Walking in Truth

Talking on the phone has become a bit of a lost art, as texting becomes more popular. But there’s still something about speaking with a friend over the phone that helps you know them so much better than just texting. You hear their voice inflection, or if you’re FaceTiming, you can actually see their expressions, as they’re talking. You get to know them better, the more time you spend interacting. Well, it’s no different with God! Today, Pastor Johnny wants you to spend time talking to God.

There’s a well-known term when you’re irritable and hungry…it’s hangry! Most people try to avoid being around someone for too long who’s in this state, or they try to find the nearest place with food! Today, Pastor Johnny teaches on being hungry for something more than physical food. He wants you to be hungry for God and His Word. What’s your appetite like when it comes to the things of God? Are you taking in junk food or are you wanting a food of substance, satisfying you and keeping you fed?

When you take a piece of pottery and drop it on the ground, it shatters into tiny pieces that could never be put back together. Today, Pastor Johnny talks about how - many times, people’s lives feel like those shattered pieces of pottery, unable to be glued back together and to feel whole. But the good news is, Jesus is the One who can gather all the pieces of your life and somehow make it whole again. He can bring your life of broken experiences and make it into a complete piece of art to be displayed!

When you take a test in school, it’s because your teacher wants you to be able to prove that you’ve learned what they’ve taught you. It’s evidence of your ability to retain the lessons that you’ve understood. Well in today’s passage, Pastor Johnny discusses how Jesus did this with His disciples. He would teach them something and then test them in situations, to see if they’d learned anything He’d taught. Today’s message is a perfect example of the ways that Jesus can help you never forget!

Sometimes a mixture of fruit juices can combine to make a really tasty and refreshing drink on a hot day. Each juice by itself is fine, but it’s the combination of all of them that makes the flavor most memorable. In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny talks about there being a need for the laws from the Old Testament, but mixing that with a very real faith is what makes your spiritual life genuine. Be the perfect mixture of knowing God’s standards, but then also living out your faith in a way that’s…refreshing!

When something’s so hot, it can be dangerous. Some examples might be a fire, a curling iron, an oven…if you touch one of these, your body reacts in a way that forces you to move away from the heat source quickly. But what if there was a type of fire that drew people in? What if the fire was so hot that it sparked action in people that would help spread that fire, but it wouldn’t be destructive? Today, Pastor Johnny talks about a fire in your heart, and what your mindset should be when it comes to the things of God.

When someone presents a college thesis, they have to prove that what they’re talking about actually has validity. You might explain your evidence or your clinical work that’s been demonstrated in order to further support your case. Well in today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny says that in a sense, Jesus was on trial, defending or proving that He really was who He said He was. He gave people, and even God the Father, credit for being examples of those who testify to who Jesus was and is.

You can hear someone tell you how much they love chocolate, but if they never eat chocolate, then it’s hard to believe their affection for that sweet treat is real. However, if you watch someone eat chocolate every day because they love it so much, there’s no question in your mind that person can’t live without it! Well in a similar light, today, Pastor Johnny says that knowing or hearing about Jesus is one thing, but it’s obvious to everyone around you if you really believe in Jesus as your Savior.

Songs make mention of it, plenty of movies enter into a dark spiritual realm. They make it out to be a joke, a make-believe place that’s a figment of your imagination. But today, Pastor Johnny urges you to not make light of the truth that there’s a real hell with a real devil, who’s out to get you! It’s not just fodder for a good storyline in a book. You have an active enemy who wants to take you down with him and there’s no joking around when it comes to your eternal soul. Where do you stand today?

What if you had a job where you worked overtime, but didn’t get any benefit or reward from it? You spent all this time and effort working hard, but you earned no extra money. That would feel rather defeating, wouldn’t it? Well today, Pastor Johnny mentions that no amount of effort will get you into heaven. It’s simply a generous gift God offers if you’ll only believe. So instead of getting stuck in religious rituals and rules, rest in knowing that believing is enough…not hours of work or effort put forth.