GRINDIT podcast

People today want to be seen and they’ll do anything to be seen. They’ll sleep with whoever they need to, lie, cheat their way to the top, deceive and walk all over anybody to achieve their goal. They want to go viral, be known, because it’s all about them. Paul says we are hidden in Christ and will be revealed when Jesus comes back. But again, who wants to be hidden? We want to be seen! When we come to Christ, our sins are forgiven, our old, sinful nature is put to death and buried, however, Paul says there is sin that still lurks within us and we must continue to follow Jesus and crucify these desires. He lists sins of the flesh that we must continually put away and he reminds us that Christ is coming back and when he does, he is coming with a vengeance! Therefore, living for Jesus has to be the most important goal in our life, to become like him must be the goal. Anything else is idolatry, greed, and sin.

When I was a skateboarding teenager, we didn’t have internet or cell phones to order things. We had magazines and one magazine that I subscribed to was a skateboarding magazine called “Thrasher Magazine.” In Thrasher, there were ads selling skateboards and at the top of the add it would say, “Buy a complete for only $99!” which meant you could buy everything you need to skate from the ad: the deck, grip tape, trucks, riser pads, bearings, and wheels. When that thing came in the mail, you were ready to skate! Paul says, “When we have Jesus, we are complete.” We are ready! We have everything we need! We do not lack anything because we belong to Christ! Do you have everything you need?!?!

In Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Hermey the Elf pulls the teeth of the big and bad abominable snowman therefore Rudolph and his friends no longer have to be afraid of him! Paul says Jesus has publicly disarmed the enemy therefore he has no power over us and we do not have to fear him! So do not let the enemy get in your head! When he reminds you of your past, you point to the cross and remind him of his future!

The word “continue” carries another option with it...don’t continue. How many times has a parent said, “Stop doing (fill in the blank),” but you keep doing it. Then you hear, “If you keep doing that (continue), you’re going to get a spanking (Or a time out)”? Then, since you continued to do the thing they said to quit doing, you get your punishment. The parent was implying “Do not continue doing what you are doing” when they said “If you continue doing that...” You had a choice to make...right? To continue or not continue. Paul tells the church at Colosse they have started strong in the faith, and now they have accepted Jesus, they must continue to follow him which implies you have a choice: continue to follow Jesus or don’t continue to follow Jesus. Jesus said the same thing to his disciples in John 15, “Remain in me” which implies there is another option, “Don’t remain in me...” Where are you? Are you continuing to follow Jesus?

Paul uses a three letter word that is so powerful in his letter to the church at Colosse, “Let.” He says, “Let your roots grow down in him,” and “Let your lives be built on him.” In other words, we have to give God permission to work in our lives. He just doesn’t overwhelm us, overpower us and say, “I am God and I am going to do this in your life whether you like it or not!” No, we have to give Him permission. Every day, we have a choice, Am I going to continue to follow Jesus? Am I going to allow Jesus to work in my life? Am I going to get in the word and let my roots grow deep into Jesus so I can stand strong when storms come? Am I going to build my life on the immovable stone, Jesus, so when the strong waves come against me, I will be protected and able to stand strong? Give God permission to work in you and through you, and you will be amazed at what Jesus will do!

Mary and I spoke at Authentic Church this past Sunday, February 2. We kicked off pastor's new sermon series out of 1 Corinthians called, "I Want What's Best For You." Here is part 2 talking about division.

Mary and I spoke at Authentic Church this past Sunday, February 2. We kicked off pastor's new sermon series out of 1 Corinthians called, "I Want What's Best For You." Here is part 1 talking about division.

Paul tells the church at Colosse to watch out for the false teachers that will soon come to their fellowship to try and persuade them that there is more to it than what Paul has taught them. They will come with fancy words and eloquent speech trying to convince the people they lack something even though they are following Jesus. It’s the same message Satan used in the Garden of Eden, “God is withholding something from you, Eve...” Unfortunately, Eve fell for the lie and was deceived and we see so many people falling for the lie today. Jesus is everything we need to live now and for eternity. We lack nothing! So when the enemy comes in with lies, don’t listen! Stay with the truth...stay with Jesus...and you will lack nothing!

Do you knit or know someone that does? You can take a single of strand of yarn that is not very strong, and make something that is superstrong! The person who knits will take yarn, thread it through the hook, and start knitting. When the product is done, like a blanket, it can be used because the single strand of yarn has been knitted together, twisted together, and has become strong. Paul tells the church at Colosse he wants them to be encouraged and knit together by the love of Christ. We need to be involved in one another’s lives so we can be knitted together. When the thing knitted together has Jesus woven into it, it becomes unbreakable!

When we are traveling to a certain destination, we grab our phone, pull up the Maps app, punch in the address to our destination, and take off in the direction the voice tells us to go; We can even see a picture of a map with a blue line that shows us our future moves. What happens when we don’t follow the directions the app is telling us? It freaks out and starts telling you commands on how to get back on track to reach your destination. Suppose you get a phone call and have to terminate your destination to go to a different one? That means you did not get to your destination! Paul says God has given us the coordinates to be able to reach Him in heaven, and many have chosen to punch those coordinates in and are traveling in that direction, but Paul says we must continue...