Walking In Truth

Doing something illegal only gets you so far. Usually, one infraction leads to another and then you’ve blurted out a whole bunch of lies to cover up the other indiscretions. What’s interesting is that the deeper pit you dig, the more you try to justify that you haven’t done anything wrong. This was the case with Jesus’ adversaries as well. They went to great lengths to incriminate Jesus, when He had done nothing wrong. Today, Pastor Johnny gets into how any one of us can do the same.

A fire starts with a tiny spark or ember. It’s so small and seems insignificant, but it gradually grows into a large fire that can get out of control before it can be stopped. Then it ends up burning everything in its path, leaving a scar that can’t be erased. Well today, Pastor Johnny talks about patterns in your life that take you away from God. It’s a slow, gradual process, but before you know it, there’s a wildfire of reasons why you don’t care to be around God or His people. But what’s the lasting damage?

If you’re familiar with the game Tetris, you know that you have to find the right puzzle piece to match the shape, in order to keep the wall of bricks from building up. But if you’re not keeping track of how quickly the shapes are falling, you’ll find yourself in a bind as the bricks stack up to a point of losing. Today, Pastor Johnny wants you to know that there are steps that you can actively take that end up putting a wall between you and God. If you continue in this path, it’ll separate you from what matters.

The ocean has a strong current. You may not even realize it at first, but before you know it, you start looking for your towels on the beach and you realize they’re off in the distance. It’s not the towels that have moved, but you’ve moved along with the water’s natural and forceful current. In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny relates that to the influence of the world that’s pulling you away from God, ever so slightly. All of a sudden, you come to a realization that you’re far away from God. Is that what you want?

With a fire, there’s lots of smoke and flames and unless you’re a firefighter, you’d rather just avoid the life-threatening scene altogether. How often do you wish you could escape your situation? You wish that it was a bad dream and that you’d wake up to a better reality. Today, Pastor Johnny touches on how sometimes, God walks you through hard things. It might be so you can appreciate something better on the other side, or because what you learn will help you relate to someone else.

Where do you find your fulfillment and that ultimate sense of peace? Is it in the carols that you’re hearing in every store you enter? Is it in that person that makes you really happy? Maybe it’s a thing, a hobby, an addiction that brings you that sense of satisfaction. Well today, Pastor Johnny wants you to discover that there’s only One who can bring you true peace and it’s not a thing or a person that you’re interested in to date. Without Jesus in your life, all these initial things that bring enjoyment end up hollow.

How often do you see someone of royalty come face-to-face with the common-folk? It’s rare and nearly unheard of for that person to “lower” themselves to that level when they’re supposed to be esteemed as higher and greater. In today’s passage, Pastor Johnny talks about how Jesus did this very thing. He was royalty, and as the greatest King, He could’ve entered the world with much attention and acclaim. But instead, He came in a humble state and His coming was declared to those considered lower-class.

You might think we’re in the darkest days of history with so many people divided and so much moral decline. But as Pastor Johnny relates today, Jesus was born into a time period that was also very dark and void of any spiritual life. Just like the stars aren’t seen until the sky is cloaked in darkness, Jesus came and shone brightly on an earth that was shadowed by much sin and idolatry. So if you’re feeling discouraged about the state of things today, be reminded that you can shine in the darkness!

A firework is beautiful and inspiring when you see it in the sky. But if it gets into the wrong hands, it could be dangerously explosive and cause much damage. This is how it is for you when your strengths or gifts aren’t utilized in a way that God can direct them. Your strong speaking skills could lead to pride. Maybe you’re a gifted leader, but you end up abusing that power. In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny reminds you that without God’s guiding, your strengths are like a firework that’s launched carelessly.

One of the first rules of driving a car is knowing that if you don’t have any gas in the tank, you’re not going anywhere. The gas is what fuels the engine to get started. Without this, your car is fairly useless in getting to any kind of destination. Today, Pastor Johnny wants you to know that you might be no different than an empty, beat-up truck. If you’re not being filled with the things that are life-giving, how are you supposed to get up and get going anywhere in life? Let God’s Word fill you up to overflowing!

It’s been said before that if serving is beneath you, then leadership is beyond you. One of the best ways you can become a leader is by serving the very people you want to lead. Jesus served in this way….even to the point of washing a man’s feet who would turn Him in that very night. Today, Pastor Johnny expresses the value of having a servant’s heart. Be willing to put your own agenda to the side in order to serve your neighbor or your coworker in a way that will speak volumes to them!

What happens in one hour of your life can dictate the direction of the rest of your life. The hour you graduate from college can be a huge moment of triumph. The hour of enduring a grueling childbirth can then lead to such joy. The hour of being told by your boss that you’re fired can leave you feeling helpless. There are moments in your life that you can’t anticipate, but you know they’ll change your life forever. Today, Pastor Johnny talks about an hour that Jesus lived, which changed everyone’s life.

There’s nothing like having a close friend betray your trust. It’s someone you’ve shared your heart with and have confided in. And then you come to find out they’ve gone behind your back and said untrue things about you. When this happens, you’re left vulnerable in a way that causes you to become guarded about sharing anything. But what if you knew what that person would do and you still showed them kindness, right up to the moment of treason? Pastor Johnny shares Jesus’ experience today…

When your birthday’s coming, there might be some hints that clue you in to a planned party. Maybe you spot some wrapping paper, a wish list, some candles, or some cake ingredients. You have a feeling you’ll be celebrated in some way. This is how it is with the end times too. You look for the signs that point you toward a bigger event that’s happening. But Pastor Johnny mentions today that instead of fixating on all the negative events, give a laser focus to the One who will make it all right.

Taking the hard road or the road less traveled can have its negative side effects. But sometimes it’s worth the extra work to get to the greater reward. People go through all kinds of physical pain or discomfort to get to the top of Mt. Everest, but it’s unlikely that they regret doing it. In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny reminds you that going through hard things is SO worth it in the end. There are countless examples of people in the Bible who suffered for Christ and were happy to endure it for Him!

Most people would say they wouldn’t want to know how a book ends before reading all the way through it. But what if you had the mindset of wanting to know the ultimate ending so that it made the living worthwhile? This is how you can engage with things that are predicted to happen in the future. You may not know every single detail in-between now and then. But today, Pastor Johnny wants you to be aware of things that are to come and not be afraid in the meantime. Put your fear aside and live!

How do you respond to someone when you don’t have all the answers? Do you pretend or make up a story to cover up for the fact that you don’t know? Or do you make a calculated guess? How about just being honest and saying you don’t know? If you struggle to not have all the answers, take comfort in knowing that God has the answers that you don’t. Pastor Johnny mentions today that when you’re uncertain about how to answer, look to God for help, for answers, and for that opportunity to share!

If a hurricane was heading your way, would you feel more secure if your house was up on a strong rock or if you had a nice bungalow down on the sandy beach? As ideal as a beach house might be during good weather, that’s the last place you want to be when the stormy wind and water slaps your home into a ramshackle pile. Don’t let this be the case for your life either. Pastor Johnny encourages you today to build your life on what’s solid. Jesus Christ is the lasting rock that’ll help you survive!

There’s nothing like having the perfect answer to something that you’re knowledgeable in. It’s great to have people seek you out or look to you as someone who really knows what you’re doing. But what if those people were only asking you questions to trick you into saying something you’d later regret? In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny explores a passage that deals with skeptics looking to see Jesus stumble by His own words. Hear how Jesus handled the situation and how you can do the same!

Sometimes, it takes knowing how messy and cluttered something used to be to appreciate what’s been repaired, once it’s updated. You see the contrast between the ugliness and the pristine cleanness and it’s hard not to be amazed at the difference. Today, Pastor Johnny says that this is what it’s like in your own heart when you willingly let God take the dirt and the grime and replace it with a clean slate. You become freed from the impurities and things that want to soil your heart. What an upgrade!