Walking in Truth

You know those game shows where you have to pick what’s behind door number 1, 2, or 3? It’s a gamble as to what might be behind that door. It could be a really good thing or it could be a deadly, dangerous creature that might try to harm you. In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny’s talking about making a choice, and depending on which direction you go, it will affect how you live. The one door might seem easier or more attractive. The other door is one that might honor God a lot more!

When you’re pouring concrete, it’s kind of thick and gooey, but as it spreads and hardens, it becomes immovable. In today’s passage, Pastor Johnny is sending out a warning flag to parents and family members alike. The foundation that you set for your family can become like concrete….it can set and become so firm that it stubbornly won’t change. So what’s the foundation of your home? Is it anchored in what God says in the Bible or is it set on the things that bring fun and pleasure, but no substance?

You’re in the desert, thirsty and without something to drink, but then water is provided. You’re about to kill your son, but at the last moment, a ram is right there to take the place. You’re hungry and discontent about being in the wilderness, but then bread comes down like rain, allowing you to eat and have enough. These are all examples from the Bible where God provided, even when people questioned His goodness. Today, Pastor Johnny wants you to remember and make note of God’s faithfulness.

Maybe you’re training for a long, hard run, and it takes months of preparation for your body to get in the right shape to handle that type of strain and endurance. But there’s a pit-stop along the way where you can take a nice long break, and you’re tempted to give in and not finish the race because this time of rest is too hard to resist. But without finishing, you’ll never know the reward that’s at the end of that race and you always might be left wondering. Today, Pastor Johnny gives tips to take with you on the run.

A man likes to protect and defend the woman that he loves. But if someone tries to mess with her, that man’s going to get up in the person’s face and not allow anyone to harm her, even if it costs him his life. So why would God be any different? God views the church as His bride and so it angers Him when people try to divide the church. Today, Pastor Johnny gets into ways that build up and things that tear down. It has everything to do with whether you’re following God’s will and ways versus your own.

You know what it’s like to be given a chore that would be the last thing you’d ever choose..like cleaning the toilets. You do it because you have to, but it’s not because you want to. Today, Pastor Johnny talks about the difference between obedience and compliance. When you think about your interactions with God, are you doing things because it’s an obligation and you feel like you have to do it, or is it because you really want to? There’s a difference in the state of your heart as you approach these things.

It can be so easy to convince yourself of something that you want to make happen. You start to believe that everything’s lining up just as you hoped, but did you ever stop to pause and wonder if what you’re pursuing is actually what God wants? Today, Pastor Johnny gives an exhortation to wait for God’s leading in whatever it is that you’re looking at doing. Have you prayed about it? Have you sought God’s direction? Wait on God and you’ll be amazed at the things He has in store.

The story of someone overcoming huge challenges and being able to help others heal or cope is so inspiring! Today, Pastor Johnny refers to a couple of people who have faced extremely challenging circumstances and wrestled with their faith, but God has used them to speak into others’ lives. How would you engage with a tough circumstance that wasn’t what you would have hoped for? Is it possible to come to terms with the “lot” that God has given you and even be at peace about it in your heart?

There’s this smell you can’t seem to get out of your clothes and your hair. You realize that it’s from the restaurant you ate at and the odor of the seasonings lingers on your skin and your body. The only thing that will remove that nagging smell is to take a shower and get rid of the scent that makes you crinkle your nose. Well in today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny makes a strong point that some of the things in your life need to be fully removed so that they don’t hang on and influence later decisions.

If you’ve ever been to a hockey game, you know there are high emotions and lots of physical roughing up that happens. Thankfully, there are those tall walls of plastic that keep the players from coming into the stands. The players have a limit to where they’re able to go. Boundaries and limits can actually be a good thing so that you can thrive where you are. Today, Pastor Johnny mentions the benefits of having borders that you can work within and grow in a way that’s best for you and those around you.