Are you Consistent?

There are two kinds of Christians - sprinters and long-distance runners.

Sprinters take off with a bang, run as hard as they can and before you know it, they run out of gas and take a break, sometimes for a long time.

Long-distance runners (marathoners) take off slow, get into stride at a steady pace, and keep going...and going...and going. At some point in the middle of the race, they catch the famous "runner's high."

Daniel was a long-distance runner. He demonstrated consistency in His walk with God. From the time he was a young Jewish exile in the court of the Babylonian Empire to the time he was an 86-year old consultant in the court of the Media-Persia Empire, Daniel lived consistently for God. One could say that he was predictably godly.

What about you? Are you consistent with your faith?

Are you consistent in your prayer life?
Are you consistent in your Bible Study?
Are you consistent in your worship?
Are you consistent in your witness?

Consistency comes with discipline and practice. Doing these disciplines of the faith even when you don't feel like doing them is the key. It's like going to the gym to work out. You and I can always make enough excuses not to go. The ones who don't go don't grow but the ones who do grow and develop into a stronger, healthier servant for God!

Be Consistent! Join us Sunday for a great lesson on Consistency!

Dish Out

Do you Show Concern for Others?

You know the phrase..."People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Cheesy in some ways but profound in others.

Think for a moment. How often a day or week do you intentionally and proactively show concern for others?

In our study this Sunday in Daniel 4, we are going to learn a very valuable lesson...Daniel showed concern for a man who attacked his people and his hometown, who carried off his people as prisoners, and who robbed them of their right to worship their God. That man was King Nebuchadnezzar. Not only are we to show concern for those we love, but we are to show concern for our enemies as well. Sobering, I know.

This week, be proactive and look for opportunities to show concern for another whom you normally would not even give a second thought to talking to. It just may be the one thing you do that has eternal impact.

Randy

Courage

Do you have courage? Does your life embrace risk? What measure of faith would you say that you have?

Let's suppose someone came up to you and said, "If you don't renounce Jesus Christ as your Lord, I will torture your entire family." What would you do? Really.

Can you imagine being faced with such a choice? Daniel's three friends were faced with a decision much like that. They were to either bow down and worship a man-made image (a clear violation of the Second Commandment), or be thrown into a blazing furnace.

Their reply? "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:17-18)

I am convinced that most American Christians have not been put through the fire to make their faith real. God is not going to use mealy-mouthed christians who live in a bubble and don't take any risks for Him. God is only intent on using those who are FOR HIM! Christ said, "Whoever is not for me is against me." How true that is.

The world needs to see courage from those who claim the power of God in their lives. Don't be the cowardly Lion, who only sang about courage. Stand up and count yourself worthy of the calling of Almighty God to do great things for Him!

Randy