Posts with the tag “obedience”

Most of us know what it is like to feel confident about following Christ in one setting and hesitant in another. It may be easy to speak about our faith at church, but much harder around a skeptical coworker. We may genuinely want to help someone who is struggling but hesitate because getting involved could become complicated. We may know that we need to forgive, speak the truth, serve, or share the gospel, yet fear begins asking, “What will this cost me? What if they reject me? What if this becomes uncomfortable?” It seems that Timothy knew something about that struggle.  Read More

For the past several weeks, we have been working through the marks of spiritual maturity in a sermon series titled "Growing in Christ." Part of that series has entailed a lot of discussion about what it means to be holy or godly in the Christian life. My aim for this blog today is to reinforce some of those truths.  Read More

One of the most well-known and influential stories in the Old Testament is the story of Gideon in Judges 6-7. Gideon was an unlikely, fearful man whom God called to lead Israel against the Midianites, a powerful enemy that had been oppressing Israel for years. At first, Gideon was paralyzed by fear—he doubted himself, he doubted God, and he constantly looked for signs and reassurance before taking action (and this was not a good thing; see my earlier blog on Not Putting Out Your Fleece). Yet, through God’s guidance, Gideon moved from fear to faith—not because of his own strength, but because he learned to trust in God’s power and obey despite his fears.  Read More

By John Holmes Baptismal Pool at Ephesus (Source: Logos Media)           Christian Baptism is one of two ordinances of the local church. It is an act of obedience to the Lord and provides a public witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Baptism does not make you a believer; neither does it save you. Baptism testifies that you already believe. As such, every believer should follow in baptism as soon...  Read More