We’re still talking about the topic of discipleship and growing in our walk with God. Spiritual growth isn’t automatic, it’s a process. Many of us who are believers find ourselves in this position: We’ve accepted God’s forgiveness. We believe that Jesus paid our penalty by dying on the cross, and we believe that he rose…
Read MoreThe Key is Surrender
Last week we said that in the New Testament all followers of Jesus began to be called, not “Christians,” but “disciples.” The word “disciple” means a learner, a student, someone who is committed to the teachings of a particular master or rabbi. I would actually rather be known as a disciple than a Christian. I…
Read MoreAre You a Disciple?
Here’s something that I find very interesting: in the New Testament, long before followers of Christ were called “Christians,” they were called by a very different name – they were called “disciples.” The term “disciple” in the world of Jesus’ day meant someone who was a learner, a student, someone who was committed to the…
Read MoreMaking a Difference
Last week I discussed the presence of evil in the world, and we saw that evil exists basically because when sin entered the world it brought with it a curse on all of creation. We said that the solution to our problem of evil is simply Jesus. People who don’t know Jesus need his forgiveness,…
Read MoreThe Answer to Evil
Earlier this month our nation was shocked by mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. Events like these are sadly becoming commonplace in our nation. I grieve with those who are suffering over the loss of loved ones, and I pray for God’s grace and healing in their lives. As is only natural…
Read MoreDo You Read the Bible Regularly?
One of the most striking findings in the 2019 Discipleship Pathway Assessment, a study conducted by LifeWay Research in January 2019, is that a sizable percentage of people who regularly attend Protestant churches do not regularly read the Bible. The results of the study, which were released on July 2, show that only 32% of…
Read MorePay it Forward
I once heard a story about a little boy who came to his father and asked, “Dad, where did I come from?” The dad, of course, not nearly ready for this conversation, stumbled over his words, stuttered around a little bit, and finally came up with the story that his little boy was left by…
Read MoreLiving an Adventure, Part 2
As Christians, we should be concerned about our safety, but too many of us make safety such a priority that we’re never brave enough to step out in faith and follow God. God does not want us to live our lives in fear, he wants us to live in faith. So is there anything we…
Read MoreMy Favorite NASA Engineer!
On this, the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon, I’d like to take just a moment to congratulate my favorite NASA engineer – my dad! Richard B. Sims, just two years out of Auburn University, joined NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, in 1961. Dad, that Saturn S-IVB (third) stage…
Read MoreLiving an Adventure, Part 1
I’m not sure how people my age ever survived childhood. I mean, we rode bikes without helmets, played lawn darts, bathed with Phisohex, and I even sat in my dad’s lap and “drove” the car while he worked the pedals. How could we survive all that? If you watch the news you know there’s always…
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