Walking in Truth

So many times, people are more than willing to share all the things they don’t like about a situation or a version of something, due to their personal preference. But instead of jumping in and affecting change, they stand on the sidelines, nit-picking everything they think is wrong. Pastor Johnny mentions today that this happens all-too-often in the church because some are unwilling to step up into leadership and be part of the change, with a servant’s heart. Are you part of the peanut gallery?

Being disciplined isn’t always a bad thing. Being disciplined in what you eat means that you’re taking note of what you’re consuming and determining whether it’s healthy for your body. You can be disciplined in your workout regimen by being consistent so that you will end up being stronger than you were before. In today’s message, Pastor Johnny talks about being a disciple of Jesus and what that looks like on a daily basis. Once you learn how to do this, you’re better able to help others too!

The rings of a tree show its age. When a tree is young, it’s just a shoot and its trunk is weak and thin. But as the tree grows, it gets stronger, its roots get deeper, and the tree grows into a huge tree that can tower above buildings and the roads below. Today, Pastor Johnny says that when you decide to become a follower of Christ, there should be evidence of growth in your faith and your relationship with God. As you grow, you become stronger and you have roots that are planted deep in the Word of God.

You have the news blaring with the latest update of political upheaval. Then you hear the noise pollution from the busy highway near your house. On top of that, someone is blasting music so loud that all you can hear is the bass. There’s no room for quietness. Is silence something you long for or avoid at all-costs? It’s in the space where there’s a lack of noise that you hear from God, but sometimes the absence of distraction makes people uncomfortable. Today, Pastor Johnny encourages quiet time.

For those of you familiar with the Tasmanian Devil cartoon, you know that he’s plenty bulky and broad-shouldered on top, but that his legs are thin and spindly. His body is out of proportion. People might underestimate the value or importance of having strong legs, but it’s your legs that provide support and strength for the rest of your body. Today, Pastor Johnny talks about prayer being one of the legs of the church and that it’s a central component of what helps the church body be in great shape!

Oh how easy it is to make an excuse so that you don’t have to do something. Are you too busy to be available? Are you too unreliable to be faithful? Are you too proud to do something that’s unseen? Are you too injured to step up? These are things that Pastor Johnny wants you to consider today, as he teaches on being part of a bigger body of people who work together to make things happen. Don’t be that unused muscle that ends up being useless because of lack of exercise. Be a crucial part!!

When you have multiple pieces of a puzzle, it’s obvious that no two pieces are the same, but they’re all needed to complete the picture. There’s nothing more frustrating than getting to the end of a puzzle and realizing that there’s a piece missing. The project feels incomplete without that one important part. Today, Pastor Johnny wants you to keep in mind that you might be that one missing piece. You have an important role to play and without your unique gifting, others around you might miss out.

Cancer’s one of the greatest foes today. It claims so many lives and yet its cause seems to remain a mystery. When cancer isn’t addressed, it ends up spreading to all parts of the body and kills what’s healthy in the body. Well today, Pastor Johnny gives you a better idea of what it looks like in a church body to have people working together in a healthy way. When that isn’t the case, then the church becomes diseased and riddled with a spiritual type of cancer that eats away at the body and causes it to die.

When you watch a football team play, it’s obvious that what makes it work and what puts them in a position to win is each person playing their part to the best of their ability. Not everyone can be the quarterback. There’s also that clutch field goal point that you need that only the kicker’s qualified to make. In a very similar way today, Pastor Johnny wants you to see how important each person in the church is, working together to function well and be successful in proclaiming the glory of God.

Deception is such an interesting thing because it usually looks so similar to the truth. That’s why lying can be so appealing because it might be close to the truth, but just sounds a little better or more believable. You have to be careful to be on guard not to be deceived by things that look good from the outside, but are bitter and rotten on the inside, like a tainted apple. Today, Pastor Johnny gives you some tips on how to determine the difference. The first test is to look for truth against the lies.