Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:15-16 NLT) The disciples were asked a pretty pointed question - Who do you say I am - but today, I'd like to ask something that might help each of us pinpoint that answer. What do our actions say about who Jesus is to us? If our actions are a little too self-centered, focusing on what we get out of the action, we might not really be putting Jesus first in our lives. If our attitude is one that focuses more on what another thinks of us rather than what Jesus thinks of our actions, we might be a little too concerned about pleasing people. You see - our actions might reveal a bit more about who Jesus really is to us than our words do, can't they? The question of who we say Jesus is isn't always best answered by our words - it is best answered by our actions. It is answered in those actions that stem from a heart firmly committed to keeping Jesus f...
I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations. (Psalm 119:30 NLT) Obedience has been and always will be an active choice we make every day of our lives. We don't choose obedience once and that takes care of all the concerns we could ever have - it starts with the first step, but we never reach our desired destination with just one step in the right direction! The continual renewal of our act of obedience is necessary if we are ever to leave behind our past dealings with sin and the temptation to return to a former way of acting. If we want to grow in Christ, it requires us to live 'determined' lives. Not just 'determined' in the sense of being committed and focused, but 'determined' in the sense of having a clear destination in mind and not veering from that course. Too many times, we see God's path for us as a suggestion - choosing to figure out our own path to 'righteousness' somewhere along the way. That is nothi...