Aswe turn to this passage of Scripture in 1 Timothy chapter 4, we arereminded—especially as we enter a new year—that we have tremendousresponsibilities as believers. We are called to be a light in the world, tolive a godly life, a life that is different. We have been talking about this inEphesians chapter 4. As we close out one year and begin another, I want toencourage you, as best I can, to discipline yourself for the purpose ofgodliness.

Hereis what Paul told Timothy: “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fitonly for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose ofgodliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness isprofitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and alsofor the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.”(1 Timothy 4:7–9)

Paulsays, in effect, This is trustworthy. This is something you need to do. And bythe grace of God, it is something you can do as you humble yourself andsurrender yourself to the will of God. This is more than just a commitment—itis a surrender. I remind you, as I have said so often, quoting Oswald Chambers,“The only right you have is the right to give up the right to yourself.” Thatis something you do daily. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:31, “I die daily.”Yes, we die to the flesh, and we live to the Spirit. Romans 8:1 says, “Thereis therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do notwalk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” And then Paulgoes on to say, “that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has setme free from the law of sin and death”. You and I have been set free inChrist Jesus—something we have been talking about extensively in Ephesianschapter 4.

Thismatter of discipline is very important. The word discipline comes from theworld of athletics and training. It speaks of intentional, consistenteffort—not occasional inspiration. I remember when I was in high school, I wasasked to play on a summer baseball team, and I did quite well. As a result, Iwas invited to play on the high school baseball team at Princeton High Schoolin North Cincinnati. We had a really good team, and it looked like we weregoing to win a state championship. I worked my way up to being the leadoffbatter.

I’lltell you, I started thinking I might play Major League Baseball. Because ofthat, I made some decisions. I determined that I was not going to eat things Ishouldn’t eat. I wasn’t going to drink alcohol, party, or put drugs into mybody. I disciplined my body for the sake of becoming the best baseball player Icould be, with the goal of playing in the major leagues. I also have a grandsonwho is training with the goal of becoming a Navy SEAL. Just the other day, Ilearned that he ran 50 miles on the beach—20 miles in the soft sand and 30miles in the hard sand. All the time, I see him training, running, and exercising.Why? So that he can fulfill his goal of becoming a SEAL one day. And I believehe is going to make it, based on his discipline.

That’swhat an athlete does. That’s what a soldier does. Paul told Timothy to “be agood soldier of Jesus Christ.” (Read 2 Timothy 2:3-5).  Over the next few days, I want to encourageyou with some spiritual disciplines—things we will talk about together—that youcan practice. These are disciplines I learned as a young believer so that Icould grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ and be all that God wanted meto be.

Godbless you as we prepare for a new year. We are living in a time of crisis inthis world, and God knows we must do all we can and be all we can be for Hisglory. By His grace we can make a difference in this world before Jesus comesagain.

Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Today is an especially exciting Pastor’s Chat because we havereached a significant milestone. Five and a half years ago, during COVID, Ibegan these Pastor’s Chats to encourage people—many of whom were stuck athome—to stay in God’s Word every day. Today marks the 2,000th Pastor’s Chat. Ican hardly believe how quickly the Lord has brought us to this point. Thank youso much for being a part of these five-minute devotionals from God’s Word, dayafter day, as we seek to grow together in our walk with the Lord.

Iam convinced that we are at a crossroads in America—and really, at a crossroadsin the world. We are living in a time unlike anything we have ever experiencedbefore, with artificial intelligence, global unrest, and rapid cultural change.I believe, as never before, that we are living in the end times. We are in thefinal days of this church age. Jesus is coming again, and it is essential thatwe do all we can and be all we can for the glory of God.

Becauseof that, it is necessary—absolutely necessary—for every believer to be growingin their faith.That has been the theme of what we’ve been studying. The ApostlePaul speaks clearly about this in Ephesians 4:15, where he says: “Butspeaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things unto Him who is thehead—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by whatevery joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every partdoes its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself inlove.”

Twicein that passage Paul speaks of growth—spiritual growth. As we’ve said over thepast several weeks, spiritual maturity is not a destination; it is a daily,progressive journey, moving in the right direction toward Christlikeness. Now,the Apostle Paul also wrote to his young protégé Timothy, encouraging him inhis ministry. In 1 Timothy 4:7–9, he writes: “But have nothing to do with oldwives’ fables. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose ofgodliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness isprofitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of thatwhich is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.”

Thatphrase—“discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness”—is what wewant to focus on over the next several days. What does that really mean?

Remember,Paul was writing to Timothy, a young pastor living in a culture filled withfalse ideas, distractions, and spiritual noise—much like the world we live intoday. We are surrounded by social media, sports, constant news, and endlessinformation. As someone has wisely said, we are living in a day not of weaponsof mass destruction, but of weapons of mass distractions. We are easilydistracted from the very things that produce spiritual growth. May the Lordhelp us with that.

Paultells Timothy to reject these worldly fables—empty stories, myths, andteachings that sound spiritual but have no power to change a life. They wastetime, stir emotions, and distract believers from what truly matters. Then Paulgives a clear command: “On the other hand, discipline yourself for thepurpose of godliness.”  What does itmean to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness? Over the nextseveral days, I want to share with you some things I have practiced over thelast 54 years of my Christian life—things I have tried to do daily todiscipline myself for godliness, because godliness impacts every area of my lifeand eternity.

Thankyou again for being a part of these 2,000 Pastor’s Chats—some of you from thevery beginning. My prayer is that in the days ahead, as the Lord tarries Hiscoming, we will do those things that truly please Him, exercising ourselves forthe sake and ministry of godliness in our lives.

Godbless! And may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Welcometo Pastor’s Chat. Today, there are just four days left—including today—until abrand-new year. I’ve been talking with you about preparing for a new year,about making sure we are living a life that is different from the world aroundus (Ephesians 4:17). A life of significance, not just trying to survive anotherday. The way we live that kind of life is by being focused on eternity—lookingat the things that are eternal rather than the things that are temporal (2Corinthians 4:16-18). We intentionally take time to think on things that arelovely, kind, of good report, and virtuous. We take time to meditate onJesus—thanking Him for who He is, for what He has done for us, for thesalvation He has granted us, and for the fact that He is ever-present with us.

Whenyou meditate on the good things of God, you develop an attitude of gratitudeand thankfulness. That kind of heart enables you to face each day withconfidence instead of fear, worry, and anger—three emotions that can destroyyour life and damage the lives of those around you, especially therelationships that should be the dearest to you. So I encourage you: take timewith God every day. In fact, don’t just make God a priority—make Him the centerof every aspect of your life (Matthew 6:33).

TheBible tells us that to fear the Lord is to hate evil (Proverbs 8:13). But whatdoes that really mean? It means you live with confidence and assurance. You believeand trust that His presence is with you at all times. You’re continually awareof His nearness. He is there to help you, to guide you, to warn you, toencourage you, to lift you up, and to give you grace. These are things that arevitally important to the Christian life. We experience this wonderful presenceof the Lord by taking intentional, special time to be alone with Him every day!

Thinkabout it this way: if you didn’t take time to spend alone with your wife, yourchildren, or other relationships that are dear to you, those relationshipswould deteriorate. They would lose their influence, and you would lose theinfluence you should have on them. In the same way, our relationship with theLord requires time and attention.

So,my friend, take time with the Lord in His Word. I encourage you to do thatfaithfully. We produce two Bible reading calendars—Plan A and Plan B—that makeit possible to read through the Bible at least once a year by taking just 15minutes a day. (Plan A takes a little longer). You can listen to Scripturewhile driving to work, while getting ready in the morning, or by sittingquietly with your Bible open as someone reads God’s Word aloud. There are somany Bible-reading apps available today that you can download right to your phone—manyof them don’t even require an internet connection.

Iwant to encourage you to make a commitment to read the entire Bible in 2026, bythe grace of God. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by everyword that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). But not only readthe Word—meditate on it. Take a verse or a thought from the passage you readand let it settle into your heart.

 Myfriend, I encourage you this year: have a plan. Our Bible reading calendars areavailable on the Pastor Mike Impact Ministry website. Get into God’s Word—andlet God’s Word get into you. Some people say, “I don’t feel like I get anythingout of it when I read it that way.” But I’m convinced, my friend, that it’sgetting something out of you. Water running through a strainer doesn’t stay inthe strainer, but it sure cleans what’s inside. In the same way, the Word ofGod cleanses us daily. Jesus even said, “Now you are clean through the Wordwhich I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). The psalmist said, “Thy word haveI hid in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).

Paulhighlights five specific sins that must be put away from our lives. Even asbelievers, we still have to deal with these tendencies—these sins—that candestroy unity in our families, unity in our churches, unity in our communities,and even unity in our nation. We see these sins rampant all around us today. Thefirst sin Paul addresses is lying. He tells us plainly to put off lying and tospeak the truth to one another. We live in a country today that is saturatedwith lies. It almost seems as if people breathe them out. Proverbs speaks ofthis more than once, where Solomon says that the wicked “breathe out lies.”When I read that in the ESV, it paints a vivid picture—it’s as though theycannot even breathe without a lie coming from their mouth.

Myfriend, that should never be said of believers. Believers speak the truthbecause we know the truth. We live in the truth. We walk in the truth, as FirstJohn and Second John tell us. Truth is foundational to the Christian life. Thattruth is found in Jesus Christ and in a life committed to Him.

Thisbecomes especially important as we prepare for a new year. As believers, wemust ask the Lord to give us hearts that truly seek after Him. Scripture tellsus to seek the Lord with all our heart, to lean not on our own understanding,and that we will find Him when we search for Him with all our heart (Read Proverbs2:1-5; 3:1-5; Jeremiah 29:13). That means intentionally setting aside time eachday to seek God.

Iwas thinking again about something we mentioned yesterday—the tyranny of theurgent. Urgent things demand immediate attention: taking the children toschool, picking them up, getting meals prepared, making phone calls, changingdiapers, washing dishes, cleaning the house, getting ready for work, mowing thegrass, fixing the plumbing, paying the bills, and a host of other things. Theseare important responsibilities—but they are not the most important thing. It isso sad that so many of us will spend a lifetime staying busy doing the urgentthings and then realize that we never took care of the important things.Usually this is because the urgent things demand immediate attention while theimportant things can be put off till tomorrow!

Myfriend, I remind you that the most important thing we should be doing every dayis seeking and knowing the Lord and His righteousness (Read Matthew 6:24-34).We do this by daily spending time with God, placing value on the people aroundus, encouraging them, and living a life that truly makes a difference in theworld. The only way we can live that way daily is by being filled with the HolySpirit. And when we are filled with God’s Word, we will also be filled withGod’s Holy Spirit.

Aswe approach a new year, I cannot encourage you enough to take at least 15minutes a day to get alone with the Lord. Wake up 15 minutes earlier. Find aquiet place. Spend time asking God for direction for your day. Read Scripture.Use a devotional. We post devotionals on our Facebook page and on our website (https://www.pmiministries.org/),along with a daily Bible reading calendar. Even while driving to work, you canlisten to Scripture through your phone—there are so many ways available today.

Asyou fill your mind with God’s Word, it replaces other voices, other influences,and you begin to walk in the truth and speak the truth to yourself and others. Sofirst, Paul tells us to put off lying. Instead, we are to speak the truth,because the truth lives in us through the Word of God. That’s my encouragementto you today.

Godbless you as you prepare for a New Year in 2026—as you walk in the truth, asyou live the truth, and as you seek after God through His Word and throughprayer.

Thefirst of the five sins Paul tells us to put off is lying. We must always beaware of the danger of lying. Lying is rooted in the deceitful nature of Satanhimself. He uses lies to lead us astray, to make us believe that the wrong pathis the right path. Jesus warned us that “broad is the way that leads todestruction, and many go in by it.” My friend, the devil is a liar.

Jesussaid in John 8:44 that Satan is a liar and the father of lies. He also said inJohn 10 that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy—and the primary way thedevil does this is through lies. He lies by placing deceptive thoughts into ourminds. I am convinced that the fiery darts of the devil mentioned in Ephesians6 are his lies. That is why we are told to take up the shield of faith, whichof course, is the Word of God that we have in our hearts and can quote back to thedevil’s lies like Jesus did in Matthew 4 when He was tempted.

Inthe end times, 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, tells us that the Antichrist will comewith lying wonders, deceiving those who reject the truth because they takepleasure in unrighteousness. They will believe the lie. My friend, we arealready seeing how lies work all around us—how they deceive people and leadthem into destructive paths. As Jesus said in John 10:10, “the thief (thedevil) has come to steal, to kill and to destroy”. That is why we see suchviolence, chaos, and brokenness in our world today. People are believing thelie when what they desperately need is the truth.

Thisis it is so important to Speak the Truth! It is no accident that Paul lists lying first. Lyingdestroys. Truth builds up. If we want to live a life that honors God, we mustlearn how to build truth into our lives.

Weonly have a few days left before we begin a new year. This is often the timewhen people make New Year’s resolutions. But instead of resolutions, I want toencourage you to make a commitment—a complete surrender to the will of God tobe the person He wants you to be. How do you do that? We all desperately dailyneed God’s grace to do what we ought to do. The best way I know receive God’sgrace is to put yourself in the path of God’s grace by getting into God’s Word andHis Truth that sets us free on a daily basis. The truth is Jesus. The Truth isfound in His Word. Living in the Truth means abiding in Christ (John 15).

Thelie of the devil is that you don’t have time for God’s Word—that you are toobusy, that other things are more urgent. My friend, that is the tyranny of theurgent, where immediate demands crowd out the most important thing: time alonewith the Lord in His Word and prayer. And we must discipline ourselves spirituallyto do that! Years ago, by the grace of God, I made a determination todiscipline myself for godliness, as Paul instructed Timothy (1 Timothy 4:7-9).The only way to do that is to commit to a daily quiet time with the Lord.

Thedevil will whisper his lies into your ears and mind: “You don’t need to pray. Youdon’t need to read through the Bible. You don’t need every Word of God.” Theseare his lies! That is why I do everything I can through this Pastor’s Chat andthrough my website to encourage believers to stay in the Word. I post dailydevotionals such as Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest, ExperiencingGod by Henry Blackaby, and Dr. Elmer Towns’ 365 Ways to Know God. I personally alsoread other devotionals by Andrew Murray and others. These help me focus eachday on God’s truth instead of Satan’s lies.

Forover 50 years now I have read five Psalms a day, and I post them on my websiteso you can read or listen along if you wish. We also provide Bible readingschedules—two different plans—to help you stay disciplined in God’s Word. Todaywill you make the decision by God’s grace to say: “I am not going to try. I amgoing to do this.” My friend, if you will do this, you will find that next yearwill be a completely different year.

“The Little Things inthe Christmas Story”

MerryChristmas, and welcome to Pastor’s Chat. On this Christmas morning, I want totake a few moments to remind us that God often works through what the worldconsiders small, insignificant, and unnoticed. Years ago, I preached a messagetitled “The Little Things in the Christmas Story.” And the more I reflect onthe birth of Christ, the more I am convinced that Christmas is a story filledwith little things that reveal a very big God.

Theworld looks for greatness in power, position, and prominence. But God revealsHis glory through humility, obedience, and faith. Notice these “Little Things”associated with the Christmas story.

ALittle Town — Bethlehem

Theprophet Micah tells us: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be littleamong the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me thatis to be ruler in Israel.” (Micah 5:2) Bethlehem was a small, obscurevillage—hardly the place one would expect a King to be born. Yet God chose alittle town to bring forth the Savior of the world. God is never limited bylocation. He delights in working through places the world overlooks.

ALittle Virgin Girl — Mary

Luketells us that God chose a young virgin named Mary (Luke 1:27). She was notfamous, powerful, or influential—just a humble young woman willing to say yesto God. Her simple response still echoes through history: “Be it unto meaccording to thy word.” (Luke 1:38) One surrendered heart can change thecourse of history.

ALittle Stable and a Little Manger

Lukechapter 2 reminds us there was no room in the inn, so Jesus was born in a lowlyplace and laid in a manger. The King of glory was not born in a palace but in astable. The Bread of Life was laid in a feeding trough. God entered the worldquietly, humbly, and without earthly applause. Christmas reminds us that Godcame down to where we are.

ALittle Baby

“Untoyou is born this day in the city of David a Savior.” (Luke 2:11) Theeternal Son of God came as a helpless infant. Almighty God wrapped Himself inhuman flesh. Omnipotence came in weakness. Eternity stepped into time. Neverunderestimate what God can do through something that looks small.

ALittle Group of Shepherds

Thefirst people to hear the announcement of Christ’s birth were shepherds—ordinarymen doing ordinary work. “And there were in the same country shepherdsabiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” (Luke 2:8) Godchose faithful, watchful men—not kings or scholars—to receive the good newsfirst. Heaven still reveals truth to the humble and attentive.

ALittle Star

Matthewtells us that wise men were guided by a star (Matthew 2:2). One small light ledsincere seekers to the Savior. God still uses light—the light of His Word, ofHis truth, and of His Son—to guide hearts that are genuinely seeking Him.

ALittle Response of Faith

Marybelieved. Joseph obeyed. The shepherds went. The wise men followed. Christmasreminds us that God’s greatest work often begins with simple obedience.

ABig God at Work Through Little Things

Christmasteaches us this powerful truth: God specializes in using little things toaccomplish eternal purposes.

Littleplaces. Little people. Little acts of faith.

Andthrough them all, God brought us the greatest gift of all—Jesus Christ.

“ForGod so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” (John 3:16)

ThisChristmas morning, may we not overlook the small things. May we surrender whatwe have, where we are, and who we are to the Lord. The Lord can use us andwhatever we yield to Him for the glory of God!

MayGod bless you, and may you have a truly merry Christmas.

Wehave been studying Ephesians chapter 4, where the Apostle Paul teaches that weare to live differently than we once did. Why? Because a new man has enteredour lives. That new man is none other than Jesus Christ Himself, living in usthrough the person and work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit now dwellswithin us, giving us a new life—a life that can walk in righteousness and dothe things that please God.

Paulbecomes very practical in this section, telling us what it means to put off theold man. In Ephesians 4:25, he begins by saying: “Therefore, putting awaylying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for weare members of one another.”  Here,Paul emphasizes the importance of truth.

Youmay remember the moment when Pilate stood before Jesus and asked, “What istruth?” Just before that question, Jesus had declared in John 18:37: “Pilatetherefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered,"You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for thiscause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." That brings to mind Johnchapter 10, where Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, andthey follow me.” To follow Jesus is to follow truth. To know the truth, wemust have a personal relationship with the truth—because Jesus is the truth.

 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Wordwas with God, and the Word was God… All things were made by him.” “And the Word was made flesh,and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begottenof the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Hereis John—a simple fisherman from the region of the Sea of Galilee—testifying, “Wehave met the truth. We have seen His glory.” He echoes this again in 1 Johnchapter 1, declaring that they had heard, seen, and touched the Word of life. Thistruth is none other than Jesus Christ—God in the flesh. John tells us that Hisglory was full of grace and truth. God reveals Himself as the source of alltruth. Jesus later said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and thelife.” When Pilate asked, “What is truth?” the answer, Jesus Christ,Truth Himself was standing right in front of him.

TheBible teaches that we are born speaking lies. Psalm 58:3 says, “The wickedare estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speakinglies.” Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that the heart is deceitful above all thingsand desperately wicked. Our natural hearts are part of the old man, the oldnature, and “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew12:34). So how can you tell the difference between someone who follows Jesusand someone who does not? A follower of Jesus speaks the truth, believes thetruth, and loves the truth. Where is truth found? Truth is found in JesusChrist. Where is Christ found? In the Word of God.

Thegreatest lie ever told was spoken by Satan in the Garden of Eden, when he toldEve, “You shall not surely die… you shall be like God, knowing good andevil.” In other words, “Follow your heart.”  You hear that message everywhere today, but itis not biblical. The Bible does not say, “Follow your heart.” Jesus said,“Follow me.” And when you follow Jesus, you follow the truth. Satan is still whisperingthis lie in our ears today. “You can decide what is right or wrong. Do what makesyou feel good. You don’t need God”.  

Thatis why Jesus said He was born, “to bear witness to the truth”. When you knowthe truth—when you know Jesus—you can speak the truth to your neighbor. Truthbuilds up; lies tear down. Truth strengthens fellowship; lies destroy it. MayGod help us understand this: Jesus is the Truth. Let us love Him, live for Him,and speak His Truth. When you speak the truth, you bear witness to JesusChrist! And if you have never received Him into your life, I encourage you todo so this Christmas Eve.

Todaywe are moving into a new section of Ephesians 4:25-32. In these verses, theApostle Paul gives us very practical applications for how to live out what hehas already taught in the earlier part of the chapter. That is why verse 25begins with the word “therefore.” This is the fourth “therefore” in thischapter. Paul follows a familiar pattern: he establishes a spiritual principle,reminds us of our position in Christ, and then says, because of this, here ishow you are now to live. Since we are no longer to walk as the Gentiles walk,and since we have been taught to put off the old man and put on the new man inverses 20 through 24, Paul now shows us what that looks like in everyday life.

Paulalways applies truth to specific areas where the power of the Word and Truthmust be worked out. And in this passage, he is not afraid to name sins—specificsins. Can you imagine a pastor or preacher naming sins that people in thecongregation might actually be committing? Paul was not afraid to do that, andneither was God. These things are in Scripture for our instruction.

InEphesians 4:25–32, Paul identifies five specific sins: Lying, Anger, Stealing, CorruptSpeech, and Bitterness. These are serious sins because they destroy unity,damage fellowship, and ruin a church’s witness. Paul names them plainly becausethey must be dealt with honestly.

Thefirst sin he addresses is lying and is found in verse 25: “Therefore,putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with hisneighbor," for we are members of one another.” Now, what is a lie? Alie is a statement that is contrary to fact and is spoken with the intent todeceive. Some people lie so regularly that all you have to do is see their lipsmoving to know deception is taking place. In some cases, people believe theirown lies because they themselves have been deceived by the evil one.

Letme give you an example. If I tell you it is noon, and later discover that mywatch was wrong, I did not lie—I was mistaken. But if I tell you the wrong timebecause I want to deceive you, perhaps to make you late for a meeting so itbenefits me, then I have told a lie. The difference is intent. My friend, Satanis a liar. In John 8:44, Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You are of yourfather the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murdererfrom the beginning, and abode not in the truth… for he is a liar, and thefather of it.”

Whatis interesting is that Satan wants us to believe that God is the liar. The veryfirst lie in the Bible appears in Genesis chapter 3, when Satan said to Eve,“Yea, hath God said?” He implied that God did not really mean what He said andwas holding something back. Satan was saying, in effect, “God is the liar, notme.” That was a lie. And Satan continues to deceive people into believing thatGod cannot be trusted.

Wheneverwe speak the truth—to others or even to ourselves—the Holy Spirit is at work.But whenever we speak a lie, Satan goes to work, using that deception to leadpeople into sin and destruction. Sometimes people think they are helping othersby lying, but that is never true. The consequences may not show up immediately,but they will come. Deception always leads to trouble. That is why it is soimportant that we know—and live—the truth.

Yearsago, I read a helpful book titled “Telling Yourself the Truth” by WilliamBackus. He later wrote another companion book called “Telling Each Other theTruth”. Both emphasize the importance of truth grounded in the Word of God. Itall begins with telling ourselves the truth as God defines it.

Oh,my friend, when you know the truth—who is Jesus Christ—and when you live thattruth, it makes all the difference in the world. We will continue our study onlying tomorrow, because there are many powerful Scriptures that go along withthis subject. Until then, God bless you and may you have a wonderful day as youlive in the truth of God’s Word.

Godbless!

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things arelovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and ifthere be any praise, think on these things.

Todaywe are looking at Ephesians 4:20–24. In these verses, Paul is speaking aboutputting off the old man and putting on the new man. He encourages us not towalk as the Gentiles—or the lost world—walks around us, but to live a new life,a different life, a life that reflects the glory of God in our speech, ourattitudes, and in everything we say and do. These verses are so important thatI feel we need to pause here for another day, especially verse 23, where Paultells us how we can live this kind of life daily, moment by moment. That versesays we are to “be renewed in the spirit of our mind”. We talked aboutthis yesterday, but today I want to make it more practical.

AsI considered this verse, my thoughts went to Philippians 4. Paul says in verse4, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” Then he adds,“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” He goeson to say that we are not to worry, fret, or be anxious about anything.Instead, “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving letyour requests be made known unto God.” Paul then gives this promise: “Andthe peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts andminds through Christ Jesus.”

Thatpassage takes me back to Isaiah 26:3, which says, “Thou wilt keep him inperfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”Then verse 4 says, “Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in YAH, the LORD iseverlasting strength.”  When yourmind is stayed on the Lord, it means that you remember who Yahweh Jehovahis—the personal God who loves you, cares for you, and keeps His promises. Whenyou know that, you have His everlasting strength to face whatever comes yourway in life.

Nowlet’s return to Philippians 4:8 where Paul continues by saying, "think on these things.” He then adds in verse 9, “Thosethings, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me,do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”

Thatis exactly what we need in our lives today. Instead of worry, fretting, fear,and dwelling on things we should not be thinking about, we are to think on theright things so that we will live the right way. Let me say it this way: whenyou are thinking what you should be thinking, you cannot be thinking what youshould not be thinking. That is why Paul says, “Think on these things.”Thinking is a choice we make every day. Remember this simple principle: garbagein, garbage out. What are you spending time taking into your mind? What are youwatching on TV, social media, YouTube? What are you reading on Facebook, innovels? What are you listening to on the radio or from friends? Are youattending church faithfully? Are you spending time in the Word of God?

Weare about to finish one year and begin another, and I want to encourage you tocommit yourself by God’s grace to daily Bible reading. Make time to read theScriptures. Consider reading through the entire Bible at least once in 2026.Meditate on what you read. Think about it. Perhaps memorize one verse eachweek. By the end of the year, you will have fifty-two verses hidden in yourheart.

Listento godly music. Listen to biblical teaching as you travel, rather than allowingyour mind to wander toward everything that is wrong, discouraging, or painful,or toward people who have hurt you in the past. Paul tells us to think on thesethings—the truths of God’s Word and the person of Jesus Christ. When we yieldourselves in obedience to the Word of God, and we are filled and guided by theHoly Spirit, He helps us think rightly and live faithfully. And you will be “renewedin the spirit of your mind”. (Read Romans 8:1-16).

Todaywe are looking at Ephesians 4:21 through 24, where the Apostle Paul teaches usabout putting off the old man and putting on the new man. I will neverforget a little chorus I learned years and years ago. It goes something likethis:

“Well,the best thing in my life I ever did do,

 Was take off the old robe and put on the new.
The old robe was dirty, all tattered and torn;
The new robe was spotless and had never been worn.
Yes, the best thing in my life I ever did do
Was take off the old robe and put on the new.”

Thislittle chorus fits perfectly with the verses we are studying today.

First,we must recognize the importance of hearing and responding to the Truth. In verse21, Paul says, “If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, asthe truth is in Jesus.” In other words, if you have truly heard Jesus—ifyou have truly met Him, listened to Him, and embraced the truth that is inHim—and if you are determined by God’s grace to do His will, then you will knowthe truth and live it. Jesus Himself said that if anyone is willing to do God’swill, he will know whether the teaching is from God. Hearing the truth leads toobedience when the heart is surrendered.

Thenwe can begin to understand what it means to “put off the old man”. Paul says inverse 22: “That you put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man,which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.”

Thisis a call to deliberately lay aside the old way of living—the former conductthat is corrupted by deceitful desires. And then, in verse 24, he says: “Andthat you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness andtrue holiness.”

Oneof the best illustrations of this truth is found in the story of Lazarus inJohn chapter 11. You remember that Lazarus had been dead for four days, lyingin a tomb. When Jesus arrived, He called out, “Lazarus, come forth!” AndLazarus came out of the grave—still bound in his grave clothes. Then Jesus saidin John 11:44, “Loose him, and let him go.” In other words, take off theold grave clothes. You’ve been made alive—now live like it. Put on the graceclothes. Live like someone who has been changed by the grace of God. That isexactly what Paul is teaching here. The truth we have heard in Christ Jesusdemands a new way of living.

Now,there is something very important in verse 23: “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” So how do youtake off the old robe—the dirty, deceitful, corrupt way of living—and put onthe new way of life? How do you live truthfully, proclaim truthfully, and walktruthfully before a watching world? You do it by being renewed in the spiritof your mind. Conversion is a crisis experience that leads to a lifelongprocess. Through Jesus Christ, we have once and for all become new creatures inHim. But now, day by day, we need the Word of God to renew our minds as wecontinually surrender ourselves to Him.

Thisbrings us again to Romans 12:1–2, which we discussed yesterday. Because we havebeen saved by the mercies of God, Paul urges us to present our bodies as a livingsacrifice. You know, anybody can take a bullet and die for Jesus. But, myfriend, to live sacrificially every single day—by the grace of God, for thewill of God, and for the glory of God—that is where the real challenge lies. Weare swimming upstream against the corrupt, deceptive schemes of the devil. Andto live faithfully for Jesus in this world requires daily surrender andrenewal.

Jesusprayed in John 17:17: “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth.” Oneof the best passages that ties into this—and we will talk about it tomorrow—is Philippians4:8-9, where Paul instructs us to think on things that are true, honest, just,pure, lovely, and of good report.

You’veheard the saying, “You are what you eat.” That is true physically. Butspiritually, my friend, you are what you think. That is why being renewed inthe spirit of your mind is so vitally important.

Godbless!