This last weeks sermon was really meant for me. i need to put my faith in Action. It's easy to talk about God and think about God, but do i really practice what i preach? Does God rule and reign in my decisions and actions? James argues that faith without works is dead. it's useless. What good is it if salt looses it's saltiness? What good is it to hide your light? A good tree must bear good fruit. This is the evidence of our faith.
James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. We're not called to be hearers, but doers.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. -1 john 3:16-19
There should be a day and night contrast between a spirit filled christian and a non-believer. It should be obvious. Christians have God within them!
However, good fruit isn't just doing good works. do we experience the fruit of the spirit? Is there a depth to our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control?
We need to work from our overflow of rest. We need to focus on being before doing. In Acts the apostles/disciples waited to be filled with the Spirit before they were sent out. We too need to receive strength from our time with God, so we can share the love of Christ with others.
Sometimes we say we're too busy, i can't do things, i'll do it later, i don't have the time, i don't know how. We make excuses for why we're so distant and why we struggle. I know i make these excuses all the time. I think mary got it right when she simply sat before Jesus and listened to his words.
We're so consumed by trying to get everything done. Maybe we have too many responsibilities. What's hindering you from coming before God? Are we really too busy to make time for God? Or is it our hearts? Are we too worried about our future? Why must we hurry and rush everywhere? Is it really just about doing as much as we can as fast as we can? When we look at the life of Christ, he was super relaxed and chill. The spirit of God isn't anxious about anything. Sometimes we jus need to slow our roll and be with God. When we experience God, he brings us peace and stillness.
Instead of rushing around like nascars, we need to slow ourselves down. busyness is the enemy of peace. hurry is the enemy of depth. We need peace and depth in our lives. Taking care of our spiritual lives and embracing the gospel daily should be our top priority. Don't compromise by filling our schedule with activities. In the end what's truly important to you? Take care of yourself, by finding rest in God.
Find liberation in rest. It's like the first time you experienced snow. Remember how excited you were? We were simply amazed and in awe. We jus wanted to play in the snow and enjoy it. snow makes me really happy, lol. In the same way, our time with God should be like the first time we saw snow. Just sheer wonderment, joy and awe.
_______________________
Extra awesome bible verses..
Jer 32:36-41
this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 37 I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. 40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. -proverbs 13:12
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the LORD, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing. psalm 34:8-9
James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. We're not called to be hearers, but doers.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. -1 john 3:16-19
There should be a day and night contrast between a spirit filled christian and a non-believer. It should be obvious. Christians have God within them!
However, good fruit isn't just doing good works. do we experience the fruit of the spirit? Is there a depth to our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control?
We need to work from our overflow of rest. We need to focus on being before doing. In Acts the apostles/disciples waited to be filled with the Spirit before they were sent out. We too need to receive strength from our time with God, so we can share the love of Christ with others.
Sometimes we say we're too busy, i can't do things, i'll do it later, i don't have the time, i don't know how. We make excuses for why we're so distant and why we struggle. I know i make these excuses all the time. I think mary got it right when she simply sat before Jesus and listened to his words.
We're so consumed by trying to get everything done. Maybe we have too many responsibilities. What's hindering you from coming before God? Are we really too busy to make time for God? Or is it our hearts? Are we too worried about our future? Why must we hurry and rush everywhere? Is it really just about doing as much as we can as fast as we can? When we look at the life of Christ, he was super relaxed and chill. The spirit of God isn't anxious about anything. Sometimes we jus need to slow our roll and be with God. When we experience God, he brings us peace and stillness.
Instead of rushing around like nascars, we need to slow ourselves down. busyness is the enemy of peace. hurry is the enemy of depth. We need peace and depth in our lives. Taking care of our spiritual lives and embracing the gospel daily should be our top priority. Don't compromise by filling our schedule with activities. In the end what's truly important to you? Take care of yourself, by finding rest in God.
Find liberation in rest. It's like the first time you experienced snow. Remember how excited you were? We were simply amazed and in awe. We jus wanted to play in the snow and enjoy it. snow makes me really happy, lol. In the same way, our time with God should be like the first time we saw snow. Just sheer wonderment, joy and awe.
_______________________
Extra awesome bible verses..
Jer 32:36-41
this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 37 I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety. 38 They will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. 40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. -proverbs 13:12
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the LORD, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing. psalm 34:8-9
Ezekiel 36:24-28
24 “‘For I will take you out of
the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into
your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will
be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart
and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and
give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and
move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28
Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people,
and I will be your God.1 Corinthians 1:8-9
8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 6:37-40
37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
John 6:44
44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
John 6:64-65
For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
John 10:27-29
37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
John 6:44
44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
John 6:64-65
For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
John 10:27-29
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow
me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one
will snatch them out of my hand. 29
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch
them out of my Father’s hand.
Ephesians 1:3-14
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of
him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12
in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for
the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ
when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you
believed, you were marked in him with a seal,
the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our
inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to
the praise of his glory.
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