Walking In Truth

One of the greatest signs of humility is when you realize you’ve done something wrong and you actually face the people you’ve hurt. You might think it would be so much easier if you stayed away, because of shame and guilt. But the truth is, the best way to restore any relationship is to admit wrong-doing. Today, Pastor Johnny looks into an example of someone who took action by changing his direction and going back to where he came from, knowing it was better than where he was going.

When you were in your late teens and finishing up high school, it’s likely you craved the freedom of getting out from under your parents’ thumb. You looked at the world and what it could offer you and everything pointing to independence was appealing and drew you in. As Pastor Johnny talks about today, not everything in the world is as it seems and there are plenty of things looking to take your money, your integrity, and your dignity away. But with God, there’s always a way back home after you mess up.

Say you have an item that’s near and dear to your heart. But that item turns up missing. It’s irreplaceable and so going out and buying another one just won’t do. So you look and look and look until you find it. This is Jesus’ heart for you. Today, Pastor Johnny goes into a few examples of things that were lost and were looked for relentlessly until they were found. Every one of us was lost at one point and the heart of God is to look for you and to find you and bring you into His family forever!

If you were rescuing someone who’d been kidnapped, you’d go into dangerous territory in order to find and retrieve the one who’d been taken. Your intent would to never be anything like the kidnapper. Your whole motive would be to go in, rescue the child, and get out. Pastor Johnny teaches today on how to effectively reach out to people. Are you looking to draw them closer to Jesus or are you trying to relate so closely to that person that there’s no difference in your lifestyle?

Imagine having a famous king come join you for dinner. You might feel unworthy or all of a sudden very self-conscious about how “picked-up” your house was. How remarkably refreshing it would be to realize that this king doesn’t care about appearances. He just cares about being with you and eating a meal with you. In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny talks about how Jesus was this way with people who were considered outcasts. He just wanted to be with them and care for them.

How weird would it be if you were invited to a celebration and then there wasn’t a place for you to sit at the table? You would feel unwelcome and awkward and would be looking to exit out the back door before anyone noticed. Today, Pastor Johnny pleads with you to know there’s always room for you if you’ll accept Jesus’ invitation to a place in heaven! God’s given ample time and opportunity, but at some point, the party God is inviting you to will begin and He wants you there more than anything.

When you don’t feel like doing something, it’s easy to come up with excuses so you don’t have to do it. But when it’s something you really want to do, you jump at the opportunity…you even might fight for it! But being forced into something is a different kind of animal that can make you resentful of the whole thing. Today, Pastor Johnny explains how patient and loving God is. He won’t force you into choosing Him, but He desperately wants you to come to Him willingly and choose Him for life!

Say you get a basic subscription to something. It’s nothing fancy, but you’re ok with what it offers and are working at being content with its limitations. But then, the company offers you an upgrade, which opens up a variety of offers. You feel like you’ve hit the jackpot! Now think about if you’d started at the upgrade level. Would you appreciate it as much? Today, Pastor Johnny wants you to know that it’s better to start from humble means so God can promote you and others can see your journey.

Whenever you hear of some miraculous healing of someone who couldn’t walk or of someone recovering from a sever stroke, it causes you to be amazed in wonder. When it comes to a healing of your heart, it’s no different. You and others around you can be in awe of God’s healing and work in your heart. Today, Pastor Johnny gets into the fact that God can refresh and heal your mind and heart. God is able to unwind the twists and turns your heart has taken and can guide you in a straight path.

Do you recognize when there’s a negative influence in the room? Sometimes it’s pretty obvious, but other times, someone can sneak through the cracks and be a mole, pretending to be something he isn’t. In today’s passage, Pastor Johnny touches on the different types of people Jesus interacted with and how some of them were easily a poor example of focusing on the things that didn’t matter rather than living out what does matter. Is your influence to those around you one that reflects Jesus?

When you see a person who is physically suffering, your heart goes out to them because it’s so obvious that they’re hurting and may or may not be healed of that ailment. Suffering that’s happening within can sometimes be harder to see because it’s not always visible from the outside. Today, Pastor Johnny talks about being spiritually crippled and what to do if your heart is resisting any possibility of being restored. Believe it or not, your heart can be made brand new and you can look ahead with hope!

When you think of a tree being planted, you know that it needs water, sun, and some time to grow. As the tree grows, it might need some pruning here and there, for the tree to keep being healthy and to grow to its potential. At times, it may be low on water or might require added nutrients. After long enough time has passed and the tree is proving to be unhealthy and lacking fruit, the tree may need to be cut down, due to disease. In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny relates your life to the tree.

Certain terms can have a bad connotation or even might be considered “taboo.” The topic discussed today is far from a “bad word,” but many people have the wrong idea about what it really means. This word is repentance and Pastor Johnny doesn’t shy away from its actual meaning. If there’s genuine repentance in your life, then there should be a marked change in behavior. When this happens, your life is able to produce fruit, just like a healthy tree produces fruit because it’s free from disease.

When you play the comparison game, it’s easy to think you’re less deserving of punishment than another. You point the finger or weigh your offense, deeming it less wicked than someone else’s deed. What if someone were to tell you that your sin was equal to that person’s and that the only thing separating these evils is God’s grace? It’s only God’s goodness that He’s rescued you out of a life that pursues sin. Pastor Johnny challenges you today to live a life that honors God and reaps the benefits.

Most places have a change in season and based on the weather, you tend to dress in a way that reflects your preparedness. What if you were to think of this time and place in history as a season? Are you ready and dressed appropriately for this season or will you be taken off-guard? Today, Pastor Johnny wants you to know the gravity of the state of things currently, but also what is promised to happen in the future. If you don’t think it’s a big deal, that’s a problem because where you’ll end up is on the line!

Initially, a character who is a villain might seem like the good guy, the likeable, peaceful guy. You later realize that he is a great deceiver and that you were duped by his trickery. Interestingly, the ideas of good and bad are innately woven into life-as-you-know-it because there is true good and evil that you can see and also that you can’t see. In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny goes into the lies and deception that will come about when the antichrist arises and how he is received by the world.

If you don’t believe that you’re sick, you’re not typically going to take medicine. But what if your sickness was internal and the remedy required a heart change? Today, Pastor Johnny shares the perspective that Jesus had when He came to this earth to die. Jesus dove deep into taking on your sin so that you would forever be changed and be made new. No one else could have done this unimaginable act but God and it’s only because He is God that the result could make a lasting difference in your heart.

What’s your motivation for doing something? Is it to get ahead? Maybe it’s a promotion or a compliment for your effort. What is it that pushes you to go that extra mile in the things you invest in? In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny causes you to think about what you’re doing with your life, and what you’re doing with the time you have. Is it all for you or is it for someone else? When you seek after God, He calls you to something greater than yourself and He’s entrusting you with much while you’re here.

It’s so easy to put something off because you have all day to finish that chore or complete that task. Unfortunately, all your extra time gets eaten up by other things and before you know it, that one task is left incomplete. Pastor Johnny urges you today to not put off your eternal end-point. It matters and God wants you to be part of His family. If you’re in a place where you’re not ready to accept what Jesus offers, know there are real consequences at-play for those who delay. Don’t wait until later!

If your house caught on fire and you needed to leave your house immediately, would you feel prepared? It’s worth putting some thought into what your plan would be, should something like that arise. In the same way, Pastor Johnny gives a reminder today of how important it is to be prepared for Jesus’ return. Although the time-frame is unknown, it’s far better to be prepared now than be caught off-guard, not knowing where your future lies. Keep training your mind to be looking for Jesus to return.