When the Apostle Paul was making his case for Christ before King Agrippa, he testified that prior to his conversion to Christ he was clothed in his Jewish credentials. He was devoted to his deep-seated commitment to the religion of the Jews.
Read MoreWhat is a Christian? Have you ever asked yourself this question? There was a time in history that “Christian” was a nomenclature that nobody wanted as it invited the vitriol of the world. Today we live and contend with a contemptible cloak of counterfeit Christianity.
Read MoreWhen you consider the word “bonus” what comes to your mind? In a positive context, perhaps your smile is on display due to the feeling of excitement in anticipation of an unexpected reward. Perhaps you have thoughts of gratitude as you consider receiving some extra cash, a gift or being paid over and above what is due.
Read MoreI submit to you that the first eighteen years of my existence here on earth I majored in ministering to myself. I will not subject you to the details or sensationalize a sinful and willful walk with a lost world. But God who is rich in mercy found me in my morbid, lost condition. With His matchless and marvelous grace saved a wretched wanderer waist-deep in the world! For the last thirty-six years and counting, Lord willing, I am ministering for and to the Master.
Read MoreThis week, we will continue our discussion on examining the kind of motivation that magnifies the Master (the Lord Jesus Christ). In Paul’s letter to the Corinthian believers, he shared that it was the love of Christ that compelled or motivated him for life and ministry. What I noticed from our text is the enormous statement of the truth (the love of Christ), not my love for Christ. This is significant because our love for Christ often navigates in a sea of fluctuations influenced by our flesh. Often our love for Him is caught in a cloud of carnal conditions. Without the dominate influence of the Holy Spirit we cannot accurate display the devotion that our Lord deserves.
Read MoreHave you ever heard someone say, “I have to get motivated?” What does it mean to be motivated and why is it a good thing? When we take the role of motivator in someone’s life we are basically providing a cause or reason to take action.
Last week, we began discussing how we can acquire an appropriate attitude about the sovereignty of God. This week I will continue to endeavor to erase any ill reverence for God and promote the proper praise and honor that a Holy God rightly deserves. But first let me ask you a question: Who is it that you regularly respect the most? Why? Is it because of their authority or influence, aptitude or ability, fame, popularity or financial power and wealth?
Read MoreWhen was the last time you saturated your thoughts about the sovereignty of God? As I purposed to process God’s sovereignty, I was immediately taken by this transcendent truth. What we elevate as extraordinarily significant: fame, riches, intellect, influence, or power is mightily mitigated by His majesty. Man at his pinnacle of success or at his very best (relative to this world) is tantamount to a comparison between a brief flare and burn of the tip of a match being struck and God as the brightness and the brilliance of the noonday sun.
Read MoreIf you have spent any time watching the Olympic Games this week, you might have noticed the frequent reference to an athlete’s determination. The word determination has come to be identified with the words grit, gumption and persistence, such as: "With countless hours of hard work, sacrifice, and determination an Olympian athlete positions him or herself to win a medal in the Olympic Games.”
Read MoreMaybe you have heard or even contributed to the debate: Who was more committed to your breakfast plate, the chicken or the pig? The chicken committed the eggs and the pig, the bacon and ham. My preference is eggs over-easy with a thick slice of ham and some good old fashion Georgia ice cream aka grits! My objective was not to make you hungry so let’s proceed to move from our bellies to our hearts.
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