I'll Be Honest

In Ephesians 3:1-13 Paul, under inspiration, gives a great deal of information about himself. And God has specifically designed us to be impacted by the example of others.

Here are notable reflections in the life of the Apostle Paul from Ephesians 3 that can be good examples for us:
1. He saw his whole life in view of Christ, even his imprisonment.
2. He knew that he was in the ministry because God had called him, and not because he called himself.
3. He had a very humble view of himself in light of his past sins and what God had saved him from.
4. He was aware of the grace that God had given him, and he recognized that God's grace always resulted in power.

The true test of our love for other Christians isn't so much on how we love other Christians who we agree with on everything, but rather on how we treat and view other Christians who we don't agree with on every area of the non-essentials.

As believers we can be so grateful for the Lord's loving discipline that is bestowed upon our lives. Like a critical surgery that is needed, we've got to have it, and we are grateful for the surgeon. For us, our surgeon is none other than our loving Father pruning us that we might bear more fruit.

Question: Could you describe a time in which the Lord disciplined you, and you look back on that time with utter thankfulness for the fruit it yielded in your life?

This generation of young believers has countless distractions that will rob them of time and keep them from going deeper with God.

We must stay gospel-centered in our marriages. The more the husband grows in the revelation of God's patience towards him, the more he will grow in patience towards his wife and children. Impatience is reflective of our low view of God's patience towards us.

To walk in purity, the believer must not just focus on guarding themselves from the sin; but they must be actively pursuing Christ and being satisfied in Him.

Question: As you counsel people on the topic of sexual purity, what advice do you find yourself giving time and time again to help believers walk in purity?

As believers we must be aware of the subtle shift that can happen in which our eyes get off of Christ and we begin to find our identity in other things. One place this can subtly happen is in idolizing pastoral ministry. In this video, Jesse testifies about a time in which this subtle shift happened in his own life and he became burned out, and how the Lord restored him from that season.

Questions:
1. What are some of the most subtle pitfalls and attacks from the devil that you can warn others about?
2. Have you ever struggled with being burned out as a pastor? If so why, and what helped you get out of that season? And what did you learn in it?

This is a brief testimony of how the Lord saved Jesse and led him to plant the church Grace Life Dallas. In the next few weeks more of my interview with him will be uploaded.

Our great Lord Jesus Christ went to the Cross and completed the work that was started. He made purification for our sins and then He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Christ didn’t do half a job on Calvary, He didn’t do 90% of a job on Calvary. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe! Sin had left a fearful stain, He washed it white as snow. He purged our sin. – Geoff Thomas

We must not neglect so great a salvation; a salvation that is so great because of the greatness of Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 1, we see multiple areas of the greatness of the person of Jesus Christ.