Don’t Be True to Yourself

July 4, 2022 by Tim Sherfy

For most of my life, I’ve heard people say we should be authentic and be our true selves. This sounds like good advice, but it’s the worst advice a follower of Jesus could ever follow. To be true to yourself stands in stark contrast to how we are called to live. It is prideful, putting our feelings and preferences ahead of God’s. The advice isn’t far removed from the way the serpent tempted Eve.

be true to yourself,bad advice,commitment,discipleship,surrender,humility,pride,God's Kingdom,mission,Kingdom of God

He convinced her there was a better way than the one prescribed by God. The devil deceived Eve into believing she could be more than she was. It was the desire to be something more, something she believed to be truer to who she was that she shared with Adam. The rest is the unfortunate history of the fall of man and the source of all our problems today.

Wish I Knew Then

June 23, 2022 by Tim Sherfy

I wish I knew thirty years ago what I know now. If I knew Christ in my mid-twenties, as I do in my mid-fifties, my life would have counted for so much more. It’s easy to wish an older person would have shown me what it meant to live a life wholly devoted to Christ when I was a young man. But I also am not so naïve to think who I was as a twenty-something would have paid any attention to the wisdom of someone who had been through the wars and had the scars to prove it.

wish I knew,commitment,discipleship,focus,selfishness,priorities,surrender

After all, the curse of our twenties is that we know it all while understanding nothing. It is only when we recognize how little we know that the Lord can come in and take control.

[Read more…] about Wish I Knew Then

Fear God

June 2, 2022 by Tim Sherfy

Why do you fear God? Perhaps a better first question to ask is, do you fear God? Scripture commands us many times to live in the fear of God (Deuteronomy 6:13; 1 Samuel 12:24; Proverbs 9:10; 2 Corinthians 5:11; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Peter 2:17; Revelation 14:7). So, it’s not a question of whether we should, but imperative that we must. With all the sermons teaching God is love these days, it may seem a bit out of step to be talking about fearing God. Humans do not typically fear those we love.

fear God,fearing God,fear,faith,surrender,discipleship,obedience,love,anger,wrath

But God is not just someone else we love. He is the holy, righteous, and glorious Creator of the Universe, the Lord of lords, and the King of kings. God is indeed the highest expression of love. John told us this plainly in his epistle to the Church (1 John 4:8). However, we do not serve a one-dimensional God. Every emotion is magnified and perfected in Him. Thus, jealous, zealous, and righteous anger are also part of who He is. To quote Jonathan Edwards, “… it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.

[Read more…] about Fear God

To Live is Christ

April 25, 2022 by Tim Sherfy

In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul wrote that for him, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). A life devoted to Christ means death is irrelevant and even better than life. If we spend our lives in devotion to Christ, we fulfill our purpose by glorifying our Lord and Creator. And if we die, we get to meet Him face to face, spending eternity in His glorious presence.

to live is Christ,commitment,discipleship,surrender,priorities,purpose

This is a no-lose proposition. We serve and glorify Him in life, and we serve and glorify Him in death. There is no better deal anyone could ever offer you. Nothing else you could spend your life on offers the same consistency and reward.

[Read more…] about To Live is Christ

Jesus is Alive

April 18, 2022 by Tim Sherfy

Fresh off the sobering week contemplating the last week of Christ’s life, we turn the corner to celebrate the fact that Jesus is alive! Death could not hold the Son of God. The grave held no sway over the power of the Holy Spirit. His resurrection gives hope and assurance to every believer. This world, with all of its sickness, disease, violence, and evil, will one day kill our bodies.

Alive,eternity,ressurection,Easter,commitment,priorities,mission,surrender,Jesus is alive

But by the power of our Lord Jesus, it can’t keep us in the grave either. The resurrection power of Christ lives in each one of us. His death demonstrated the dreadful fate of every man. His resurrection guaranteed eternal life to all who will surrender their lives to Him. Jesus is alive, and because He is, we too can live in eternity with our Creator.

[Read more…] about Jesus is Alive