Walking In Truth

Everyone wants to be unique and stand out in some way. But what about when it comes to being counter-cultural? You get a lot of push-back if you go against the general public opinion these days. Today, Pastor Johnny highlights some people in the Bible who stood up against the system they were a part of and didn’t give in to the customs or rituals that surrounded them. What are you doing in your culture? Are you blending in with society or are you taking a stand for something more important?

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.

An inheritance is something that you feel honored to receive, knowing that your relatives before you cared enough to leave you with something they worked hard to earn. Well in today’s passage, Pastor Johnny talks about what it means to have the Lord as your inheritance. It may not seem all that exciting as you hear about it. But what you need to realize is that having the Lord as your inheritance is more meaningful than any kind of material inheritance you could acquire here on earth!

The Roman Empire was a powerful force that spread and took over much of the known world at the time. The Romans ended up taking control of places that hadn’t been conquered before. Every place that was ruled by them was under their authority. Well today, Pastor Johnny asks you if there are parts of your heart and your life that still need to be conquered. Are you holding on to certain areas, in hopes that God won’t care enough about that section of your heart? He wants to be Lord of all of you!

So often, it’s exciting to see a house or a room transformed from what it once was to something even better. Well, try this on for size. What if you changed a cruise ship to a battleship? That would be a different twist on renovation, right? But today, Pastor Johnny is saying that this is a necessary change for the people of God and the church to transform from what was easy- breezy to being battle-ready for a fight. While the first idea may seem better and more leisurely, you’re caught by surprise by the attack.

When you think about concrete as it’s poured, it’s soft and moveable. But as time goes on, the concrete sets and becomes firm and then immoveable. The whole point of using concrete as a substance is so that it will be very difficult to move or manipulate once it dries. Well in today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny doesn’t want you to have a heart like concrete that becomes so hard that you’re unable to see God work and move in your life. Be willing to be soft toward the things of God!

When you think about the great empires that ruled in history, you might think of the Persian Empire or the Roman Empire. These great nations expanded their territory and took over areas that weren’t originally theirs. Well today, Pastor Johnny has a message for you…God wants to expand His territory in your heart. He wants to take over and rule and reign in a way that will only bring blessing and victory over areas you thought would be impossible to overcome. If you’re willing, He’s more than able to conquer those nagging habits and those negative influences!

It’s hard to let go of control. You have everything in place and things are happening just as you want them to, but there’s something empty about it. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but it’s almost as if the most important piece of the puzzle has somehow gone missing. Today, Pastor Johnny is saying that seeking God and His will in the thing you’re pursuing is the biggest and most important piece of the puzzle. Seek God’s will and then everything will fall into place as it should.

Classic signs of an enemy are that they’re not for you, that they’re looking to attack you, and that they somehow have a good knowledge about you. But have you ever thought about the fact that usually, an enemy is in some ways similar to you or tries to camouflage themselves, as if they’re one of you? Today, Pastor Johnny gives fair warning that your enemy is looking to take you out and sometimes, it’s from an angle you’re least expecting. Sometimes, it’s from within your own camp.

What comes to mind when you think about Easter Sunday? Do chocolate bunnies and Easter egg hunts arise in your memory? Those are nice things, but they’re not the important reason that Easter is even a holiday. In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny shines a light on the real reason why Easter should be celebrated. There’s an importance to the fact that this event happened and it compels you to believe it’s true. Why? Because the weight of your eternity is on the line and it matters!

Seeing is believing, right? But what about when you just hear about something happening but you weren’t there? You have to go on an eyewitness account. You may not have seen the car accident happen, but you can gather information, based on someone who was standing on the sidewalk and saw the event take place. Today, Pastor Johnny wants you to see the truth behind Jesus’ resurrection. This is the one thing that sets Christianity apart from any other religion…the resurrection!