Our title for today’s blog is taken from Colossians 1:27: “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” The Apostle Paul, speaking of his calling and ministry to the church, to the saints of God, is making known to them the mystery of God that was hidden for generations. Paul tells the recipients of his letter that God chose to make known to them how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of God, which is Christ in us. When was the last time you pondered the incredible truth that Christ dwells in us by the Holy Spirit? The truth of this mystery is so profound that we struggle to grasp the immensity of its meaning.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples that he will soon be returning to the Father in heaven. This news troubled them greatly. Christ then encourages them with the following promise in John 14:15-17: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” Christ told them that when he returned to the Father, he would send them the third person of the triune Godhead, the Holy Spirit. Notice these disciples had witnessed the work of the Holy Spirit, for He had dwelt among them, but the promise of Christ was that the Holy Spirit would be in them in the near future. What an amazing promise, that God by His Spirit would not just be with them, but would take up residence in each of the disciples. This miraculous event took place fifty days after Passover, following his death, burial, resurrection, and ascension during the Feast of Weeks on Pentecost. Scripture records it in Acts 2:1-4: “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Since that moment, all who are born again of the Spirit by faith in Christ are filled with the Holy Spirit. Read what Paul writes in Ephesians 1:13-14: “In him (Christ) you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him(Christ), were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Finally, read the words of Paul to the believers in Rome. Romans 8:9-11: “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
What an amazing truth for us to ponder on and study to learn more about, as God has revealed to us through His Word!
We will close this blog with Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians. Ephesians 3:14-21:” For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

In Christ,
Pastor John

Are we living in the last days? No doubt there is a lot of conversation today among Christian circles and social media platforms about this very topic. Some argue and scoff at the very notion, while others believe we are, no doubt, living in the time of the end. What does scripture say? According to the Apostle Peter in Acts 2, the last days were inaugurated at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples at Pentecost. The Apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 10:11,” Now these things happened to them (The generation of Moses Day) as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” The Apostle John penned the following words in 1 John 2:18, “Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour.”
From this small sampling, we understand that we are living in the latter part of the last days. What an incredible time for those of us who are in Christ! These days offer followers of Christ many opportunities to share the great news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those who do not know him. This is the ministry for all followers of Christ, the ministry of reconciliation. Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:14-21, “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Wow, we are ambassadors for Christ. An ambassador is sent from one sovereign to another as a representative of the king. He speaks on behalf of his king. We represent our king. We are citizens of heaven, servants of the Kingdom of God in this world’s kingdom, under the power of darkness, with the message of how those living enslaved to the domain of darkness can be set free, delivered, and reconciled unto the kingdom of God by faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Are we living in the last days? Yes, but Christ has written to us about what these days will be like so that we are informed and know how we ought to live. Should we pay attention to the events taking place in our world? Yes, but we must be balanced and busy doing the work God has given us to do. Pick up the Word of God. Take in the Word of God. Live out the Word of God. Pick it up, take it in, and live it out. These are such exciting days. Don’t live in fear, walk by faith, and live your life to the Glory of our Great God and Savior,
Jesus Christ.

The best is yet to come!

In Christ,
Pastor John

As evangelical Christians, we love the doctrine of justification by faith. Paul writing to the believers in Ephesus penned these words in Chapter 2:4-10 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Paul tells them for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God. They did not merit the gift of salvation by works, but by faith in Christ. For this reason, no one will boast in their salvation, because we are God’s workmanship.
Salvation is a work of God, and is received by faith. We are not saved by good works, but we are certainly saved unto good works. Someone who has been born again, regenerated by the spirit, and has become a new creation will, in love, by obedience, walk in good works. Paul taught this same truth in his letter to the Galatians in Chapter 3:11-14: “ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.”
The word justification is the Greek word dikaioo, meaning to be acquitted, cleared of all charges related to one’s sin. We are by faith in Christ, who finished the work of atonement by His death on the cross, appeased the wrath of God by becoming sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. All this was an act of love, grace, and mercy. The word justified means just as if I never sinned. Peter writes about this great truth and hope of every believer in Christ in 1 Peter 1:3-5: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” May this encourage you as you go through your week.

In Christ,
Pastor John

Rest is not something we get much of these days. For most of us our lives are dictated by quotas, timelines, meetings, and activities all vying for a slot from the 24 hours we have each day. Many people have to schedule rest into their week if they are going to find time for it. Are you resting in the sustaining power of God? Did you know that you don’t have to schedule rest into your race of faith? Rest is already built into it. Many Christians struggle to find this amazing rest in Christ. This rest that Paul is speaking of here is not something you have to find, for it has already been provided for us in Jesus Christ.
In Paul’s introduction to 1 Corinthians, he pens these words in chapter 1:4-10 “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge, even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord….” What encouragement this verse must have brought to those first-century Christians. Our salvation, from start to finish, is by the grace of God. Paul told the Christians in Corinth that Jesus Christ would sustain them to the end guiltless in the day of our Lord. What great rest we find in these verses as those who have come to know and love Christ.
The Greek word for sustain is bebaioó. It is used 8 times in the New Testament, and each time the verb speaks of God’s action of rendering something firm. God will sustain us to the end, guiltless. The word guiltless means blameless, above reproach. Take a moment and let that amazing truth sink in. God will sustain/establish you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. These Corinthians Christians, like us today, were waiting for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Chris at his return. This truth brings us much rest and encouragement in these last days.
Here are a few more scriptures to confirm this truth. Colossians 1:21–22 “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,” 1 Thessalonians 3:11–13 “Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saint.“ 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” Jude 24–25 “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

I hope that these scriptures bring both rest and encouragement to you today.

In Christ,
Pastor John

Knowing the Word of God is essential if you're going to be a follower of God in these days. These days are crazy. It's because we are living, no doubt, not just in the last days, which have been around since the time of the first-century church; these were the last days when Christ ascended, and the church began. We are living in the most deceptive time in the history of the world. And I take this very seriously as not only a pastor, but as a brother in Christ, and as someone who realizes the importance of our time.
The Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthian believers, was concerned that something was happening because of the reports he'd been receiving. He's concerned that they're being deceived in such a way that they are going to be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Jesus Christ. This kind of deception can be so subtle that a person doesn’t realize it’s happening. We're seeing this a lot today in the church. In fact, there's also a second definition for being led astray that will define the last days before the Antichrist arrives, and that’s the great apostasy or the great falling away. This is going to happen. People will apostatize or defect from the truth of Scripture or faith itself.
There are things that are going on, and we need to be very careful that we do not become those who just put up with stuff. We need to be those who expose things that are evil. We need to expose false teachers. We need to expose the darkness. You need to get serious about reading and studying and knowing the Word of God, because it is the truth. It's the only absolute truth we have out in the world. And God has given you His Spirit to help us learn, know, understand, and also to discern the days in which we're living.
Fallen angelic beings, that God created and later rebelled against Him, are at work, living, performing all kinds of work in opposition to the Kingdom of God and to the work of God. And their number one target, obviously, is the people of God and humanity. It is a subtle trickery. This is any and every type of trickery used to accomplish the end goal, which is deception. We must do as Paul was doing and make sure that we continue to expose the deceitful works of the enemy and false teachers, false prophets, false doctrines, and all those things that are being brought into the church. He called them deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ and servants of righteousness. But in truth, they are false teachers, and they were not serving Christ. These false teachers were actually serving Satan, who, like them, disguises himself as an angel of light, intending to deceive the people.
The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching or doctrine, but having itchy ears will accumulate for themselves teachers who suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths or falsehoods. There's a responsibility on our part to make sure that what is being taught is biblical, and that it is right, and that it is true. Knowing the Word of God is essential if you're going to be a disciple of Christ in these days. I encourage you to be a student of the Word and shepherd your families. We need to be protecting, instructing, reproving, rebuking, and doing all those things in the love of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must lead our families and be good stewards of what God has given us.

In Christ,

Pastor John


Adapted from The Gritty Men Podcast: How Christians can Protect themselves from deception / Ep. 104, Nov 18, 2025

We are living in the age of information on demand. The internet has created a world where you can receive an endless supply of answers, opinions, and articles on any given subject in seconds. Throughout history, mankind has consistently sought to answer difficult questions. In the past, this required great effort, time, and testing in order to solve a problem or find the truth. The danger for us today is that many people are not interested in doing the painstaking work but simply want to be told what the truth is. In other words, just give me the answer, and I will be on my way. No doubt this comes in handy in some areas of life, but when it comes to understanding biblical truth, this mindset can be very dangerous.
In Acts chapter 17, the Apostle Paul arrives in Berea. Upon his arrival in this community, he and Silas went into the Jewish synagogue to share the word with them. Paul commends these Bereans, for they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if what the Apostle Paul was teaching was true. They were not interested in simply being told what to believe, but examined God’s word, which is the standard we measure against all teaching.
Many people, unfortunately, hold to certain beliefs because they were told what to believe. As disciples of Christ, we measure everything by the standard of the word of God. This requires work on our part, but this work is essential in these days of incredible deception. We do not want to be deceived. We can certainly benefit from the writings of men, but the writings of men can also be a great hindrance. Young Christians are often drawn into different theological views and “isms “not from the study of Scripture, but rather from the writings of men. Why would we develop our theology from an interpretation of a man when we have been given the Holy Spirit and the Word of God? I always encourage young believers to study the scriptures. I have seen many led astray by wandering off into extrabiblical writings. What are we to do in these days of deception? Study the Word, do the work, pray, apply the truth God has revealed for us in His Word, and examine everything by the scriptures.

In Christ,
Pastor John.

What comes to mind when you hear the word ministry? For many, they think of a missionary in a foreign land. For others, maybe a pastor, bible teacher, or evangelist. Did you know that scripture teaches that everyone who has been born again by faith in Christ is in ministry? Somewhere along the way, we have made ministry the responsibility of ministers. This way of thinking is having a profoundly negative impact on both the Kingdom of Christ and those who are still under the power of the evil one. Listen to the words of Christ to his disciples in Matthew 9:35–38 “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
The problem we are facing is not a lack of fields in need of harvesting, but rather a lack of harvesters willing to work in the fields. The field here is referring to people, those who are harassed and helpless, still living in slavery to sin, under the power of the evil one. The world is full of such people. You and I were among these at one time in our lives, but thank God, we heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, and believed in Christ, and were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
Did you know that all of us who are in Christ have the ministry of reconciliation? That’s right, you and I have been given this ministry. Look with me at the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:16–20 “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
God has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. There it is, this is our ministry, everyone who is in Christ, no exceptions. We have been entrusted. Think about that, you and I have been entrusted by God with the message of how man can be reconciled to God through faith in the Gospel of Christ. What a great responsibility we all have been given. You and I are the workers who are called into the fields of our homes, places of work, and communities to share with the field, that is, the people we encounter every day. When was the last time you shared the gospel message of reconciliation with someone? Have you ever seen a crop harvest itself? No, it requires the labor of workers to bring in the harvest. We are ambassadors for Christ, that is, God, making His appeal through us. I challenge you to take this ministry calling serious in 2026.

2 Corinthians 6:2, "Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

May we live for the glory of our great King and for His Kingdom.

In Christ,
Pastor John

Like many of you, one of my favorite men in scripture is the Apostle Paul. Every time I have traveled to Athens, Greece, I always take the short drive to Corinth, located some 65 miles from Athens. You can still visit the ruins of the old city of Corinth. Walking around the ruins, my mind always takes me to the letters the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians who lived there upon hearing and believing in the gospel of Christ that Paul preached to them on his second missionary journey.
 Corinth was the capital of the Roman province of Achaia. The city of Corinth was a very strategic and important trade city, located on the narrow Isthmus, four miles wide, connecting the Peloponnese peninsula with the mainland of Greece. The city of Corinth was a double port city, the Gulf of Corinth to the east (an inlet to the Ionian Sea), and to the west, the Saronic Gulf (an inlet to the Aegean Sea). These features made this city a crucial east-west trade route by land, as well as a vital travel route for cargo ships carrying both goods and people.
Corinth was a very large city, known for its wealth, architecture, business, pagan worship, and pleasure. The people of Corinth worshipped many different pagan deities, including Poseidon, the god of the sea. Apollo, the sun god, and their primary god was the goddess Aphrodite. Aphrodite was worshipped as the goddess of love and was considered to be the protector of the city of Corinth. Her temple was set high above the city, atop the Acrocorinth, where more than one thousand temple prostitutes engaged the Corinthians in prostitution worship. They believed that by engaging in these gross sexual acts, they were joined in a union with Aphrodite. Gross sexual immorality was a way of life for those living in and around this capital city. People coined the phrase, “act like a Corinthian,” meaning one who indulges in rampant sexual immorality. Paul came to this dark and hopeless place to bring the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that those who would believe in Christ by faith would be born again unto Christ Jesus.
Romans 10:11-15 “For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!””
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

May we all share Christ and His Gospel with others in 2026!

In Christ,
Pastor John

When we experience spiritual warfare in our lives, we are dealing with two kingdoms that are in opposition to one another. As Christians, we must learn to navigate this spiritual dichotomy. In Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia, he explains this spiritual truth to the believers. It is important that, as believers today, we understand the battle is the same and affects our lives the same way. As disciples of Christ, we need discipline, and discipline is our responsibility.
Up to this point in his epistle, Paul has defended the gospel incredibly. The love and determination demonstrated by Paul to help encourage believers and correct the false teaching of the Judaizers is truly Spirit-led. As we get into chapter five, Paul gets to the application, and he writes, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:16-18) We are to walk in step with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit leads and directs our lives. Understand, our flesh is an opposition to the things of God. To live a victorious life in Christ and crucify the flesh, we must live a life, or walk, in step with the Holy Spirit. He is the reason we can become self-disciplined and live these things out in reality.
Paul is explaining that we are not doing this on our own. We can not do this on our own, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have the ability. There is an aspect of fruit that is demonstrated, a fruit of the Spirit, by those who walk in discipline. This is called self-control. The fleshly, natural opposition to this is a life lived unrestrained. In an unrestrained life, we gratify the lust and desires of the flesh. We all did this at one time prior to knowing Christ, and that's how the world is today, in darkness. Discipline is applied in our lives in order that we may have self-control.
This is not about motivation. Motivation is a feeling, and like many feelings we experience, it wanes. Discipline means control is gained by implementing obedience or order. It is the training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. Discipline is our application. Discipline in step with the Spirit is biblical self-control. This is how we allow the fruit of the Spirit to manifest. A person can demonstrate discipline in many aspects of life, but if Christ is not the standard by which that discipline is grounded, there will be little or no fruit from it. It is misguided at best and will eventually falter.
You have to apply the truth of God's word. You have to reject the flesh. This means walking in humility, patience, and love. All these things bring about maturity. Christians have to be disciplined and guided by the Spirit to gain true, biblical self-control.


In Christ,
Pastor John


(Adapted from the sermon series No Other Gospel; sermon title Be Disciplined)

Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13). We have been called from the slavery of sin and the bondage of the flesh, the things of this world. God has called us through the gospel and given us a new birth into the kingdom of the glorious Son. All this, by a work of God's tremendous grace and mercy.
As early as Genesis, we learn about this law, the law of nature. God made things according to their kind, and living things bring forth their own kind. We have received from birth a fallen nature. Because Adam sinned, all who are born in Adam have sin, and we read in Romans that death is a result of sin, but we have now been called to something new. We have been given a new nature.  Peter writes, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature…” (2 Peter 1:3-4).
So, we have a new, divine nature in Christ Jesus, but we still have our old nature, the old nature in Adam. Being called to freedom and being free in Christ does not give you a license to use your freedom for unrighteousness. That's why Paul says we are to crucify the flesh. When Paul talks about the flesh, he's talking about the old nature. We're to crucify it and live in the new nature.
True children of God are regenerated and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. We put our faith in the finished work of the atoning sacrifice unto God for sin. We trust by faith and believe. Then a regeneration takes place in the life of the believer. This believer, through the Holy Spirit of God, is born again in Christ. Only those who are in Christ have the power from God through the Holy Spirit to live in that new nature.


In Christ,
Pastor John

(Adapted from the Sermon Series: No Other Gospel)

From the White House to the farmhouse, much of our society is void of true men of true character, and I mean godly character. Proverbs 28:6 says this, "Better is a poor man who walks in integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.” There are a lot of people who are gaining means through crooked ways, but do not envy them, because ultimately their ways will be found out. Proverbs 10:9 tells us, "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever makes his way crooked will be found out."
So what is character? Character is the mental or moral attributes that make up and distinguish an individual from another. Don’t confuse character with reputation. Reputation, simply put, is what people think of you. Our character is the essence of who we are, and our reputation is someone's judgment or opinion of that character.
One's character is developed over time. As men of God, it is a crucial role in distinguishing us as individuals and determining our eternal destiny. As Christians, we have been reborn in Christ, and the Spirit of God indwells us, and our character is forged through a process. Let's think about this process for a minute. We forge metal by heating it with fire, shaping it with a hammer, and then quenching it. Over time and through this process, the steel is shaped into a useful tool. Similar to steel, Christians must allow God to work the process of forging our lives.
God will provide the means, but we have to provide the work in this process. We don't have to respond to the forging process in a way that develops godly character. We can resist. There's a direct correlation between how we respond to testing and trials and the development of our character. His predetermined plan is that we would be conformed into the image of Christ. That's what this forging process is for. Don't despise the process. Embrace it. This process is called sanctification; the process of making or becoming holy or set apart.
God also provides a Helper to guide us in developing godly character. He has given us and imparted His Holy Spirit to live in us, to empower us, to lead us, and direct us so that we can accomplish these things. Through the power of God working in and through our lives, we provide the effort or the work. “We rejoice in suffering.” We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
It's not easy to follow Christ. We have to discipline ourselves. We have to be people who are in control of our minds and our bodies. We are men and women who are under the subjection of Christ, who is our head. We are following our King. It isn’t easy in this fallen, wicked world, especially battling our flesh. It's part of our maturing process. Scripture is telling us the things that we have to do. It's producing grit, and we need to be disciples with grit.

In Christ,
Pastor John

(Adapted from The Gritty Men Podcast: Godly Integrity)

Paul was a very disciplined man. He worked hard on this throughout his life. Paul was incarcerated more than once during his ministry and missions. He mentions his imprisonment in his letters to the churches in Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and his letter to Philemon. The book of Acts confirms that Paul was in a Roman prison, believed to be around the years AD 60-62. Sitting, chained in a cell, allows time for one’s mind to drift. Paul undoubtedly had to learn to control his mind. The way he renewed and controlled his mind was through truth.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:23, “And to be renewed in the spirit of your minds.” As Christians, we need to control our minds. Especially living in our day and time, because we are under a constant barrage of information. Modern technology has not only made it possible for just about anyone, anywhere to create “informative” content, but it has also made it accessible twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. If we do not control our minds, we will be led amok, guaranteed.
The brain is the center of everything, where it all begins. It is what’s behind the action, driving us forward in everything we do. So, if my mind wants what my flesh wants… knowing my body doesn't want difficulty, I will give in to sin. Our thoughts lead to actions. Repeated actions over time develop habits, and habits help shape our character. So, as a Christian, knowing we strive for Christlikeness, these thoughts leading to actions that build character need to be based on truth. The only real truth comes from the word of God.
It was through truth that Paul learned, “in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13) Paul learned something about the nature of God. He understood that through the work of the Holy Spirit is his life, he could be content in every single situation. God works in us, and He will accomplish His work, regardless of where we are, regardless of our situation, if we are willing to discipline ourselves and walk rightly before Him.
This walk will not be easy, but we rejoice in our sufferings because that means growth. So, we must prepare our minds for action. We are no longer of this world. We are being transformed by the renewal of our minds through the truth of God’s word. This new way of thinking, now seeing the world through a biblical lens, defines our actions, changes our habits, and transforms our character. We are disciples of Christ, the salt and light to the world, focused on Jesus and praying every day that we become more like our Master.

In Christ,
Pastor John

(Adapted from the sermon series No Other Gospel; sermon title Be Disciplined)